Outside the museum is a very old schooner anchor, possibly from a victim of the sea, while inside is a large and eclectic collection of artefacts. In Maine and the Maritimes we have seen quite a number of anchors nearly identical to this one. Most, if not all of them, were once the anchor of a fishing schooner or similar sized ship. Nearly all seem to have spent a long time under water, which would be the case if the anchor were from a sunken ship. Many of these submerged anchors were found quite by accident when they fouled fishing nets. The anchor will be found on the south side of the museum building, between the building and the parking lot - very hard to miss.
While the museum's focus is on marine history, there are exhibits and displays which deal with such disparate subjects as automobiles, the Civil War, the fish canning industry and construction of Liberty Ships during World War II. In fact, to the northeast of the museum is a very informative memorial to the Liberty Ship and the construction of them right here in the Portland harbour.
As of 2016 the museum has produced a searchable
Online Museum & Research Library.
Below is a short description of the museum from
Visit Maine.
The South Portland Historical Society operates the Cushing's Point Museum, a history museum at Bug Light Park, adjacent to the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, which relates the history of shipbuilding (including WWII Liberty ships), lighthouses, sardine canning factories, local Civil War history, an exhibit covering how the automobile has changed the American neighborhood, and more. The museum gift shop features souvenir and gift items which are Made in Maine, with a special focus on lighthouse-related gift items. A research room is available for genealogists and others doing historical research.
From the Visit Maine