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ROBERTS FARM PRESERVE

LOCATION: 58 Roberts Road, Norway 
DISTANCE: 7 mi of groomed trails,

1 mi single track, 1/2mi ADA trail
DIFFICULTY: Easy to difficult

3/27/23: The warming hut is closed for the season and we have ceased grooming. Spring conditions will prevail until too many rocks and bare spots appear.  Thank you for another great ski season!

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Roberts Farm Preserve is a conservation and recreation project of the Western Foothills Land Trust. We welcome you to respectfully explore the 165 acre Preserve using the trails provided. The agricultural history of this land will reveal itself as you skirt the farm pond, passing through remnants of fields and pastures, through numerous stone walls, orchards, and groves.

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EV (Electric Vehicle) Charging Available at Roberts Farm Preserve

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NEWS

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Hometown Maine: Norway

A visit to the ever expanding Roberts Farm Preserve

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NORWAY, Maine —

The Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway has added 47 additional acres to its 165. WMTW News 8's Steve Minich straps on the snowshoes and takes us on a tour in this week's Hometown Maine.

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Click link below to view the video:

https://www.wmtw.com/article/hometown-maine-norway/26296730

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It’s Worth the Trip: Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway offers history and beauty

The preserve has more than 7 miles of trails, some universally accessible, and plenty to see.

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OUTDOORS 

Posted May 13, 2013

How Maine Educators Are Working To Make Summer School Less Dreaded

Jul 21, 2017, MPBN By Robbie Feinberg

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“We had a middle school principal, and he said, ‘This doesn’t make any sense whatsoever,’” says Patrick Carson of the Oxford Hills School District in South Paris. “Why put kids back in an environment where they failed? Only to struggle again?”

 

Carson and other staff say students weren’t seeing success in the traditional summer school model. So, about six years ago, the district overhauled its summer program."

 

 >> READ MORE

 

Credit Robbie Feinberg, Maine Public

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Instead of a classroom, some students now come to Roberts Farm Preserve, in Norway. About 40 middle schoolers come here for three weeks during the summer. And it’s about the furthest thing from a classroom that you could imagine.

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TV spot brings a new crowd to 
Roberts Farm and Norway in February

 

For anyone who gets the Spectrum TV channel (formerly TimeWarner), there is a 4-minute segment on the winter programs at Roberts Farm that played as part of Your Magazine

 

The piece, which features skiers from the Paris Elementary School, groomer volunteer David Greenleaf and Executive Director Lee Dassler, introduced the Preserve to many new visitors.

 

Thank you, Spectrum!

Driving home to the Portland area from Sunday River late this ski season, I found myself on a GPS-dictated detour.

 

Rather than my usual ramble along Route 26 past the eastern shores of South Pond and Bryant Pond, I found myself on the scenic, winding Greenwood Road. It’s a worthy detour, winding past Twitchell, Hicks and Mud ponds, as well as Maggie’s Nature Park on the way from Locke Mills to Norway.

 

After 15 miles of rural, two-lane road, Greenwood Road meets Route 118 on the southern end of Pennesseewassee Lake. 

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>> READ MORE

 

Portland Press Herald, May 13, 2013 by Josh Christie

HISTORY

 

1787–1823 Dudley Pike and the founding of Norway, Maine. Part of Henry Rust’s 6,000 acre purchase known as Rustfield, Massachusetts, this 165 acre parcel was purchased from Rust by Dudley Pike in 1787. Pike, one of the incorporators of the town of Norway, gave the rights to the northwesterly section of the land to his son, Henry Pike, in his 1818 will.

 

1880–1920 John Roberts marries Henry Pike’s daughter Carrie in 1881 and assumes management of the farm. Within a decade Roberts transformed it into a model Maine farm that produced, among other commodities, 100 lbs. of butter per week. “Located on a commanding eminence among the Oxford hills and having a fine view of Norway lake that nestles at the foot of the nearby mountains, [Roberts farm] contains over 200 acres of choice and highly cultivated land, and here has been built up as one of the finest dairy establishments in this section of Maine.” (A Visit to the Fine Dairy Farm of Hon. John A. Roberts, Lewiston Journal, 1903) Roberts was a Bowdoin graduate, a farmer, a lawyer, a trustee of the University of Maine, a founding trustee of the Norway Library, a State Representative, a State Senator, and the Maine State Commissioner of Agriculture from 1913 until his death in 1920.

 

1920–2007 Thaddeus Roberts, John and Carrie’s son, farmed the land until 1968. Thaddeus’ son, John A. Roberts Jr., sold the original farmhouse lot in the 1970s and retained the land as a separate 161 acre parcel. By 2000, the historic fields and pastures had returned to woodlands. The property was sold, logged, and sold again in 2002 to the Growth Council of the Oxford Hills with the intention to build a technology park on the site. The project never materialized, and in July 2007, the Land Trust negotiated for the Preserve’s purchase.

