About the Brooksville

Historical Society

The Museum is open on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 pm during the months of July and August

Brooksville Historical Society is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring together people interested the history of Brooksville and surrounding area, to preserve documents and artifacts related to Brooksville, and to share our stories and traditions with the public.   

History of the Brooksville Historical Society:

The Brooksville Historical Society started in the 1930’s with Grace Limeburner as a one-woman repository for town lore. A small band of like-minded women dedicated themselves to preserving the Town’s past. In 1967, 150 years after the Town of Brooksville’s incorporation there was renewed interest in preserving history, displaying artifacts, archiving the Town related documents and treasures. During this time, Edna Lund and Walter Snow called the first organizational meeting at the Baptist Church and about 50 people attended. There are many people to thank for all their thoughts and energy creating the BHS constitution, writing by-laws, establishing procedures for recording acquisitions, and setting up exhibits.  The organization is administered by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. 

From March through December, the BHS Board of Directors meets the second Wednesday of the month at 4:30 pm at the Town House. In the warmer weather the Board meets at the museum. The Board does not meet during the months of January and February.  All meetings are open to the public. 

The Boathouse Museum and Visiting Hours:

The Boathouse Museum is located on 150 Coastal Road, Brooksville in the building and on land generously donated by Edna Lund. The main building dates from the 1920’s when Sarah Patten commissioned Floyd Black to build a boat for her husband. The large boathouse needed for that construction is our current building, and was moved to the current property in the 1960’s.  Through generous donations from our members and the community, several upgrades to the building have been made, including relocating the building to its current location on the site, setting it on a new foundation with climate-controlled archival room, new windows and doors, handicapped accessible ramps, porch with a new porch roof, and landscaping and parking spaces.

The Boathouse Museum has over 2500 artifacts, documents, books and many other items, all with connections to Brooksville, or people with connections to Brooksville.

The Museum is open on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 pm during the months of July and August.