Two Centuries of Maine Shipbuilding

During our next outdoor lecture, Two Centuries of Maine Shipbuilding, learn about Maine’s shipbuilding past with Nathan Lipfert. Held at sunset, these lectures take place in the shadow of an 18th-century house! 

As long as wooden shipbuilding was the state of the art, Maine shipyards built more ships, and more tons of ships, than any other state. Every coastal community participated in this industry. Maine continues as an important shipbuilding region into the present. It provides well-paid skilled employment to thousands of people. They build vessels of wood, metal, and composite materials, which have an impact felt around the world. Nathan Lipfert will discuss the history of Maine shipyards and shipbuilders and the vessels they built, concentrating on the 200 years since statehood. His presentation will be based on his research for his recent book, Two Centuries of Maine Shipbuilding: A Visual History.

Nathan R. Lipfert worked at Maine Maritime Museum from 1971 to 2017 in various curatorial capacities: Assistant Curator, Curator, Library Director, Curator & Library Director, and Senior Curator. He is presently Curator Emeritus. He was educated at Hofstra University, Vermont College of Norwich University, the National Archives Institute of the National Archives, and other places. He has curated dozens of exhibits, large and small, for Maine Maritime Museum and written many articles, papers, lectures, finding aids, book reviews, successful grant applications, and been involved in many book projects. He is an archivist, has served as an Elderhostel faculty member and ran an annual maritime history symposium for the Museum from 1993 to 2017.

He has wide experience in rowing and sailing small craft, and has sailed a number of large sailing vessels. He is the recipient of MMM’s 2011 Mariner of the Year Award, and Maine Historical Society’s Neal W. Allen Jr. History Award in 2017. He co-authored Lobstering and the Maine Coast, and co-authored and edited Maine & The Sea: 50 Years of Collecting at Maine Maritime Museum. He is the author of Two Centuries of Maine Shipbuilding: A Visual History (2021). He has just completed a small book on the history of the Bath Custom House and is working on a future book on shipbuilding tools.

Bring your own chair or blanket. Snacks will be available for purchase. Tate House will be open for a peek viewing at 6:30pm.

Advance tickets: $12 General; $10 Tate House Museum members

At the door: $15 General; $12 Tate House Museum members

Note: Rain date will be Thursday September 15 (same time). Please check our website if weather predicts rain.