Rowan Tree Farm Settled in 1776 on Seven Tree Pond
History
The
David & Bess Robbins Homestead
David and Bess Robbins came to Union in 1775, and their children came with the rest of the Robbins family in 1776. They were the first family to settle in Union. Their arrival by schooner from Massachusetts, and the early years of their settlement (called Sterlingtown) was documented in the historical novel Come Spring written by Ben Ames Williams in 1940.
David and Bess built a cabin in the cove on the shore of Seven Tree Pond in 1776. They built the farmhouse in 1786. The farmhouse was re-modeled in 1890, and again by the current owners, beginning in 2003 and finishing in 2006.
School was held in the cabin by the cove, and the first cemetery in Union was on the high point of land overlooking the narrows of Seven Tree Pond.
Each summer the town of Union celebrates "Founders Day", and provides a bus tour of historical locations, including our place, the original David and Bess Robbins homestead.
The farmhouse is a large post & beam cape with a two-story addition. It was constructed with hand-hewn beams, pegs, hand-made nails, and birch bark flashing. There was no insulation. It was heated by five fireplaces off the large brick central chimney, and two more fireplaces in the el. The foundation is hand-laid fieldstone, and there was a cistern in the cellar to collect rainwater from gutters on the roof.
In 1890 the center chimney was removed and a staircase was added to the front of the house. A coal furnace then heated the house with floor registers.
In 2003, the farmhouse, abandoned for 7 years, was overgrown by trees and brush. Rain and snow leaked in. The Brainerds recognizing the potential of the farmhouse, perfectly sited on, and surrounded by incredibly beautiful land, undertook the enormous task of restoring the house to its rightful place in history.
Today, the farmhouse is ready for the next 200 years.
It's modern systems include super insulation, hot water baseboard heat,
whole house ventilation with air-to-air heat exchange, new plumbing and
electrical, and wireless broadband Internet. The farmhouse meets the
newest safety codes, including a sprinkler system, fire and heat detection,
and handicap accessibility.
The Farm
We don't know a lot about the farm operations, except what we have been able to deduce from the remains of the farm buildings and the equipment that has survived. We believe all of the old tools and horse-drawn implements are still on the property, some yet to be discovered as we excavate the old buildings.
We expect the farm was a typical, diversified family farm for perhaps 100 years. At some point, chickens became the dominant income producer, first eggs and finally broilers. The demise of the farm probably followed the path of the poultry industry in general in Maine.
The peak of the farmhouse is just visible, nearest the pond. Note the Camden hills to the east.
