The Norlands

The Norlands (also known as the Israel Washburn Homestead) is a historic building on Norlands Road in Livermore, Maine, United States. It was owned by Israel Washburn and his descendants.

Norlands & The Washburns
The Norlands mansion in August 2010. Part of the farmer's cottage reconstruction can be seen on the right
Location290 Norlands Rd., Livermore, Maine
Coordinates44°24′27″N 70°12′39″W
Built1821
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.69000004 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1969

The Gothic Revival-style house was built in 1821 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The house is now operated as part of the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, a 19th-century period farm with living-history demonstrations. The buildings include the Norlands mansion, a mid-19th-century period schoolhouse, a library with displays about the Washburn family, a meeting house, a farmer's cottage, and a barn with farm animals. The barn and farmer's cottage burned down in April 2008 but the Farmer's Cottage was rebuilt and reopened in early 2011. As of July 29, 2012, the barn has yet to be rebuilt.[2]

The Washburn-Norlands Living History Center is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation of 18th- and 19th-century rural Maine heritage. The Washburn-Norlands Foundation was formed in 1973, at the bequest of Washburn family descendants. The Foundation converted the property into a living history museum with the intent of preserving the estate and the remarkable stories of its past. Today the organization is run by a Board of Trustees, which together ensures the protection of the estate, its collections and their future.

The Washburn-Norlands estate is occupied by four historic buildings, the 1867 Mansion, 1883 Library, 1828 Meeting House and 1853 School House. Each building has been restored and operates as a museum. The Norlands is home to a number of collections; including Washburn family papers, photographs, artwork, historic clothing, books, furniture, and more.

The Washburn family is one of Maine's, and the nation's, most political and industrious families. The history of the Washburns at Norlands can be traced back more than 200 years to when Israel Washburn, Sr. purchased the original homestead built by Cyrus Hamlin (father of Hannibal Hamlin) in 1809 and raised ten children with his wife, Martha Benjamin. They lived a life of poverty as they worked the farm. The four oldest sons worked for neighboring farms to help pay their father's debts. With humble beginnings, the seven Washburn sons rose to gain prominence with state, national and international politics, business and industry, diplomacy, and military affairs.

Three of the brothers served in U.S. Congress at the same time representing three different states, two became Foreign Ministers, one served as Civil War Governor of Maine, one was a U.S. Senator, one was a Civil War General, one owned a bank, one ran a newspaper, one founded the Soo Railroad, and one served as a captain in the Navy during the Civil War. Two of the brothers formed flour mills: one became Gold Medal Flour and the other merged with Pillsbury Flour. No other American family has produced in a single generation a level of political and business leadership equivalent to that of the Washburns from Livermore, Maine.

See also
  • Ethel Wilson Gammon, founder and first executive director of the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center

Fire

On the night of April 28, 2008, an inferno rose into the air from the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center. The fire was started by a heat lamp that was being used to keep a litter of piglets warm through the cold Maine nighttime. Presumably, the lamp tipped over and fell into the hay bedding, which sent the 100-foot-long, three-story barn up in flames that were high enough to be seen over the surrounding trees. Suddenly, the famous mansion right next door, which had for so many decades been a local treasure, was in danger of extinction. Thankfully, in a battle against the blaze that lasted until the next morning, the mansion and most of the rest of the center (the library, meeting house, and schoolhouse), with the exception of the barn and farmer's cottage, was saved. This miracle could not have happened had it not been for intelligent preparation and management foresight. The local Livermore Fire Department, which is composed entirely of volunteers, had gone through numerous drills in case the exact event were to occur. It is usual practice for all fire departments to identify buildings and areas that could be considered “target hazards” within their communities, such as the Norlands had been considered. The preconceived strategies and knowledge of the closest water body, along with the help from 10 other departments surrounding the area, paid off. The Livermore Fire Chief, Donald Castonguay, directed his team and community members who had come to observe to get all of the treasures out of the mansion just in case. Thankfully, this precaution was not needed, as the Assistant Chief, Andrew Berry, led the men on the outside to make “trench cuts” in the roof of the barn before it joined with the mansion so that the flames would exit through the roof instead of continuing along the hall floor into the upper levels of the mansion. In addition, he placed a positive pressure fan at the doors of the mansion in order to direct the flames away from the main building. Berry was quoted as saying “The flames stopped where we wanted them to.” The ability to make quick decisions due to preparedness is what spared the rest of the Center; a vital piece of the town's identity and culture. The rescue of the Norlands garnered much praise. Langhorne Washburn of Virginia is the only living descendant who was born at the Norlands and was quoted by the Sun Journal as saying “...Thank God Norlands didn’t burn. I would like to commend (the firefighters) on their efficiency.” [3] The men and women on the department were commended once more at a Chamber of Commerce meeting where the Maine State Fire Marshall declared “No other Fire Department could have done better.” The Norlands Living History Center is a fun and interesting place where both children and adults can learn about what life was like in the days of the Washburn family, which is why when upon seeing the 17-room mansion still standing after the fire was extinguished, Norma Boothby, a volunteer at the Center for over 25 years, burst into tears. Over the years, thousands of schoolchildren and college students have gone through the Norlands in order to get the experience of its original inhabitants, who are portrayed by volunteers like Boothby. Some of these students even came back to help out with clean up, sorting through debris and reflecting on the laughs and lessons they had experienced there. Norlands trustee President Kathleen Beauregard said on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, “We are going to rebuild the buildings that were lost.” As of June 13, 2016, rebuilding efforts have begun for the barn, with the framework established. Though there is still plenty of work to do, the town of Livermore is inspired to rebuild, remembering that fateful night where they were at risk of losing such a precious historical landmark.[4][5][6][7]

References
Specific
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Norlands Fire Spares Center's Crown" Archived 2011-08-07 at the Wayback Machine - Portland Press Herald, March 17, 2010
  3. "Norlands to 'Rebuild.'" Sun Journal. April 30, 2008. www.sunjournal.com
  4. "Norlands to 'Rebuild.'" Sun Journal. April 30, 2008. www.sunjournal.com
  5. "Before the Fire Starts, Have a Plan." Sun Journal. 5/8/2006.
  6. "Norlands Living History Center Vows to Rise From the Ashes." Livermore Falls Advertiser.
  7. "Norlands' Barn Burns to the Ground." Livermore Falls Advertiser. Niles, Nancy.
General
  • Remarkable Americans: The Washburn Family by Kerck Kelsey
  • The Rise and Fall of William Drew Washburn by Kerck Kelsey
  • J.R. Dodge edits from personal site visit, July 29, 2012
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