Walter and Eva Burgess Farm facts for kids
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Walter and Eva Burgess Farm
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Macomber Corner, Maine |
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| Area | 206 acres (83 ha) |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Brann, C.B.; Sands, F.E. |
| Architectural style | Square House |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000312 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 14, 1997 |
| Removed from NRHP | July 14, 2015 |
The Walter and Eva Burgess Farm was a special old farm located in a quiet part of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. It was more than just a place where crops grew; it was a piece of history! The main farm buildings, including the house and barn, were built in 1914. This happened after the original farm buildings from the 1800s were sadly destroyed by a big fire. This farm was unique because it showed how farms looked and worked in the early 1900s in rural Maine. It was even listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 because of its importance. Sadly, the historic house and barn were destroyed by another fire in 2013, and the farm was removed from the National Register in 2015.
Contents
The Story of the Burgess Farm
The Burgess farm's story began way back in 1834. That's when William Burgess bought 100 acres of land. He first built a simple log cabin. Later, he built a proper house. His farm was successful, with a small group of dairy cows and sheep.
William passed the farm down to his son, John O. Burgess, between 1860 and 1877. The farm stayed in the family.
A Big Fire and New Beginnings
On December 23, 1913, almost all the farm buildings were destroyed by a fire. At this time, John's son, Walter, and his wife, Eva, were running the farm.
After the fire, the family needed a place to live. They built a small addition onto a building that survived, which was a blacksmith shop. This addition gave them a temporary home while they built new main buildings.
Modern Farm Design
Walter and Eva built a new house and barn in 1914. These new buildings were special because they included modern ideas. Many farms in rural Maine at that time didn't have these new features. This was because farming was not growing much in the state.
The barn was very large and had a unique roof shape called a gambrel roof. This type of roof was a new idea from the western United States. It helped store more hay inside the barn. The barn also had many milking stations. This showed that the farm was focusing more on producing dairy products like milk.
The house was a two-story building. It was built in a style called American Foursquare. This style usually means a square-shaped house with a hip roof. A hip roof slopes down on all four sides.
A porch with a hip roof wrapped around the front and one side of the house. It was supported by classic-looking columns called Tuscan columns. Inside the house, the original wooden parts were still shiny and well-kept. A connecting part, called an ell, joined the house to the barn.
The Farm's Final Chapter
Sadly, the entire farm complex was destroyed by another accidental fire in July 2013. The fire likely started from sparks in the barn. Because of this, the farm was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
