The Murphy home and future Fishermen’s Museum, next to the Phippsburg Historical Society. Isabella Slocum / The Times Record
A historic Phippsburg home is being converted into the new Fishermen’s Museum to recognize the town’s long fishing tradition.
The town donated the tiny Murphy home, one of the last small fishing homes surviving demolition, to the Phippsburg Historical Society, which is restoring and renovating it to serve the museum.
The Murphy family holding musical instruments in their living room. Courtesy of Phippsburg Historical Society
The historical society said the new museum will teach local school children and visitors about the history and contributions of early boat-building and fishing families in Phippsburg.
The Murphy home was built in 1925 in the village of Sebasco, neighboring the present day Anna’s Water’s Edge Restaurant.
The 12-by-15-foot home originally had just one room downstairs and a sleeping loft upstairs. Two small additions, including a kitchen, were later added by the family of six.
In 2002, Rick Varian bought the Sebasco village property and planned to demolish the Murphy home, replacing the site with a rental cottage. Varian later gave the Historic Preservation Commission time to save the home, which was then moved to a temporary location, stabilized and weatherized.
In 2019, the home was permanently relocated next to the historical society in Phippsburg.
The Historic Preservation Commission is now seeking a $30,000 endowment to finalize plans for the Fishermen’s Museum.
The current interior of the Murphy Home. Isabella Slocum / The Times Record
Local fisherman and preacher John Murphy was born and raised on Malaga Island. His wife, Perle Murphy, was known for knitting lobster trap heads.
The family often gathered to play country gospel music, and one of their sons, Ivan, went on to record a gospel record.
With boat plank flooring and newspaper used as insulation, the home tells a story of what life was like for many fishermen during the early 20th century. Objects planned for display will include traditional fishing gear, a locally built boat by Alton Wallace, wooden lobster traps and other fishing equipment.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.