Acadian Village (Van Buren, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Acadian Historic Buildings
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Museum shop (left) and Morneault House (right)
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Van Buren, Maine |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000062 |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 1977 |
The Acadian Village is a special museum in Van Buren, Maine. It is located along United States Route 1. This museum teaches visitors about the history and culture of the Acadian people.
The village has a group of six old buildings. Five of these buildings are real structures from the 1800s. One building is a new copy that looks just like an old one. These buildings show what life was like for Acadians in the 19th century. The entire village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can visit the museum every day from June through September.
Contents
Exploring the Acadian Village Buildings
The Acadian Village has several interesting buildings to explore. There is a visitor center made of split logs, built in 1976. This is where your visit usually begins.
Historic Homes and Shops
The museum features five wooden buildings from the mid-1800s. These include three houses, a schoolhouse, and a blacksmith's shop. All these buildings are either one story tall or one and a half stories. They all have pointed roofs, called gabled roofs.
Some buildings are made with logs, while others have wood frames. For example, the Morneault House is a log building. You can see the logs inside. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. This house was once an early post office in the area.
The Village Schoolhouse is another important building. It was built in 1875 and has a wood frame. It is also covered with clapboards. This schoolhouse was originally in Hamlin. Many people believe it is the oldest school building in the region.
The Church Reproduction
There is also a church in the village. It is a rough log building, also built in 1976. This church is a copy of what a typical Acadian church looked like in the 1700s. It helps visitors imagine how people worshipped long ago.
History of the Acadian People
The buildings at the Acadian Village were not always in this spot. A group called L'Heritage Vivant moved them here. They wanted to save these buildings. These structures are important examples of early French-American Acadian culture.
Acadian Settlement and Border Changes
The Acadian people first settled in this area in the 1780s. They lived here through a time when Maine and New Brunswick had a disagreement about their border. This disagreement happened in the first half of the 1800s. It was known as the Aroostook War, but thankfully, no fighting happened.
The border dispute was solved peacefully in 1842. This happened with a special agreement called the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. After the treaty, the Acadian community was split. Some Acadians lived in Maine, and others lived in New Brunswick. The Acadian Village helps us remember their history and how they lived.
See also
