Quilts from the Collections of the Brick Store Museum
June 20, 2009 - through 2009

From inspirational Civil War quilts made by local Ladies Aid Societies in 1864 to a brightly-colored 1880s crazy quilt with a secret pouch, there are more than 40 quilts of varying sizes and patterns in the Museum's permanent collections. Admire a selection of these practical and beautiful masterpieces from the 18th to 20th centuries and learn the stories they have to tell.

Exhibition made possible by our proud business partner, Ocean Bank.

History Showcase |
Happy Birthday, "41"!
June 12 , 2009 - ongoing

With former President George H. W. Bush’s 85^th birthday on June 12, 2009, comes an opportunity to reflect upon what he has meant to the Kennebunks, as well as what the Kennebunks— so often referred to as his “anchor to windward”—have meant to him. The Brick Store Museum unveils Happy Birthday, “41”! as its newest History Showcase display. History Showcases are temporary displays that change throughout the year and address a timely theme, current event or new acquisition, thus ensuring that visitors are always seeing something new.

President Bush has frequently stated that he has returned to the Kennebunks every year but one, when he was serving his country in WWII. While the world has come to know George H. W. Bush as congressman, ambassador, Director of the CIA, Vice President and 41^st President of the United States, to many locals he is the neighbor, friend, golf or fishing companion affectionately known simply as “41.”  This commemorative display draws primarily from the Museum’s Bradbury and Kippax collections, replete with memorabilia telling not so much the national story as the story of the unique Maine connection. Personal snapshots, thank-you notes, Kennebunkport souvenirs, local headlines, campaign buttons, and invitations to area events juxtapose statesman Bush with citizen Bush and illustrate the intersection of the international political stage with the village green. The iconic home on Walker’s Point that served as the “Summer White House” and backdrop to so many news anchors’ reports is also a retreat, a gathering place where the Bushes reconnect with family and friends, relive memories and create new ones.

This birthday salute includes a giant card upon which visitors can pen their greetings, which will be presented to the President later this summer. In addition, the display encourages locals to document their own recollections of the President, First Family, press corps, and Secret Service over the years. These anecdotes will be added to the Museum’s archival collections chronicling the President’s enduring presence in the community.

History Showcase made possible by our proud business partners, Ocean Bank, Captain Jefferds Inn, Captain Fairfield Inn, and Kennebunk Savings Bank.

Renovations Revealed!
March 7, 2009 - ongoing

This exhibit presents the nearly 200-year history of the museum’s buildings and invites you to explore their recent structural renovations through artifacts, more than 40 construction photos, materials…and the very buildings themselves! Out of the basements, through the walls and into the attics, you’ll discover what powderpost beetles can do, how nails are made, and why there are now three steel beams in the buildings. Finally, in a section on "Basement Archaeology," see a number of items—from an early light bulb to an unique patent medicine bottle—uncovered by the construction crews.

This exhibition is made possible by the Museum's proud business partners: Jeffrey A. Bonney, CFP^®, Captain Lord Mansion, Cole Harrison Insurance, and Ocean Bank.

Salon Style: Fine Art from the 1830s to the 1920s
July 1, 2008 - ongoing

The Brick Store Museum has temporarily packed away some of its collections for safekeeping during structural restoration work on its historical buildings. Rather than crate up the museum's works of fine art that are in ornate and delicate gilded frames, we have opted instead to exhibit as many as possible in our upstairs gallery. This installation entitled, Salon Style, is so named for the stacked display format made popular by private collectors of the 18th and 19th centuries to showcase their holdings.

Thirty-two paintings—with many that have not been on public view in years—create an impressive cavalcade of primarily American art from the 1830s to the 1920s. Stunning still lifes, idyllic landscapes, and heroic seascapes are interspersed among genre paintings and portraiture of early Kennebunk notables. Featured artists include Josef Arentz (1903-1969), Thomas Badger (1792-1868), Abbott Fuller Graves (1859-1936), E. L. Ipsen (1869-1951), W. L. Metcalf (1858-1925), Hannah Brown Skeele (1829-1901), and D. A. Teupken (1828-1859).

This exhibition is made possible by the Museum's proud business partners: Jeffrey A. Bonney, CFP^®, Captain Lord Mansion and Ocean Bank.

History Showcase | The Nation's Guest: Lafayette's 1825 Visit to Kennebunk
May 2, 2009 - ongoing

In 1824 and 1825, the aging American Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette made a farewell tour of the United States as “the nation’s guest.” His epic journey included an afternoon stopover in Kennebunk, Maine, in 1825. See the artifacts and archival materials that tell what transpired that June day and learn about the long-term impact Lafayette’s visit would have on the community.

This latest installment of The History Showcase is made possible by the Museum's 2009-2010 proud business partners: Ocean Bank, and Captain Jefferds Inn, and Captain Lord Mansion.

Treasures of the Community
May 2003 - ongoing

Treasures of the Community is a broad, cross section sampler of the history of the Kennebunks, from its earliest settlements to the present. Also featured are representational items from the Museum's collection of early American fine and decorative arts. There are numerous pieces of furniture—including sideboards, clocks, and chairs dating from 1700 - 1900—and portraits by John Brewster Jr., Thomas Badger, Walter Ingalls and others.