A Partnered Project by leigh macmillen hayes
“When the work fell into the hands of us boys we hired a husky man to push the work, paid him $3.00 a day while others paid $2.00. He would hustle us out about three A.M. and rushed that way until we got through. The result was that we beat everyone in the neighborhood and made money by it . . . We worked at least sixteen hours every day during haying season. It was pretty tough to get up so early, but Old Bill said, ‘Come on, boys’, and we came. This will give you an idea of what we could do when pressed to it.” ~Edwin Peabody Fitch, 1840-1931, Ninety Years of Living A few years after the Town of Bridgton incorporated, William Peabody of Andover, Massachusetts, built a house for his bride, Sally Stevens. The large, two and a half story house with a center chimney, was surrounded by over 200 acres of fields and forest upon which they grew crops, raised livestock, and created maple syrup, butter, and cheese. In 1823, William and Sally’s fourth daughter, Mary, married George Fitch of Sebago and about 1828 the Fitches took over the workings of the hilltop farm, said to be the highest cultivated land in Cumberland County. Thus, within the home lived Mary’s parents, three of her younger siblings, plus the Fitches and their growing family. To accommodate all, George added an ell with a new kitchen, larder, pantry, and two bedrooms. He also built an attached shed and carriage house.
18 lakelivingmaine .com
After George Fitch died in 1856, the property stayed in the family but over time declined significantly in value. By the mid1930s, the farm had fallen into disrepair and the Town of Bridgton put a lien on it for back taxes. A friend who owned property nearby informed the recently widowed Margaret M. Monroe of Providence, Rhode Island, about the South Bridgton property. Margaret saw through its deficiencies and fell in love with the entryway and carriage house. Really, she fell in love with the entire place and purchased it not only to preserve its original elements, but also to serve as a summer and holiday retreat for her family. In 1987, upon Margaret’s death, the property she’d long ago named Narramissic, meaning “Hard to Find,” because she and her late husband had long searched for a Maine property to purchase, was bequeathed to the Bridgton Historical Society. Over the years, through staff and volunteer hours, donations, and grant monies, BHS has worked to restore the farmhouse and out buildings and host various events. In the 1990s, for his Eagle Project, Boy Scout Adam Jones created a blue-blazed trail to a quarry on land beyond the upper field that remained in possession of Peg Monroe Normann, Margaret’s daughter. Still, the property seemed “Hard to Find.” All of that is in the midst of changing, however, as Loon Echo Land Trust recently
purchased and conserved the 250-acre Normann property that surrounds Bridgton Historical Society’s Narramissic farmstead on three sides. LELT appropriately named it Peabody-Fitch Woods. Loon Echo’s Stewardship Manager and BHS Vice President Jon Evans was the impetus behind the collaborative effort of the two non-profit organizations though he is quick to turn the credit highlights to others. “I actually spoke with Carrie Walia (former LELT Executive Director) in 2010 about conserving the lands around Narramissic or conserving the farmstead’s grounds. It didn’t have a lot of ecological values so it never gained much traction the first time. And even the second time, it didn’t appeal to typical funders.” What people didn’t realize was the connectivity value in relation to other conserved lands. When Jon approached the next executive director, Thom Perkins, about the project, he said, “Thom saw it from 30,000 feet and knew that it did connect a lot of conserved land, plus he appreciated that by conserving the land and stewarding it, Loon Echo’s presence might benefit another local non-profit.” After Matt Markot took the helm as LELT’s Executive Director, he made the dream a reality because he was able to acquire the funds through grants and individual donations that made it happen. “Actually though,” said Jon, “a lot of folks made it happen.” Ned Allen, executive director of Bridgton Historical Society recently said, “For decades we were worried about the 250 acres surrounding the farm.” Thus, with the LELT purchase, he feels like BHS is starting a new era. And indeed it is. Though the two local non-profits had worked on a few projects in prior years, their relationship has grown significantly as they work to protect the natural and cultural history of the abutting properties. Their most recent joint effort includes a graded gravel walking trail with manageable slopes built to universal standards that winds past the house and barn and through the woods. A large parking area to access both properties has also been constructed at the top of the former strawberry field behind the Temperance Barn. Through a public process as deemed necessary by the State of Maine’s Recreational Trail Program, a significant funder for the project, Warren Excavation of Bridgton produced the most competitive bid. “We were delighted because we thought that the
