Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Fourteen community groups across Maine have been awarded grants to support communities, organizations and institutions in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence according to a press release issued late this afternoon by the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission chaired by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Funded by the Maine State Archives and the Maine State Cultural Affairs Council, this one-time grant opportunity will assist the selected groups in creating meaningfull commemorations that honor Maine’s past and inspire its future. The primary purpose of this grant program is to support inclusive, community-centered research, events, programs, projects or exhibitions offered by museums, heritage areas, history organizations and sites, other nonprofits, and state, county, municipal and tribal entities. The grants do not require any fund matching or cost sharing.
“This upcoming year presents an important and necessary opportunity to reflect on our nation’s past and the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years later,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “The work these 14 groups are doing will help shine a light on Maine’s legacy role in the formation of our collective past while serving as a reminder of our foundationsal values of liberty and equality as we look to our nation’s future.”
The fourteen applicants are: Wlson Museum, Castine; Osher Map Library & Smith Center for Catographic Education, Portland; Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, Damariscotta; Presque Isle Historical Society, Presque Isle; Viles Arboretum, Augusta; Maine Public, Portland; Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agirculture & the Environment, Freeport; The Third Place, Inc. Portland; Town of Montville Cemetery Committee, Montville; Brick Store Museum, Biddeford; nibezun, Passadumkeag; Tides Institute & Museum of Art, Eastport; Youth Journalism International, Auburn; Bangor Public Library, Bangor.
“We received more than 120 applications requesting a total of over $1 million in funding, and we were truly blown away by the incredible work happening around the state,” said Sarah Hansen, director of the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. “Maine played a unique role in the founding of our nation, and these groups have developed powerful ways to share our history and ongoing contributions.”
For more information on the Maine Semiqincentennial Commission, please visit https://www.maine.gov/sos/america250me
For more background information on the grant program, please visit post herein dated September 22, 2025.