 

2007–Present Recognizing the site’s cultural and resource conservation significance, as well as the strategic recreational potential of the parcel, The Western Foothills Land Trust purchased the former dairy farm as two separate lots with great support from the community and state. In December 2009, the Trust purchased the 1823 Pike-Roberts farmstead that you see behind you. Planning for its adaptive reuse is ongoing.

ROBERTS FARM PRESERVE TRAIL NAMES

The trail names honor some of our community’s exemplary residents.

 

Akers Field, Vivian Akers (1886–1956) Professional portrait and landscape artist and photographer, Akers had a studio in Norway. In 1959 he was commissioned to paint the portrait of Chief Justice Earl Warren.

 

Dunham Trail (hiking), Mellie Dunham (1853–1931) Snowshoe craftsman and long bow fiddler, Mellie began making handcrafted rawhide snowshoes in 1906 with Walter Tubbs. In 1910 the firm outfitted Admiral Peary for his Arctic expedition. By the 1930s Norway boasted that it was the snowshoe capital of the world. Mellie was also a nationally renowned fiddler and fiddle tune composer, commissioned by Henry Ford.

 

Gates Cutoff, Hortense Gates (1879–1967) Poet and children’s book author, Hortense worked for the Advertiser Democrat for 25 years.

 

Howe Cutoff, George Howe (1860–1950) Born in Norway, George graduated from Tufts University with a degree in mineralogy, spurring interest and success in local amethyst mining. George started a club called The Adventure Club, which was very similar to the Boy Scouts. Howe taught mineralogy, geology, astronomy, and appreciation of the outdoors at local summer camps.

 

Kaemmerling Cutoff, Maude Kaemmerling (1874–1957) Trained in classical music, Maude Thompson managed her family’s lumber trade. She and her husband, Admiral Gustav Kaemmerling, built their summer home on Rock Island in Lake Pennesseewassee. Always generous to Norway, Maude funded the construction of the 1938 Norway Memorial Library and eventually donated the original structure, which would become Stephens Memorial Hospital.

 

Libby Trail, Minnie F. Libby (1863–1947) Miss Libby studied art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. At 22 she opened up her own photography studio in Norway, serving as the town’s photographer for the next 60 years.

 

Rust Trail, Henry Rust (1737-1812) cabinet maker and merchant. Henry built a brick store in Salem, MA in 1787, and the following year bought 6000 acres calling it Rustfield, which is now the town of Norway. By 1789 Henry established the first gristmill in Rustfield and donated the land for the church, school, and cemetery. Although he is buried in Essex, MA, his sons Henry, John, and Joseph are buried in Norway. Rustfield was incorporated as the Town of Norway by the state of Massachusetts in 1797.

 

Scalar Cutoff, Madam Scalar (1869–1944) Madam Scalar’s real name was Minnie Plummer. Born in West Paris, her gift for music was recognized during childhood. Her musical talents led her to training in Boston and eventually Europe. In France she picked up the name Scalar, meaning “climbing stairs.” After many years touring with opera companies in Europe and the United States, Minnie returned to South Paris where she married C. A. Stephens.

 

Stephens Trail, C. A. Stephens (1844–1931) A graduate of Bowdoin College, Stephens wrote over 1,500 stories for The Youth’s Companion.  The characters were loosely based on his childhood in Norway. In 1884, The Companion sent Stephens to Boston University School of Medicine, where he graduated in 1887. He went on to specialize in geriatrics and built an addition onto his house called “The Laboratory,” where he practiced. His wife died in 1911 and two years later he married the famous opera singer Madam Scalar.

 

Walker Trail (hiking/snowshoe/mountain bike), Harry Walker (1909-1995) was a beloved, sometimes cantankerous, Yankee through and through. He was a writer, an artist, and a dairy farmer. A talented athlete, he was an expert free-throw thrower well into his 70s. As a columnist for the Advertiser Democrat, Harry Walker recounted the history of the farms and the characters of the Oxford Hills with humor and an endearing understanding.

 

Whitman Cutoff, Charles Foster Whitman (1848–1932) A graduate of Bates Latin School, Charles became the first judge of the newly formed Norway Municipal Court. He served as Clerk of Courts, was a public school supervisor, co-owner of a newspaper, and a founder of the Norway Public Library. Charles coauthored A History of Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine and A History of Norway, Maine.

 

Tucker Cutoff, Cyrus S. Tucker (1841–1899) Cyrus was an apprentice harness maker when he volunteered with the Union Army. A corporal in the 17th Maine Regiment, Cyrus fought in the Battles of Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and in the Battle of the Wilderness. After returning to Norway, he continued his family harness business in the S.S. Hall building which burned in the Norway fire of 1894. Cyrus rebuilt the building in brick.

