History Walk #28 at Readfield Corner ~ SATURDAY, August 8, 2015

A special Readfield History Walk will be held on SATURDAY morning August 8^th from 10am to 12noon during Readfield Heritage Days. Walk leaders will be Dale Potter-Clark, Readfield History Walks Coordinator; Milt Wright, Readfield Trails Committee; and William Adams, Readfield Corner Historian. Adams and Potter-Clark are researching for a future publication about all the old houses in Readfield and the people who lived in them. Thus far they have researched more than one-hundred fifty buildings throughout town.

Included on this History Walk will be the new pathway that leads from the Community Library to Union Meeting House, and parts of the Old Fairgrounds Trail. Also, lower Church Road and Main Street from Gile Hall to the Old Fairgrounds trailhead on route 17. Walkers will make some brief stops to learn about some of the oldest and more intriguing homes. Bill Adams will be stationed at Readfield Corner center, where a major fire occurred in 1921, and where many businesses have come and gone since the late 1700s. The Judge Emery O. Beane house circa1850 will be open for tours along the way.

Meet at Gile Hall, 8 Old Kents Hill Road by 10am. There is no fee for the walk although some of Potter-Clark and Adam’s research will be available in a specially produced booklet for a minimum donation of $20. The 40+ page booklet includes three (of the nine) maps Adams has created that portray the evolution of Readfield Corner since pre-1799. Also included are dozens of pictures and information about the old homes and buildings at Readfield Corner; excerpts from Ernest “Tink” Rolfe’s oral history done by Potter-Clark in 1987 – including his memories of Readfield Fire Department and another big fire that occurred at Readfield Corner in 1934; and information about the Old Fairgrounds and development at the north end of Lake Maranacook. Booklet profits will benefit a project to purchase and install historical site markers throughout Readfield.*** If you are unable to attend and wish to purchase a booklet you can do so online and have it mailed to you or email crossings4u@gmail.com to make arrangements.

*** After expenses the income from this booklet will be applied to the "Readfield Historical Site Markers" fund. Your tax-deductible donation towards the Readfield Historical Site Markers fund are welcome at any time. Checks should be made out to Readfield Historical Society with a notation it is designated for the historical site markers. Mail to: Readfield Historical Society PO Box 354 Readfield, ME 04355 attn: Mary Jernigan, Treasurer

Readfield Heritage Days ~ August 7-8, 2015

Activities for those with historical interest are listed below. For info about all the activities scheduled for that weekend follow this link.

Friday, August 7th 5-7pm: Readfield Historical Society annual Wine & Cheese
At the Readfield Historical Society and Museum, Main Street, Readfield Depot
Wine & cheese ~ sausages ~ finger foods ~ non-alcoholic beverages ~ sweets  
Free to members. New members welcome at the door for a $10 annual dues fee 

Saturday, August 8th 10am-12noon: Readfield History Walk #28 of Readfield Corner
Meet at Gile Hall on Old Kents Hill Road by 10am. Included on this History Walk will be the new trail that leads from the Community Library to Union Meeting House, and part of the Old Fairgrounds Trail, Church Road and Main Street. Brief stops will be made along the way to learn about some of the oldest homes, and at Readfield Corner center where a major fire occurred in 1921 and many businesses have come and gone since the late 1700s. The historic Judge Emery O. Bean house circa1850 will also be included on the tour. There is no fee but participants are encouraged to get the 40 page booklet specially prepared for this history walk for a minimum $20 donation. Proceeds to benefit the Readfield Historical Markers fund. Booklets can also be purchased online.
Saturday, August 8th 8am-2pm: 6th annual Antique Car Show

Maranacook Community School hosted by Strictly Street Car Club 

Held annually to benefit the Ricky Gibson Football Scholarship fund. FMI contact

Saturday, August 8th 10am-2pm: Readfield Historical Society open to visitors
Summer hours are every Thursday and Saturday 10am-2:00pm and by appointment. Contact Flo Drake at (207) 685-4662 or email her at the address below to make special arrangements.
Saturday, August 8th 8am-2pm: Union Meeting House open for tours and a yard sale
Located on Church Road, this building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings and boasts beautiful trompe l'oeil art, windows with unique stenciled and stained glass as well as many original features.

Saturday, August 8th: Jesse Lee Methodist Meeting House

Open house from 1:00-2:00pm 

Located on Main St. East Readfield (corner of Plains Road and route 17)

Dedicated in 1795 Jesse Lee Meeting House in East Readfield is New England's oldest Methodist church to be in continuous use.   

Enjoy:
Free watermelon on the lawn;
archival documents & memorabilia on display;
items for sale. 

