REVIVIN G T HE BAT T L E C RY
Fig. 58. The Joshua L. Chamberlain house, relocated to the corner of Potter Street and Maine Street by the Chamberlains in 1867, now operates as a museum.
Fig. 59. The Old Town Hall, built between 1881 and 1889, was demolished in 1961.The elegant brick building was decorated the year it completed in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Brunswick.
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MTS Director Camille Myers Breeze was hired by the Pejepscot History Center (PHC) in Brunswick, Maine, to assess fourteen Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) banners. Their survival alone is a miracle, but the story they tell is even more remarkable. The banners were salvaged by resident Earle Ormsby from a barn on his family’s property along the Androscoggin River. The land was previously part of the 140-acre Merrymeeting Park, which entertained turn-ofthe-century visitors with indoor and outdoor attractions. The city of Brunswick purchased the Ormsby family property in 2021, which coincided with the donation of the fourteen GAR banners.
Brunswick played a major role in the Civil War from its lead-up through its conclusion. Since its founding in 1888, the PHC (formerly the Pejepscot Historical Society) has preserved, educated, and supported research relating to the Brunswick region’s Civil War history. The PHC owns the Joshua L. Chamberlain house, which was relocated to the corner of Potter Street and Maine Street by the Chamberlains in 1867 (Fig. 58.) The Civil War General, Bowdoin College alumnus and professor, and three-term governor of Maine owned the house from 1859 to 1914. Chamberlain (1828–1914) was the commander of the 3rd brigade, 1st division, 5th corps, 20th Maine Voluntary Infantry at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg. He and his troops prevented the confederate army from overtaking the union army at Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Chamberlain was chosen by Union General Ulysses S. Grant to receive the formal surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on April 12, 1865, at Appomattox, VA.
