Colcord Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Colcord Farmstead
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Benton, Maine |
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| Built | 1800s |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001468 |
| Added to NRHP | December 29, 2005 |
The Colcord Farmstead, also known as Longmeadows Farm, is a very old farm in Benton, Maine. It's located at 184 Unity Road. This farm began way back in 1786! It's special because its buildings show us what farm life was like in the late 1800s. Because of its history and unique buildings, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 2005.
Contents
Exploring Longmeadows Farm: A Historic Place
Longmeadows Farm covers about 194 acres (79 ha) of land in the middle of Benton. On its western side, you'll find the Sebasticook River. The farm also stretches eastward across Unity Road, which is also called Maine State Route 139.
The Farm Buildings: A Look Back in Time
The main group of farm buildings is just west of Unity Road. Most of these buildings are made of wood and were built after 1880. They give us a great look at how farms were set up long ago.
The Main Farmhouse: A Home from 1882
The main house on the farm was built in 1882. A man named John Colcord built it. It's a two-and-a-half story wooden house. It has a special style called Italianate. Look for its gabled roof, which has decorative brackets under the eaves. The outside is covered with clapboard siding. Inside, the house still has its original wooden floors, plaster walls, and fancy moldings. It's like stepping back in time!
Connecting Buildings and the Big Barn
The house is connected to the barn by two smaller buildings. These are now called the shop and the shed. The shop is actually the oldest building on the farm. It dates all the way back to the early 1800s!
The barn is very large and has three stories. It's a special type called a bank barn. This means it's built into a hillside, so you can enter different levels from the ground. It has a tall stone foundation. John Colcord also built this barn using both sawn wood and hand-hewn timbers.
Other Farm Structures: Windmills and More
Besides the main house and barn, there are other buildings too. Some were built in the 1900s. These include places for milking cows, storing farm equipment, and even a chicken house. You can also find a windmill on the property. There's even a sawmill from around 1950. These buildings show how the farm changed over the years.
The Farm's Long History of Owners
Most of the land for this farm was first sold in 1786. It was sold by the Kennebec Proprietors, who were the first landowners in this area. Unlike some old farms, this one didn't stay with one family for a very long time until recently. It had thirteen different owners up until the early 2000s!
The buildings you see today were mostly built by two groups of owners. John Colcord owned the farm in the late 1800s and built many parts. Then, the Brown family has owned the farm since 1937. They have also added to and cared for the farm's history.