Christina Misner Rao at the piano 
"Rev. Jesse Lee" to help answer questions.
Dale Potter-Clark, Readfield Historical Consultant to answer questions about East Readfield village, "the Vanished Village" 

Readfield Heritage Days: Karen Dube, Chairperson ~ reportn14@aol.com
Readfield History Walks: Dale Potter-Clark, Coordinator ~ crossings4u@gmail.com
Readfield Historical Society: Flo Drake, President ~ readfieldhistorical@gmail.com
Union Meeting House: John Perry, Board of Directors ~ jmpgmp@myfairpoint.net
Jesse Lee Meeting House, Readfield United Methodist Church: office@readfieldumc.org 

The Evolution of Summer Resorts and Kids’ Camps in Readfield ~ June 17, 2015

By Dale Potter-Clark and Charlie Day
The railroad passed through Readfield in 1849 and summer visitors soon started to flock here, via the trains, to enjoy the peace and solitude of our lakes and woods.  Attendees will learn about the locations and evolvement of some summer resorts and kids’ camps in Readfield and the immediate area on Maranacook, Echo, Lovejoy and Torsey Lakes. Participants are encouraged to bring pictures and share memories. The class will be held at Maranacook Community School on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 6:30-8:30pm. Registration fee is $15.  To register contact Maranacook Adult and Community Education Phone: 207-685-4923 x 1065 or Register online using a debit or credit card. For details and to view all classes go to http://maranacook.maineadulted.org.

READFIELD HISTORY WALK #27 ~ Kamp Peacock (Dixon's Camps) ~ June 12, 2015

Located on the east shore of Lake Maranacook, Kamp Kiwanacook was founded by Readfield attorney Ellsworth E. Peacock in 1925 as a summer boys camp for children of Kiwanians. He later changed it to housekeeping cottages and called it Kamp Peacock. The last to operate this complex were the Dixons', who sold the buildings to individual parties. All buildings are privately owned today but many of the original cabins remain. This location is known today as Lazy Loon Shores.

As always, wear good walking shoes and bring a sandwich. MEET at the parking lot across the road from Readfield Historical Society NO later than 10:00am and we will car pool from there.

Hoping for great weather so we can enjoy eating our lunches near beautiful Lake Maranacook's shore. Much thanks to Rita Bouchard for hosting this History Walk.

Readfield Historical Society Season Opening & Farms Heritage Calendars Sale ~ May 23-24, 2015

Readfield Historical Society is kicking off the summer season May 23-24th. Evelyn Potter and Bev Norton-Newton will be the hosts / docents on duty for the weekend 10am-2pm both days. Evelyn and Dale Potter-Clark will be on hand all weekend to sell the Farm Heritage Calendars they created to benefit RHS and in honor of Readfield's 225th anniversary. The calendars are $10 each AND 100% of proceeds go to RHS! 

Readfield Historical Society is open 10AM to 2PM Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the summer.

Early Religion and Preachers in Readfield ~ May 20, 2015

Maranacook Adult and Community Education ~ May 20th ~ 6:30-8:30pm
Instructors: Dale Potter-Clark and Libby Doak
DESCRIPTION: Readfield was settled years ahead of the War of Independence and before the US Constitution assured religious freedom. In those days the Congregational Church and Puritan lifestyle still prevailed. It was not long, however, before Baptist, Methodist and other evangelists and missionaries came into this backcountry and converted many of our fair residents. Still later the Universalists appeared. Early Readfield became a hot bed of free thinkers, movers and shakers.
PART ONE: Libby Doak will share information about New England Pilgrims and Puritans and the influences they had over society in general. She will share examples of how the Puritan Church governed every aspect of life - including where and how funerals and burials were conducted. She will also tell what other religions had to lose by bucking the Puritan Church.
PART TWO: Dale Potter-Clark will share information about the coming of early religions in Readfield which was on the missionary circuit in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Methodists, Baptists, Universalists and even the Shakers impacted Readfield in its earliest days
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Libby Doak was very well received when she led a Readfield History Walk last fall. She and her friend Sharon Burns have been recording, cleaning and restoring old cemeteries in Chelsea, ME for several years which led them into fascinating finds. Libby is a very entertaining as well as informative speaker. “This will be a pretty informal presentation”, said Doak. “I love trivia like why cemeteries are fenced and why ministers often had dozens of pairs of gloves. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of drink a funeral required.” 
Dale Potter-Clark is a consultant for Readfield Historical Society, coordinator of Readfield History Walks and author of several historical monographs and books. Her family is 10 generations deep in Readfield SO she has loved learning about Readfield’s history for as long as she can remember.  Clark spends most days (and sometimes nights) researching Readfield history. She shares some of her findings at presentations such as these and via several historical blogs and websites. She also writes special articles for local newspapers and for Discover Maine Magazine.
TO REGISTER: The class will be held at Maranacook Community School on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 6:30-8:30pm. Registration fee is $15 will help fund historical site markers in Readfield.  To register contact Maranacook Adult and Community Education Phone: 207-685-4923 x 1065 or Register online using a debit or credit card visit http://maranacook.maineadulted.org.

READFIELD HISTORY WALK #26 ~ Factory Square & Beans' Mills Revisited ~ May 15, 2015

We last walked Factory Square and Bean’s Mills in October 2013. Since then a great deal of information has been discovered and many facts that were unknown in 2013 have come into focus. Please join us for an informative jaunt from Gile Hall, through Craig’s Mills, onto Factory Square, and up Old Kents Hill Road to Bean’s Mills. There are many homes and remains of buildings and dams that were connected to both Mills. If you missed Dale Potter-Clark’s March presentation about early industry in Readfield (Maranacook Adult and Community Ed) then this is a great chance to learn some of what was shared. Meet 10:00am at the parking lot at Gile Hall at 10am. Bring a sandwich and wear good walking shoes. NOTE: To see pictures of the previous History Walk (#13) on Factory Square and Beans' Mills see the slideshow in the right column.