 

Biographies written by students at the

Ganderia Middle School, Norway

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BECOME A FRIEND OF ROBERTS FARM PRESERVE

Make a contribution that fits your life and trail use.

We’ll send you a laminated mini trail map.

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SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE LAND TRUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY

Part of the network of land trusts protecting open space, agricultural and forest lands,

and natural resources in Maine, The Western Foothills Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) corporation.

Founded in 1987, the Trust protects over 3,600 acres of land in a 10-town area.

WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE COMMUNITY

CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS

 

The Betterment Fund

Brooks Foundation

Café Nomad

Cricket Foundation

Crossway Family Dental

Davis Conservation Foundation

Fare Share Co-op

Fields Pond Foundation

First Universalist Church of Norway

Grover Gundrilling

Harvest Moon Produce

Healthy Oxford Hills

Heywood Club

K&K Excavation

Land For Maine’s Future Fund

L.L. Bean/MCHT Land Trust

Grant Program

Maine Community Foundation

Maine Dept. of Conservation

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund

McLaughlin Foundation

Moose Pond Arts+Ecology

Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust

Moss Mountain Project

MSAD 17

National Park Service, RTCA

New England Grassroots

Environmental Fund

Norway Downtown

Norway Saving Bank

Norway Triathlon Committee

Stephens Healthcare Foundation

The Swampdonkeys

The Oxford Group

William P. Wharton Trust

W.J. Wheeler & Co., Inc.

Woods Lawn Company

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

 

Wes and Marilyn Ackley

Jack Armstrong and Barbara Share

Dave and Pam Baker

Al and Mary Alice Bancroft

Al and Lee Barth

Joan and Richard Beal

Eliza Beghe

Edward and Helen Beglin

Ellen and Gene Benner

Scott Berk

John and Judy Betts

Robert and Anne Blair

Jerry Bley

Kevin Bowler

David Buchholz

Gordon Buck

James Burke and Virginia Remeika

William and Cynthia Burmeister

Andrea Hurd Burns

Allen Chase

Jeffery Chase

Joan Churchill

Mary Connaughton and Donna Miller

Bruce and Pat Cook

Roger Crockett and Ann Siekman

Stuart Cummings

Al and Pat Daniels

Lee Dassler

Don and Ruth Dawes

Bill and Ailsa Deitemeyer

H.W. Detert

David Dexter and Nancy Hohmann

Carol Dionne and Family

Hank and Sue Emerson

Dyk and Lydia Eusden

Katherine Felmeth

Marion Florenz

Russ and Judy Florenz

Karen Frost

Ed and Jill Gabrielsen

Fred Garbo

Richard and Elizabeth Gates

Roy Gedat

Bill and Jane Gibson

Ed and Jane Gibson

Ellen Stearns Gibson

Dean and Hazel Glazier

Elinor Goodwin

David and Kathy Greenleaf

John and Lori Gunn

Bart and Mary Ann Hague

Elizabeth Hague

Peter Hammond

Jean Hankins

Peter and Cindy Harbage

William and Barbara Howard

Ben Hull

Jon and Pam Jacobsen

Elizabeth Jamison

Myron Kassaraba

Wayne Kennagh

Anthony Kleitz

David Kumaki and Elizabeth Baird

Paula Kurtz

David Langlois and Beth Coombs

Jonathan Leavitt

Janet Loring

Henry Male

Aranka Matolscy

James and Pirkko McBride

Bill and Marge Medd

Brenda Melhus

Ola Melhus

Dan and Cindy Mingle

Andrew and Joy Moll

Larry Moore

Nathan and Irene Morris

Cleon and Sheila Morse

Ken Morse and Nikki Millonzi

Margaret Nation

David Neufeld

William Newcomb

 and Libby Sciacchitano

Janet Nicholas and Susan Jacoby

Brian Nolan

Maryann O’Brien

Harold Ordway

Sandra Page

Jeffrey and Mary Parsons

Elizabeth Peterson Julie Peterson

Bob and Linda Popper

David and Linda Porter

John and Hope Pribram

Joanna Reese

Donald and Nancy Rosenfield

Simon Rucker

Don Saunders and Diana Dunn

James and Heidi Schellenger

The Snedekers

David and Anne Stanley

Bob and Bonnie Story

Forrest and Cyndy Tinsley

Ben Tucker

Ethyl Bean Turner

Christopher and Sandy Van Curan

Robert and Mary Van Nest

Bill and Lill Van Order

Pat Verrill

Scott, Zizi and Jasper Vlaun

Matt Ware

Barbara Werner and Catherine Riley

Fred and Ginger White

Tom and Allison Whitney Jr.

John Wilkins

Rhys and Pixie Williams

John and Linda Wilson

Joan Woodman

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