Whitney Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Whitney Farm
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 215 Whitney Rd., Appleton and Searsmont, Maine |
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| Area | 206 acres (83 ha) |
| Built | 1825 |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000087 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 2015 |
The Whitney Farm is a very old and important farm located at 215 Whitneyville Road in Appleton, Maine. It covers more than 200 acres (about 81 hectares) of land in Appleton and Searsmont. This farm helps us understand how farms in the Mid Coast region of Maine have changed over many years.
It has many different farm buildings that show how farming methods have evolved. The main farmhouse was built around 1825. It's interesting because it didn't get electricity or indoor plumbing until 2008! Because of its history and unique features, the Whitney Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. This means it's a special place worth protecting.
Exploring Whitney Farm's History
The Whitney Farm is found in a countryside area of eastern Appleton and western Searsmont, Maine. The main farm buildings are in Appleton. They are located a short distance down a hill called Appleton Ridge.
The farm includes many fields and wooded areas. Part of the farm is even divided by a marshy area called Whitney Bog. This bog sits right on the border between the two towns.
What Does Whitney Farm Look Like?
The farm buildings are grouped closely together. They are at the end of Whitneyville Road. This road leads to the farm from Appleton Ridge Road.
The main house was built around 1825. It is a traditional Cape style house. It has wooden siding and shingles on the outside. Brick chimneys rise from the center of the house. There are also two smaller sections, or "ells," attached to the main house.
North of the house, you'll find the barn. This barn is also very old, built in the first half of the 1800s. A series of garage bays extends from the barn towards the south.
Another building was called the "cooper shop" by the Whitney family. A cooper is someone who makes barrels. This building has two parts. One part was built around 1900, and the other is even older. This building was also used as a chicken coop for a while.
East of the house, there is a long building for chickens. Two other special buildings still stand on the farm. These are a corn crib and an ice house. It's quite rare to find these types of old farm buildings still standing in rural Maine today!
Who Lived at Whitney Farm?
The Whitney Farm was first settled around 1825 by a person named John Tole. In its early years, it was a "subsistence farm." This means the family mostly grew food and raised animals just for themselves.
Over time, the farm grew bigger and more successful. This happened as different owners managed it in the late 1800s. In 1878, Martha and Hezekiah Whitney bought the property. Their family continued to own the farm for many generations, well into the 21st century.
Burton Whitney was part of the second generation of the family to live there. He was mainly a cooper, making barrels for potato farms in Aroostook County. However, he also started to focus the farm on raising poultry, like chickens.
