Willowbrook Museum Village facts for kids
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| Location | Newfield, Maine |
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| Type | Living history |
The 19th Century Willowbrook Village was a special kind of museum in Newfield, Maine. It was an open-air museum, which means it was like a village from the 1800s that you could walk through. It had 34 old buildings spread out over about 10 acres.
This museum showed what life was like in a small New England town during the 19th century. Many of its buildings were so important that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.
Contents
About Willowbrook Village
Willowbrook Village was built near a small stream called Chellis Brook. A pond was created by building a dam on this brook. The museum's buildings were located around this pond. This area used to be the main part of Newfield town.
However, a big wildfire in 1947 caused a lot of damage to this area. It changed the town quite a bit.
How the Museum Started
In the 1960s, a man named Don King from Massachusetts started buying the old properties around the mill pond. He loved history and began fixing up the buildings. He also collected many old items from the past.
Thanks to his hard work, the Willowbrook Museum opened its doors on May 1, 1970. It became a place where people could step back in time.
Changes and Closure
After many years, the 19th Century Willowbrook Village museum faced challenges with its costs. Because of this, it closed permanently on October 10, 2016.
The museum's old property was then taken over by another group called Curran Homestead Village. This group is working to create a similar historical village experience at their main location in Orrington, Maine. They focus on hands-on learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) using old tools and items. The museum in Newfield is now closed to visitors.
What You Could See at Willowbrook
The museum had many interesting buildings and collections that showed what life was like long ago.
Historic Buildings
One of the most important buildings was the Amos Straw Country Store. This store was built in the 1850s and had a meeting hall upstairs. It was a great example of Greek Revival style architecture. Connected to the store was a large barn used to show off old tools and items.
Other buildings you could explore included:
- The William Durgin House and its attached section (built in 1813).
- The Durgin Barn.
- A Letterpress Printing Shop, where you could see old printing presses.
- A One-Room Schoolhouse, which was a copy of an old school from 1839.
- An 1870s Cider Mill, used for making apple cider.
- The Johnathan Pike Cooperage, where barrels were made.
- A Granary, for storing grain.
- A Hands-On History Building, where you could try out old activities.
- The Tom Flagg Smithy, a blacksmith's shop.
Special Collections
The museum also had a fun 1894 carousel. This carousel was housed in a special round barn, which looked like the tents used when carousels traveled to fairs long ago. This particular carousel was used at public gatherings in Maine from 1896 to 1922.
The museum's collections included many items from the 1850s to the 1920s, such as:
- Old carriages and sleighs.
- Farm equipment.
- Early gas engines and tractors.
- Tools used by different trades.
- Medical instruments from the past.
- Old furniture and store items.
Visitors could also take classes in traditional arts like blacksmithing, knife making, woodworking, and metal casting.
Images for kids
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A view of the Willowbrook Museum Village.
See also
