Events

Join us at the historic First Parish Meetinghouse, 7 Meetinghouse Road.

All events will take place at the First Parish Meetinghouse at 7 Meetinghouse Road in Biddeford. Admission is free, unless otherwise noted.

Any changes to the calendar will be made public on facebook and here.

Donations are very much appreciated to support the events and the work of Biddeford Historical Society, including preservation of our community's Meetinghouse-its oldest public building.

For more information, please send an email.

2026 Season Events

Be sure to check back since there are other events in the works.

 

August 6 – Thursday - 7:00 pm: Elizabeth DeWolfe, Elizabeth DeWolfe, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of History at the University of New England, will give a presentation about Jane Tucker, Maine’s Gilded Age Spy.

Her book will also be for sale at the event.

In 1894, Jane Tucker was a Wiscasset stenographer scrabbling to get by when she took a job as a gilded age spy.

Her target: Madeleine Pollard, former mistress of a U.S. congressman, whom she had sued for breach of promise when he failed to marry her as pledged.

The trial was a national sensation, and while Pollard took center stage, Tucker, alias Agnes Parker, worked quietly behind the scenes, befriending Pollard and in their heart-to-heart conversations, stealing her secrets.

Tucker was so successful that no one discovered her secret task or her real identity for over 100 years.

In this illustrated talk, we’ll see how a scrappy stenographer used shorthand, underwear, and a whisk as tools for a clever spy and how her amazing exploits were subsequently hidden by history.

We'll also reveal a surprise connection to Biddeford!

 

Visit our YouTube channel to view prior events.

 

September 19 – Saturday - 10:00 am: Paul Revere’s Ride: Dispelling the Myths. Tegan Kehoe, from the Paul Revere House in Boston, will present on Revere and his legacy.

Paul Revere is an American icon, but how much does the story of the Midnight Ride hold up, and why? This program allows us to explore Revere and his famous ride and offers some insights into other aspects of his life as well. Revere was a silversmith with several side jobs, an active member of the Freemasons, and a father to a large family as well as a politically active Patriot in the American Revolution.

Tegan Kehoe is the Research and Adult Program Director at the Paul Revere Memorial Association. She joined the Association in 2023, and was previously the Exhibit and Education Specialist at the Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation. Prior to that, she has worked at three other sites interpreting revolutionary and early American history in Boston: the Old South Meeting House, Old State House and USS Constitution Museum. She has a Master’s Degree in History and Museum Studies from Tufts University.

The Paul Revere Memorial Association owns and operates the Paul Revere House and two other buildings in the North End neighborhood of Boston. The museum offers educational programs for all ages and cares for a collection of artifacts related to Revere’s life, work, neighborhood. The Association’s mission is to inspire a deeper appreciation for the relevance of American history by sharing the life, legacy, craftsmanship, and iconic home of artisan, businessman, patriot, and citizen Paul Revere.

 

September 26 – Saturday - 2:00 pm: Ron Romano, cemetery historian Biddeford is well represented in the new book “Stories from Maine Cemeteries: Lives Cut Short.” Local gravestones from the 1800s were decorated with snapped flower buds and broken tree branches to reflect that those buried below died before their time. Gravestone inscriptions sometimes provided causes of death, such as lightning strikes, accidents or disease. Even the form of monument could suggest an untimely death.

Local author Ron Romano unravels them all in his new book, which includes the stories of two brothers from Biddeford lost at sea on the other side of the world, and a sensational murder of a woman by her jealous boyfriend on the Saco River.

The program will include a short presentation, Q&A period, and autographing/sale of the book.

Ron Romano is a cemetery historian and author of five books about Maine gravestones and cemeteries. He leads tours at Biddeford’s Greenwood Cemetery each spring and fall. In June 2026 he received national recognition from the Association for Gravestone Studies for his exceptional contributions to this field.