The Hendricks Hill Museum in Southport debuts for the summer on June 30. A local treasure, it is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Sept. 5. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

The museum is housed in a building built in 1810, with an annex containing many of the artifacts from Southport’s colorful history. The purpose of the museum is to preserve items relating to life on Southport Island in the period from 1800 to 1950, and includes items such as: seagoing tools of the schooner and fishing trades; ice harvesting tools; several wooden boats; navigational instruments, charts and maps; and kitchen and household items.

There is an exceptional collection of photographs, genealogical material, and other research items for visitors. A recent addition to the collection is a set of eight volumes containing photos and descriptions of every gravestone on Southport.

Another addition this past summer, acquired from the British Library in London, is a copy of a remarkable map of the region which Ensign George Sproule drew and published in 1772. It covers the area extending from the Kennebec to Round Pond and the Muscongus Bay.

Sproule was an officer and surveyor for the British Army (yes, Army!). Using color and shadow for emphasis, it accurately depicts many of the buildings on Southport island (and elsewhere) prior to the Declaration of Independence.

Hendricks Hill Museum is located on Route 27 on Southport, two miles beyond the drawbridge from Boothbay Harbor. Additional information can be found at www.southportmainehistory.com.