About Us
Welcome to the China Historical Society
We are a small group of neighbors who believe the story of China, Maine is worth keeping. We collect the photographs, documents, and memories that tell where this town came from — from its first settlers to the people who run its general stores and volunteer fire departments today — and we make them available to anyone who wants to know.
China is really four villages: Branch Mills, Weeks Mills, South China, and China Village. The Society works to preserve the history of all of them, and of the lakes, farms, mills, and families that connect them.
If you grew up here, you’ll find your town’s past on these pages. If you’re new to China, you’ll find out what came before you. Either way, you’re welcome here.
Our History
The town of China is older than the country that surrounds it. It was settled as Jones Plantation in 1774 — two years before the Declaration of Independence — and in 2024 the town marked 250 years since those first families arrived. It was incorporated as the town of China in 1818.
The China Historical Society came along much later. On October 8, 1974, a group of residents who cared about local history wrote a set of by-laws, founded a nonprofit, and set out to make sure China’s past was not lost. They have been at it ever since.
Our Mission
When the founders sat down in the fall of 1974 to write their by-laws, they set out the purpose of the Society in plain words. We still hold to it today. Here it is, exactly as it was written on October 8, 1974:
The China Historical Society is a nonprofit educational organization. Its purposes are: to bring together people interested in history, particularly the history of the township of China, Maine; to discover, collect, preserve and make available to the public any material which pertains to the history of China and the surrounding area; to disseminate historical information and strive to arouse interest in local history; and to co-operate with other historical societies.
More than fifty years on, that is still the work: bring people together, gather and protect what would otherwise be lost, share it, and keep the interest in our shared past alive.
We sum it up this way — understanding our past, connecting in the present, helping to guide the future.
What We Do Today
The Society’s work happens in three places.
We keep the archive.
Photographs, maps, documents, and records that pertain to the history of China and the towns around it. Iconic places — Erskine Academy in South China, the W.W. Bailey general store, the village streets and the ponds — live in our collection, and we add to it as families share what they’ve kept in attics and albums.
We run programs and gatherings.
Talks, exhibits, and events that bring the town’s history out of the files and in front of people.
We help with research.
When someone is tracing a family, a property, or a piece of China’s past, we point them to what we have and connect them with others who know more. The 1974 by-laws asked us to “co-operate with other historical societies,” and we still do.
Become a Member
The China Historical Society is yours. The records we keep belong to this town, and they stay accessible because the people of China choose to keep them that way.
Membership is how you do that. It keeps the lights on, the collection cared for, and the doors open to anyone who comes looking for their town’s history. Members also stay connected to what the Society is doing — the meetings, the events, and the new pieces of the past as they come in.
Here is what it costs to join for a year:
| Level | Cost |
|---|---|
| Student | $5 / year |
| Individual | $10 / year |
| Family (household) | $25 / year |
| Lifetime | $150 one-time |
You can join as a new member or renew an existing membership. To join, mail a check to China Historical Society, PO Box 34, South China, ME 04358.
We greatly appreciate your interest and support of our Society. Join us, and help keep China’s story where it belongs — right here at home.