The South Portland Historical Society has announced the planned purchase of a historic building on Madison Street adjacent to Bug Light Park to be used as a permanent home and history museum. After months of planning and negotiation, the Society signed a purchase option agreement with Portland Pipeline Corporation on May 4, to acquire within 18 months, the two-story brick historic building known to some as the Captain Nichols House and to others as the Cushing Point House according to Kathy DiPhilippo, South Portland Historical Society historian.
“This building is ideally-suited for use as a history museum,” DiPhilippo said. “It was originally built as a residential home in the neighborhood which existed prior to World War II. It is the only building left standing in place today; most other homes were either razed or moved to make way for the South Portland shipyards of WWII.”
During the war, the home was converted for use by the shipyard, DiPhillippo said. Since the end of the war, the building has changed hands a number of times, and since roughly 1998, has seen limited use.
    The Madison Street building is also located directly adjacent to Bug Light Park and the Shipyard Memorial, with a sidewalk and path from the front door of the building to the Memorial, the planned museum would feature a permanent shipyard exhibit to display artifacts and photographs of the society, as well as other rotating South Portland history exhibits.  
    The building also has a large room to be converted to a conference/classroom, so that it may accommodate field trips from local school classes, DiPhillippo said.
    With the agreement negotiated, the Society has kicked off a $1 million capital/endowment campaign, which will fund the building acquisition, handicap-accessibility renovations and other costs.
 “We need the support of the entire community at this time. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this building and convert it to use as a history museum.” society President Linda Eastman said. “This will be a tremendous asset to the current and future residents of South Portland, and with the added ability to interpret the history of the South Portland shipyards and their contribution to Allied success in WWII, this museum will serve as a wonderful educational resource.”
    The South Portland Historical Society is actively seeking donations to help make this history museum a reality.
    For more information, link to the Society’s website through www.southportland.org or call 767-3268.
    Donations may be mailed to the Society at P.O. Box 2623, South Portland, ME 04116.