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!

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.

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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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.


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

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