Contact Us

Officers

The Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society is  located at Fort Williams at 1000 Shore Road, in Building #326 which was the Bachelor Officers Quarters. We are now open for visitors from 9:00am to noon on Mondays and Thursdays.  If you wish to do research in our holdings, please contact us to schedule an appointment. Email: cehps@capeelizabeth.org or telephone 207-808-8127.

Membership

Please join us to preserve and promote interest in Cape's fascinating past. Members' benefits include lectures, outings, and the Society's newsletter "The Keeper" which highlights treasures from our archives. The annual membership fee is $25.00, and is due the first of September. Click here for a membership form.

Facebook

Join us on Facebook.  We are at "Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society".

We now sponsor a  Facebook group: "Cape Elizabeth Vintage Years." Please join to see vintage images of Cape and share your memories of days gone by!

YouTube Channel

Check us out on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@capeelizabethhistorycenter

Contact Us:

Email: cehps@capeelizabeth.org

Telephone: 207-808-8127

Mail: Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society

1000 Shore Road

Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107


Publications 

"Cape Elizabeth, Past to Present (2nd edition)" is available for sale at the library’s adult services desk, or at the Historical Society's office at Fort Williams.

"A Culinary History of Cape Elizabeth, Maine" is also available for sale at the Historical Society's office.

History of CEHPS

The Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society was established in 1979 by the late Dr. Constance Murray, Ph.D., a local preservationist and retired teacher from the Lexington Public School System (Mass.). Dr. Murray was born and raised in Cape Elizabeth and retained a love for the community and its history even as she moved across the country pursuing her education and teaching career. Returning to Cape Elizabeth following her retirement in the late 1970s, she began to form a local organization composed of concerned citizens dedicated to locating, researching and preserving local items of historic value.

With the help of the town’s Board of Historic Preservation Advisers, the town provided space in the basement of the Thomas Memorial Library to preserve and display old town records, maps, photographs, family collections, and historic letters. Volunteers meet weekly each Thursday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to identify, collect, and preserve items of local historic significance. In November of 2014, in preparation for a major renovation of the Thomas Memorial Library, CEHPS was relocated to the Cape Elizabeth Public Safety Building. In Oct. 2022 CEHPS moved to Building #326 at Fort Williams.

The public is welcome to visit to conduct personal research into areas of personal interest. 

The Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society is a tax exempt 501(c) (3) organization. Donors can deduct contributions they make to us under IRC Section 170. We are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522.