Page Farm & Home Museum facts for kids

Page Farm & Home Museum

Location	Orono, Maine, United States
Type	Farm museum

The Page Farm & Home Museum is a special place located at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine. It's like a time capsule that shows what farm life was like in Maine between 1865 and 1940. The museum collects and shares stories about farms and the people who lived on them. It's a great spot to learn about history and see how things used to be.

The University of Maine started in 1865. It was first called the "Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts." This means it focused on farming and practical skills. The most important part of the museum is the Maine Experiment Station Barn. This old barn was built in the 1800s. It is the very last farm building left on the university campus. It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it's so important!

What You'll See at the Museum

The museum is on the eastern side of the University of Maine campus. It has four main buildings that you can explore. The biggest building is the old barn. It has three floors and is made with strong wooden beams. You can enter the lower floors right from the ground.

Exploring the Buildings

• The Barn: This is the main building. It shows how farmers worked and lived.
• One-Room Schoolhouse: South of the barn, there's a small schoolhouse. It was built in 1855 and moved here from Holden, Maine. Imagine learning in a classroom with just one room!
• Carriage House and Blacksmith Shop: Also south of the barn, you'll find the Winston E. Pullen Carriage House and Blacksmith Shop. This building was built in 2003. It shows tools and equipment used for horses and metalwork.

Inside the Museum

The museum is full of interesting displays and old items. These items tell the story of rural life in Maine during the 1800s and 1900s. One popular exhibit is "Brownie's Kitchen." This display shows what a farmhouse kitchen looked like in the early 1900s. Many of the items in this kitchen were given by Mildred Brown Schrumpf. She was a famous food educator and recipe writer from Maine.

History of the Museum's Barn

The University of Maine began with a strong focus on farming education. In 1885, a special center was created to study farming and fertilizers. This center worked closely with the university's farm facilities.

The Barn's Journey

The old barn is a very important part of the museum. The university believes the barn was built in 1833. However, official records from 1990 say it was built in 1885. The barn has been moved a few times!

• It was first located where Merrill Hall stands today.
• In 1930, it was moved a few hundred feet south.
• In the 1990s, the barn was moved to its current spot. This move was planned so it could become the heart of the new museum.

Images for kids

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  The main building of the Page Farm & Home Museum.