Recieved the latest Norlands newletter and wanted to share!

"Norlands"

Contact: Kathleen Beauregard
kathy@tdstelme.net
207-897-4366

SEEKING ICE CUTTING TOOLS
Artifacts for Norlands educational programs are needed to replace what was lost in the April 2008 fire. Our programs are hands-on experiences in an 1870's rural farm family's life and take place in an authentic barn, farm kitchen and bed chambers. We also work in the fields and woods or on the pond, harvesting the natural resources.

This February, weather permitting, we hope to hold our annual ice cutting demonstration and give the team of oxen some exercise hauling the blocks. The public is invited to join in the work! But we need to replace the tools of the trade before we can hold the event. If you have an old ice saw or tongs tucked away in your barn or shed and would like to see it put to good use, please contact us.

Watch our website or call for updates about the date of the event.

WASHBURN MEMORIAL LIBRARY IS GIFT-WRAPPED
Among the historic buildings on the grounds of the Washburn Norlands Living History Center is a gothic granite library built in the late 1800's. It houses the emmense collections and archives of the Washburn family and includes documents from early settlers used by diverse humanities and geneology researchers. The structure of the library is failing, resulting in roof leaks and deteriorating masonry. Norlands has been the grateful recipient of starter grants from the King Foundation, the Davis Family Foundation and most recently, the New Century Historic Preservation Community Program. In addition we received a generous donation in memory of Hempstead Washburne. His ancestor, Elihu Washburne, one of the seven Washburn brothers, was a major sponsor of the original construction. The sum of these gifts will help us to implement the first phase of the restoration process, but we need your help.

In December the library will be wrapped with a weatherproof barrier. While the building dries out, a comprehensive assessment will be conducted and a set of restoration strategies will be developed in the spring. From that point, we will need to raise significant funds to implement the needed work to preserve the library for future generations. Please see our website for more about the library history.

"FUN"DRAISING
Mark the first weekend in June on your calendars and plan a trip to Norlands. This fundraiser will be full of living history fun! The 15th Alabama Co. G and the Third ME Co. will be joined by confederate and union units from across New England on the grounds at Norlands. On Saturday, the troops will reenact a full scale Civil War battle in the fields and woods at Norlands. Visitors may participate in living history at the soldiers' camps and traveling "city", at the Meeting House tranformed into a field hospital, in the mansion and the schoolhouse. There will be plenty of good 'old-time' food and music. And maybe an opportunity to have a hand in rebuilding our farmers cottage or barn.

We are so grateful to the major donors, new and old members, and many supporters who have responded to our fall appeal. Thank you all for your financial commitment to Norlands. Your generosity helps to keep the lights on and to fund the rebuilding efforts. At our Christmas event the winner of a quilt raffle was drawn: Hank and Pat St. Pierre. Sponsored by the Backroad Quilters of West Gardiner, the raffle raised $1,222. Proceeds will be used to replenish antique textiles used in our programs.

Norlands newest raffle, a family fun vacation, is only $1 per ticket; 6 for $5, or 20 for $17. First prize is 4 tickets to a Portland Seadogs baseball game. Second prize is four ski lift tickets to Saddleback Mountain in Rangley, Maine. Drawing is January 30, so hurry! Contact us for tickets today!

SHARE YOUR TALENTS
Norlands has dozens of volunteer opportunities waiting for the right match. Do you have a talent you would like to share?

Youth from Belgrade cleared out the walking and carriage trails to the reflecting pools and plan to build interpretive signs and a bench. Livermore Falls students assisted volunteer archivists with the inventory of the Washburn Library collections. Neighbors, Washburn descendants and prison release workers painted the piazza deck. Friends cooked and entertained at the annual Christmas at Norlands event. People opened their barns so we could learn about period construction methods. A Girl Scout troop plans to build us a new chicken coop. There are so many more to thank!!

Nancey Drinkwine, our Volunteer Coordinator, was joined by a devoted volunteer as they transported more than 30 boxes filled with our textile and garment collection to Historic New England's CO2 chamber for bug treatment. When the boxes return, a work party of volunteers will be needed to carefully unpack, hepa-vacuum, inventory, and repack each item from one of the largest collections of Victorian clothing and textiles in Maine. If you love bugs (dead, of course), old clothing, fashion, textiles, recordkeeping, or meticulous cleaning, then this project is for you. Call or email us this winter. The project starts soon.

'JOURNEY INTO HISTORY' PROGRAMS REOPEN
Washburn Norlands Living History Center is very pleased to announce the return of our well known living history programs for school children and adults of all ages. A talented team of museum interpreters are ready to offer our popular programs.

Teachers/schools and community groups may register now for the one-room schoolhouse program: A Country School, 1853; Fun and Games of Long Ago; or Life in Rural Maine. We are also offering three programs as "outreach", where we bring the program and museum interpreters to your school. Thanks to the generosity of the Ladd Foundation several $100 scholarships are available to offset the cost of registration. Please check our website for details.

Take a journey into history and join us at Norlands for an experience in the 1800s your students, family or group will never forget.

TO BECOME A MEMBER OR SUPPORT OUR MISSION, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE http://www.norlands.org

290 Norlands Road, Livermore, ME 04253