| Last updated on November 7, 2007 |
The Mission of the Page Farm and Home Museum is to collect, document, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge of Maine history relating to farms and farming communities between 1865 and 1940, providing and educational and cultural experience for the public and a resource for researchers of this period.
Description:
The Page Farm and Home Museum is located in the last Original agricultural building on The University of Maine campus. The main barn actually predates the University, having been built in 1833.
The museum houses an ever-growing collection of farm implements and household items. The collection is presently arranged on the three floors of this original post-and-beam construction barn.
The household items are divided among three home exhibits, Brownie's Kitchen, dedicated to Mildred Brown Schrumpf; a parlor, and a bedroom.
The rest of the museum reflects the many varied aspects of farming and farm life. Equipment and vehicles having to do with everything from clearing land to harvesting and storing crops are displayed.
Some of the many exhibits include Poultry, Dairy, 4-H, and Ice Harvesting. There is a Blacksmith Shop complete with an ox-sling and an exhibit by the Orono Historical Society. The gift shop is located in an old general store setting.
A one-room schoolhouse from Holden, carriage house, blacksmith shop and the Heritage Gardens are a part of the site as well.
History:
The Museum has become home for the state's most important collection of farm technologies and artifacts of rural culture. The Museum assures that future generations will be able to gain valuable and practical insights into Maine’s rural past. The Page Museum is about farming, and until recently, Maine was about farming. Some would claim that Maine’s farming days are not yet over. Blueberries, potatoes, and aquaculture have all taken great strides in recent years. Agriculture promotes tourism both in the bucolic nature of the area and the tastes that become identified with Maine. In this part of Maine, with its often-shaky economy, the future of farming matters. However, there are many different ideas on what direction it should take. The Page Museum is more than a window to the past: In our exploration of conditions and philosophies of the past, we offer suggestions and ideas for the future.
The Museum offers a variety of educational programs for young people from preschool to college age, the largest proportion coming from area public schools. During the 2004/2005 academic year, the Museum hosted 116 tours to 3,500 children and 500 adults. The Museum has worked very closely with University educators to develop new tours integrating state specified grade-level curricula. Special programs, including our brown bag lunch lecture series, are offered at least monthly, and sometimes two or three times per month. They feature local artisans, craftspeople, university educators and experts in fields related to the Museum's interests. Programs are often coordinated with the University of Maine events such as Homecoming, Alumni Reunion Weekend, Family and Friends Weekend, Fall Orientation, and 4-H Day, and with statewide events such as Maine Museum Day, Maine Heritage Day and Open Farm Day. The Museum also hosts monthly meetings of herbal groups, spinning groups, historical societies, and university groups.
The leadership of the Museum is a volunteer governing Board of Directors. Members of the Board are from the education, farming, financial, and legislative sectors. The Museum reports to the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture and Cultural Affairs and Libraries. Representatives from both the college and facilities management hold ex-officio seats on the Board of Directors. The Museum is blessed with hundreds of volunteers who have supported all areas of the operation. University faculty and staff have been involved in many ways and are highly supportive. University students are employed by the Museum as work-study assistants, through the Upward Bound program for talented Maine students, and through the state job-training program ASPIRE.
Contact person: Patricia Henner, Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (207) 581-4928
Address:
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Portage Road, UMO Campus
Orono, ME 04469
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.ume.maine.edu/pfhm/
Directions:
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Directions to the University of Maine from I-95:
From the South:
* Exit # 193 (formerly exit #51) - Stillwater Avenue/Old Town - I-95
* Turn towards Burger King and the shopping center.
* Turn. . . (more)
Nearest Bus Stop: Memorial Union- campus, 3-4 minute walk
For maps or information, please see http://www.portlandmaine.worldweb.com/Transportation/PublicTransit |
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