Lagassey Farm facts for kids
|
Lagassey Farm
|
|
|
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
|
|
 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 786 Main St., Saint Agatha, Maine |
|---|---|
| Area | 162 acres (66 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | Louis Ouellette |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Acadian Barn |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001356 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | January 21, 2009 |
| Removed from NRHP | September 21, 2020 |
The Lagassey Farm is a historic farm located at 786 Main Street in St. Agatha, Maine. This large property, about 162-acre (66 ha), is special because the same family farmed it for over 150 years! That's a really long time, going all the way back to when people first started settling the area. Even though the buildings you see today were built in the 1900s, they might still have parts from older buildings. The farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, which means it was recognized as an important historical site. However, it was removed from the list in 2020.
About Lagassey Farm
The Lagassey Farm is found about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the main village of St. Agatha. It sits right on Main Street, which is also known as Maine State Route 162. The farm is a big piece of land, about 162 acres (66 ha) in total.
Farm Layout and Land
The farm has a unique shape, a bit like a wedge. It stretches for about 1,600 feet (490 m) along Long Lake on one side. On the other end, about 1.35 miles (2.17 km) away, it's about 900 feet (270 m) wide. The land is a mix of forests and open fields. There's also a narrow strip of land between Main Street and the lake that belongs to the farm.
About 91 acres (37 ha) of the farm are used for growing crops. Some of these fields are part of a special government program. This means they are usually not farmed, except for occasional mowing.
The Farmhouse
The main farmhouse is located on the southwest side of Main Street. It's a two-story building made of wood. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles, and the house sits on a concrete foundation.
The front of the house faces northeast. It has three windows or doors on the first floor and two on the second. A porch with a hip roof goes across the front and wraps around the left side. The porch has a solid railing and square posts. The main front door is not exactly in the middle. To its left is one window, and to its right are two windows joined together. On the second floor, there are two windows placed evenly.
The sides of the house, facing southeast and northwest, each have two windows on both floors. The southeast side also has another entrance between its windows. Inside, the house has a common layout with a hallway in the middle. There are four rooms on each floor.
A Family's Long History
The Lagassey family has a very long connection to this land. Records show that Joseph Lagasse was living on or near this property as early as 1874. However, he didn't officially own the land with a deed until 1892.
Back then, it was common for people who wanted to settle land to first clear it and start farming. Only after they showed they could develop the land would they be given the official ownership papers. Joseph Lagasse himself said in a court case from 1874 that he had been living on the land since 1851.
His 1892 deed was for a slightly larger area, about 169 acres (68 ha). Over time, the farm's size has become a bit smaller. This happened because some small pieces of land along its edges were sold off for building houses. The house standing on the farm today was built in 1946. It replaced Joseph Lagasse's original home.
When experts looked at the farm in 2008 for its historical listing, they described other old buildings. These included a barn and a granary that had parts from the 1800s. It's not clear if these older buildings are still there today.
