On Tuesday, June 2 at 7 p.m., the Boothbay Railway Village will launch its new Summer Lecture Series with a workshop entitled “Researching Family, House & Community History: Connecting people to the times and places where they lived.”

The first in an innovative, four-part lecture program, presented in partnership with Southport resident and researcher Nancy Prisk, the program is designed for anyone, of any age, who is interested in researching their family roots, learning more about their community, or discovering the secrets of the home where they live.

Prisk will begin the program with a brief presentation on the value of connecting historic time periods into the framework of family or community history research thereby connecting the people to the times and places where they lived.

Jennifer Blanchard, the keynote speaker, will share the story of Civil War General Joshua L. Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s influence in the Brunswick community is an excellent example of how understanding the issues and conditions of a historical time period can enrich your research.

Prisk is a research consultant with The Systems Connection and Family Roots Maine. Prisk is currently completing her Interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree at the University of Maine Orono. Her research focus includes Land Use Planning, Community Engagement, and Native American Studies. She is a resident of Southport Island where she enjoys life in the “center of the village” as a resident in the historic “Old Methodist Parsonage.”

Prisk serves her community as the town of Southport’s representative to the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission and is a member of their executive committee and their STEM Education Committee. Prisk has over 40 years of experience in the research of family and community histories. Areas of particular interest include the early families of New England, Virginia, and North Carolina. Her own roots trace through multiple family lines of ancestors who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600s.

Blanchard has served as executive director of Pejepscot Historical Society since 2012. She previously taught and worked in the administration at the College of William and Mary and Buffalo State College. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from William and Mary as well as a master’s from the University of Southern Maine and a bachelor’s from Carleton College.

The Pejepscot Historical Society in Brunswick was organized in 1888 to collect and preserve the history of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine. Today PHS owns and operates three historic properties in downtown Brunswick: the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, the Skolfield-Whittier House, and the Pejepscot Museum and Research Center. In summer 2015, PHS will celebrate Chamberlain Days (August 7-9), hold weekly Sunday history walking tours, and present an exhibit titled “Fashion Plates: Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from the Pejepscot Historical Society Collection.”

This lecture is part of a new Summer Lecture Series at the Boothbay Railway Village. Other topics include Vintage Porsche Restoration, History and Design of Outboard Motors, and a continuation of the Voyagers programs: conversations with individuals who have undertaken historic journeys. For more information find Boothbay Railway Village on Facebook or visit the Museum’s website at www.railwayvillage.org.

The talk will take place inside the historic 1847 Boothbay Town Hall at the Boothbay Railway Village. A donation of $5 is suggested for admission and the proceeds from this specific program support the Pejepscot Historical Society.  The Boothbay Railway Village is located at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay.