Norlands to host grand opening

LIVERMORE — Everyone is invited to the Grand Opening Celebration at “The Norlands,” Maine’s oldest living history farm and the historic home of the remarkable Washburn family. Just shy of three years ago, the 19th century barn and attached “Farmers Cottage” burned to the ground in an accidental fire; but now the Norlands is rising from the ashes.

On Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the museum will open the newly constructed Farmers Cottage for the public to see. The free event includes a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m., followed by an open house/tour, hot corn chowder and sweets, speeches from the soapbox and a few surprises.

The museum’s event calendar for 2011 offers a number of history programs, including the return of the renowned “Live-Ins” where visitors live and work for 24 to 72 hours on the farm, in the year 1870.For more information, visit www.norlands.org.

Recreating the circa-1870 Farmers’ Cottage was no easy task. Careful attention to the finish details had to hide modern elements and create functional 19th century aspects, such as a working hand pump at the slate kitchen sink. The cottage also had to be built to meet today’s life safety codes, including a fire-suppression sprinkler system. The builders, managed by the talented crew from Wright-Ryan Homes of Portland, rose to the task of combining all of these goals.

More than 50 percent of the subcontractors were from the Western Maine regional community. Many donated extra time or materials to help the museum meet the budget. Floor boards were harvested from the Norlands’ forest, milled nearby and nailed by hand. Businesses such as Hancock Lumber, Hammond Lumber, Central Appliance and Sherwin-Williams Paint donated materials and equipment. Volunteers gathered to accomplish finishing touches, such as interior painting, cabinetry and the assembly of donated artifacts, such as rope beds and an antique wood cookstove.

The construction project included the completion of the 80-foot barn foundation and floor, which stands strong and ready for a barn frame to be raised by the community. Please stop by, enjoy some chowder, help thank all who had a hand in rebuilding the cottage, and learn about the next phase of the historic rebuilding project.