Revenue and Expenditures 

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES

The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid – a 501(c)3 non-profit consisting of local volunteers - were formed in 1993 and are now in its 26th year of service to the public. Our revenue is derived solely from membership fees and donations; we do not receive funds from the state or any other organization or governmental body.

Over the years – and at no cost to taxpayers - we’ve raised or allocated funds to assist with archeological digs, obtained grants for on-site projects including the current exhibit on entitled Guns, Politics and Furs on display in Fort William Henry’s stone tower, and nearly $250, 000 for the renovation of the Fort House, an 18th century structure located on the grounds of Colonial Pemaquid. We also obtained a $10,000 grant to fund the construction of a reproduction English fisherman’s house and contributed $3400 toward the installation of a thatch roof for that building. In October 2016, we offered to donate $3600 toward the implementation by the state of new interpretive signs at Colonial Pemaquid, a project that has yet to be completed.

In addition, for a period of nearly eight years, the Friends recruited, employed, trained and supervised a corps of student interns who participated in interpretive programs and engaged countless visitors with Colonial Pemaquid’s many faceted history. We also purchased an artifact scanner for the site’s use, paid for field trips to Plimoth Plantation for fifth graders from Bristol Consolidated School, and even now pay the monitoring fees for the fire/security system installed in the Fort House - again all at no cost to Maine taxpayers.

And every year, the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid sponsor a series of Monday Lectures and Living History Special Events ranging from historical topics such as the French and Indian Wars and the Salem Witch Trials to Maine’s role in the American Revolution – and that’s just a few examples. We also sponsor concerts by the Maine St. Andrew’s Pipes and Drum and an end-of-the-season performance by Castlebay, local musicians who specialize in music of 17th and 18th century. There is no admission charge for any of these programs, the only exception being the Lecture series when a modest fee of $5 is charged, though members are free. But even that amount comes nowhere close to covering the cost of hiring a speaker, plus the time and labor involved to plan, promote and coordinate each event.

Are we interested in making a profit? Not in the usual sense, but in a larger, more encompassing way. By helping to tell the remarkable and important story of life on the eastern frontier in the 17th century and the role played by Colonial Pemaquid from its original native peoples to its occupation by European settlers, the Friends help to inform and educate Pemaquid’s many visitors. If the public is richer for the experience and learns about our common heritage, our funds have been well spent.