FAIRFIELD, Maine - The Skowhegan History House Museum and Research Center today announced that it has completed renovations on a new room that will feature rotating exhibits. The room's first featured exhibit, "Old Kennebec - Skowhegan's First Highway," is now open to the public and runs through October 11, 2014.

According to Melvin Burnham, executive director, the museum's collection has grown significantly since it was founded in 1937. To accommodate these additional artifacts and provide more exhibit variety, the museum created a new exhibit room using a $5,000 grant from the Plum Creek Foundation and funds from the Bloomfield Academy Trust. Construction in the museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in April.

The first featured exhibit, "Old Kennebec - Skowhegan's First Highway," hosts a collection of photos, video clips, maps and artifacts that tell the unique story of the Kennebec River. The river has been a significant part of Skowhegan's history dating back to early Native American settlers and the Benedict Arnold expedition, through the 19th century water-powered commerce boom and Maine's famous log drives.

"The Kennebec River has been at the center of life in Skowhegan since the town's settlement," said Burnham. "Thanks to the help of the Plum Creek Foundation, we were able to renovate a room for featured exhibits just like this. We hope residents and tourists alike will enjoy the increased variety of exhibits that this new space will offer."

Other events planned for the open season (May 28-Oct. 11) include a presentation by UMO Professor Richard Judd concerning the history of the log drives in Maine, guided walking tours of Skowhegan Island, kayak/canoe tours of the Kennebec River and more. The Skowhegan History House Museum and Research Center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information call (207) 474-6632 or visit www.skowheganhistoryhouse.org.

The mission of the Plum Creek Foundation is to provide philanthropic contributions to support and improve the general welfare of life in the communities that Plum Creek serves. The Foundation board meets quarterly to review applications submitted from organizations in the company's operating communities. Visit the Community Involvement page on Plum Creek's website at www.plumcreek.com to download an application.

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Plum Creek is among the largest and most geographically diverse private landowners in the nation with approximately 6.8 million acres of timberlands in forest ecosystems across the northern and southeastern United States.  We also operate wood products mills in the Northwest. As the company celebrates its 25th anniversary as a publicly traded corporation, we continue to manage our working forests and lands using sustainable practices to benefit Plum Creek's many stakeholders. Our talented employees work together to create shareholder value, serve as stewards of the environment, make wood products for everyday use, and build strong communities. Please visit www.plumcreek.com for the latest information about Plum Creek.

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