Courtesy of Janelle Powell

A murder mystery haunted the halls of Skolfield-Whittier House in Brunswick last weekend. Drawing together Brunswick residents, the Pejepscot History Center, the Bowdoin Preservation Collective and Bowdoin students, the event not only provided a night of intrigue and horror, but also a way to link part of Brunswick’s history to the present.

Held at the Skolfield-Whittier House, “A Poisoning at the Parlor” invited its guests to solve a murder through an investigation of the various poisons scattered throughout the house. The guests were given a notebook, a guide to local poisons and a smattering of clues to help them solve the crime. Alongside discovering the details of the murder, the guests also discovered the history of the Skolfield-Whittier home and the objects inside of it.

“A Poisoning at the Parlor” was a popular event, with all four sessions last Friday and Saturday night completely sold out. Pejepscot History Center Community Outreach Manager Sarah Sharpton explained the importance of these events in helping people interact with Brunswick’s history.

“I think this house in particular is special because it has all of the family’s effects,” Sharpton said. “It really helps you feel connected with the people that lived here.”

Robin Davis, the manager of collections and research at the Pejepscot History Center, echoed Sharpton’s sentiments.

“What’s really great about a place like this that specializes in local history is that we don’t just talk about big general themes but more about personal stories,” Davis said. “That’s something that’s very impactful to people—to feel connected to their own past, in their own time and place.”

The event tied together Brunswick residents with their history and brought Bowdoin students into the larger history surrounding them. “A Poisoning at the Parlor” invited Bowdoin students not only as guests but also as actors and volunteers in the performance.

Grace Campbell ’27, who played the role of the expert poisoner, Elsie Crowley, highlighted how the event showcased how interconnected Brunswick and the College are.

“It definitely puts into perspective the continuous relationship that Bowdoin has had with the town of Brunswick and the history of Brunswick. I think the two kind of come in tandem with each other,” Campbell said. “Bowdoin especially … it bleeds into Brunswick. It’s hard to differentiate where Bowdoin starts and where Brunswick ends.”

Davis added that the histories of Brunswick and Bowdoin are very connected. Frank Whittier, who lived in the Skolfield-Whittier House, was a scholar-athlete at the College and went on to become director of its gymnasium and professor of bacteriology and pathology, as well as an expert in forensics. To Davis, Whittier’s Bowdoin education is valuable to an understanding of the Brunswick community and its history.

“The history of the house and Frank Whittier is very connected to Bowdoin history,” Davis said. “Bowdoin is obviously such a big part of Brunswick history, and we wouldn’t really be where we are now without that.… Our histories are very connected, and we have a lot in our collection that’s related to Bowdoin and Bowdoin professors and students.”

Sharpton said Bowdoin students often help preserve local history.

“We are really lucky that this event is being largely volunteer-staffed by Bowdoin students, and that has been so much fun for us,” Sharpton said. “Andy Robinson [’27] and Grace Campbell started up the Bowdoin Preservation Collective, a group of students that are trying to get plugged into local history.”

All three organizers explained that these events are not merely for entertainment value—they are also meant to draw in more interest towards history. They emphasized how important history is to understanding people and the present moment.

“It’s the old cliché, right? People who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it, and I think that holds a lot of truth. I also think [history’s] just really interesting and develops your empathy as a person to connect with the lives of people who have gone on,” Sharpton said. “It’s meaningful. It develops empathy, and that teaches something.”

Andy Robinson is a member of the Bowdoin Orient.