The Brown Family or their caretakers owned Valley Lodge for 181 years until 1973. Brothers David and Ephraim Brown came to Flintstown (now Baldwin) with their father, Captain David Brown, from Concord, Massachusetts, in 1783. Captain David Brown helped lay out the plot plan and worked on the roads in Flintstown. He never lived in Maine, but his son Ephraim built Valley Lodge. Ephraim's brother David built Saddle Back Farm (now gone) right above Valley Lodge. Ephraim had seven children who all lived to be adults. Thus, in the early 1800s, he added to the original cape by building a Federal Colonial over the front half of the cape. However, none of the early features of the cape were disturbed. It is possible to see the evolution of architectural styles from the mantels. From pre-revolutionary to the late Victorian periods, 95% of the original features are still present. Valley Lodge was featured in the April 2011 issue of Early American Life; a copy is at the Brown Memorial Library. Valley Lodge is located at 67 E. Saddleback Road, West Baldwin. Take Brown Road, which goes up behind Limington Lumber on Route 113. Take the first right, which is E. Saddleback. Valley Lodge is the first house. Please note: There is no charge for this tour. The $5 registration fee will be donated to the Baldwin Historical Society. If you would like to contribute other funds to the historical society, you may do so at  the time of the tour. Pre-registration is required due to spacing and safety issues. Extra sessions will be available as needed.

Back by popular demand, the Newport trip will be from May 22 to 23. We leave Wells at 7:30 a.m.   We arrive in Bristol Rhode Island for the Blithewold Manor where we will have a tour of the home and gardens, we will be having lunch there as well.   We then head into the town of Bristol for a tour of the home of Ethel Barrymore of stage and screen.   We then head into Middletown Rhode Island where we will be spending the night.  After checking in, we will gather for dinner. The next day we are on our way to tour 3 of the Newport mansions, before we return to Wells.  The price of the trip is $395.00 per person per double occupancy which includes entrance into 5 historic homes, two lunches, dinner, hotel and breakfast.  We will return to Wells by 6:00p.m.    This trip is limited to 7 people.  A reservation by April 1st is necessary to book your place on the trip.   

Region 9 Adult and Community Education Launches New Career Pathways Program With a Focus on Plumbing and HVAC!

Dave Murphy, the Region 9 Adult and Community Education Director, recently announced the creation of a new program that will be designed to provide interested community members with information about various career opportunities in the area. These sessions will begin in May and will be free to the public, although participants will be required to register beforehand.

Kicking off the series will be Mike Field, owner of Field Plumbing and Heating in Newry. Mr. Field attended Region 9 as a student and now runs a very successful business in the area. He will focus on providing some insights into the benefits of considering a future in the plumbing and heating/HVAC profession as well as outlining some of the steps that interested participants can take to begin that process. In addition to providing some information about the profession, there will also be a time for him to respond to any questions people might have. 

Employers and area companies interested in sponsoring an evening in this series are encouraged to contact Dave Murphy at (207)364-2012 OPT 4 for further information.

Registrations for this event will be limited so interested parties are urged to sign up as soon as possible. 

Date: May 22

Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm (Approximately)

This class will cover;

• The different types of life and insurance
• How and why life insurance is important 
• Utilizing life insurance for income and retirement planning

Join us for a day of open-water fishing! Your participation does not require a fishing license and gear is available for those that may not have their own, FCFS. This is ideal for a whole family experience. Learn how to move about safely on the fishing hole, how to cast, bait your own hook, and lots more about how to enjoy the great outdoors. This event is held at BiCentennial Nature Park. No alcohol permitted.

The Chadbourne Homestead was built in 1835 by Joshua Chadbourne. Most of the family went to California when the gold rush began, but some occupied the family home until the early 1900’s. In 2017 the property was donated to the Baldwin Historical Society by Glenn and Norma Haines. Great care was used during the renovation to keep all of the original features intact. The building has been transformed into a beautiful museum that houses all of the historical societies’ collections and 8 rooms of exhibits including a 2nd floor gallery of Baldwin iconic locations painted by local artists. Guided tours will include each room including the beautiful barn. Tours will be held on June 1st and 2nd at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Every donation is very helpful to our work. FMI: (207) 625- 8946. Pre-registration is required due to space.

The Chadbourne Homestead was built in 1835 by Joshua Chadbourne. Most of the family went to California when the gold rush began, but some occupied the family home until the early 1900’s. In 2017 the property was donated to the Baldwin Historical Society by Glenn and Norma Haines. Great care was used during the renovation to keep all of the original features intact. The building has been transformed into a beautiful museum that houses all of the historical societies’ collections and 8 rooms of exhibits including a 2nd floor gallery of Baldwin iconic locations painted by local artists. Guided tours will include each room including the beautiful barn. Tours will be held on June 1st and 2nd at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Every donation is very helpful to our work. FMI: (207) 625- 8946. Pre-registration is required due to space.

The Chadbourne Homestead was built in 1835 by Joshua Chadbourne. Most of the family went to California when the gold rush began, but some occupied the family home until the early 1900’s. In 2017 the property was donated to the Baldwin Historical Society by Glenn and Norma Haines. Great care was used during the renovation to keep all of the original features intact. The building has been transformed into a beautiful museum that houses all of the historical societies’ collections and 8 rooms of exhibits including a 2nd floor gallery of Baldwin iconic locations painted by local artists. Guided tours will include each room including the beautiful barn. Tours will be held on June 1st and 2nd at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Every donation is very helpful to our work. FMI: (207) 625- 8946. Pre-registration is required due to space.