19th Century Curran Village, Orrington & Holden, Maine

From Sheep to Woven Wool: Fiber Arts for Kids, Ages 8-13. This February School Break offering is part of our week long learning activities program , Feb. 18-22. Bring a bag lunch, snack provided. With Rhonda Junkins of Echo Valley Farm in Cornish, you meet some lambs and sheep at the museum before processing raw wool into yarn, dyeing it, and weaving it. You will hand card wool, spin wool with your own homemade drop spindle, dye your wool learning about natural dyes, and weave the yarn you make using a lap loom that you assemble. There will be a fifteen minute snack at 10:45 and lunch from 12-12:30. Class takes place in our heated red barn building next to the Newfield Post Office, 70 Elm St., Newfield. Tuition: $45. Includes materials. limited to ten students. Call: 207-205-4849 to make your reservation by February 1. Great holiday present; we can create a gift certificate.

Your Donation For Giving Tuesday, November 27, 2018

 

We have the ambitious goal of expanding and enriching our school field trip offerings at Fields Pond (Orrington/Holden) and Newfield. Your support can move us closer to that goal. We saw more than 1800 school visitors this year, and that means that teachers from more than two dozen schools regularly chose our hands-on experiential programming for their students.

 

Whether it be hand cranking a wooden washing machine and wringing out the water with a hand crank wringer, turning cream into butter, turning the handle of a burr mill and producing cracked corn that you get to feed to chickens, sending a message in Morse code using a telegraph key, using your manners in the little red schoolhouse,  turning a electromagnet to produce a shock or making a diagnosis using X-rays, lifting a 100 pound anvil with a pulley system, using a lever to draw water from a well, pulling the handle of a letterpress to print, simulating the power of a horse on a treadmill, or…. You get the idea. These are some of the many formal and informal experiences that don’t happen in classrooms but  continue to happen for school children at these living history villages with your donation. Helps us to expand and enrich the experiences for our future.

We are setting the bar high with a goal of raising $10,000 on Giving Tuesday, November 27. If we can achieve that in one day imagine what we can do to make memorable learning experiences this and future generation. 

Using Lessons from the Past for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Challenges

Call us: (207) 205-4849, (207) 745-4426 with your pledge!

or

Mail us your donation! Curran Homestead Village, P.O. Box 107, Orrington, Maine 04474 

or

Email us with your contact information, and we’ll get back to you pronto.

NEWFIELD—Sat., February 2, 10-3. Ice Harvest at the Mill Pond: This year we utilize our new ice house storing the ice harvested at this public participation event. Horse drawn bobsled rides: $5. Goodies available at our warming center. Bring the family and help bring in harvested ice. Blacksmithing demonstrations ongoing.On Thurs., Jan. 3, 9-4, & Fri., Feb. 1, 9-4, we will be preparing for the harvest; we can use volunteers. Call: 207-205-4849. Admission free with charges for food and sled rides.

FIELDS POND—Sat., February 9, 10-3. Ice Harvest at Fields Pond.This year we hope to unveil a 1920s Novo Ice saw. This is a gas powered, chain drive gas engine with 42 inch radial saw blade on a sled that was used to cut the grid into the ice that was subsequently sawed through by hand saws. We hope to demonstrate this with public participation and vintage hand tools. Day includes Belgian draft horses pulling 17 foot bobsled for rides, $5. A warm farmhouse kitchen with soup and bread. A family event worth the trip. Admission free with charges for food and sled rides.

Make Your Reservation Now for 19^th Century Curran Homestead Village’s September 22, 4:30-7PM Painted Pony Fundraising Dinner with Freshly Cut Grass Bluegrass Band. Curran Homestead Village (formerly Willowbrook Museum ), 70 Elm Street, Newfield, ME. At the museum’s rustic restaurant, there will be live music with Maine’s own Freshly Cut Grass. One seating only at 4:30, dinner served at 5. The menu includes Mary’s own encrusted chicken cordon bleu, glazed baby carrots, ribbons of zucchini, rolls with butter, scalloped potatoes, green salad, cranberry compote, corn chowder and apple crisp a la mode. Meal includes a pint of local Gneiss beer or glass of wine, or a choice of other beverages. Additional beer and wine for purchase, $5, $3. Reserve a free ride at 3 or 4PM on the horse carousel with your 4:30PM dinner reservation.  This is a fundraiser supporting our annual school field trip programming with more than 1600 from the area in May and June, 2018 and more to come this fall; help keep a 49 year tradition for area kids going. Single: $30, Couples $55. Call as soon as you can for your reservation: (207) 205-4849 or (207) 745-4426.

 

Sat. & Sun., Aug. 4 & 5, 10-3. Museum Open

Wed.-Fri., Aug. 8-10, 10-3. Museum Open.

Sat. & Sun., Sept. 1 & 2, 10-3: Open Weekend Sat.

Sat., Sept. 22, 4:30-7PM. Painted Pony Party Fundraiser. Reservations Needed:

207-205-4849

September 24-October 12: FALL SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS: PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE, HOMESCHOOLED & PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Check our webpage on this website for our school field trip program.

Sun., Oct. 7, 10-3. ASH SUNDAY Event. End of Season.

 

Friday, July 13, 7-9PM

SILENT MOVIES ON THE LAWN, 372 Fields Pond Rd., Orrington

The program includes six 20-minute shorts with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel (Before Hardy), and others. We hope to make this a ongoing summer offering at the museum. This is free to the public. Popcorn, candy, and soft drinks available for purchase.

 

Saturday, July 14, 10-3PM, 372 Fields Pond Rd., Orrington

Jitterbug/Doodlebug and Antique Gas Engine Show: See the Curran’s own collection as well as some friend’s examples of antique power.

Jitterbug/Doodlebug: Homemade tractors for farm and forest. Made from early passenger vehicles and trucks these vehicles often include an additional transmission. 

 

Sunday, July 15, Picklin’ Workshop: Learn to make Korean kimchi, a spicy, pickled relish. We will make sauerkraut as well as some salt brine dill pickles. Take away your pickles in Mason jars. $20 Call: 207-205-4849 to register.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat., June 30th-July 4th: Opening Weekend: Civil War Brass Band: 12th New Hampshire Regiment Serenade Band (Sat., June 30, 1PM), Colonial Encampment, & Ford Model As, Colonial Militia Encampment: June 30-July 2.

 

Annual Membership Recognition Dinner

At Curran Homestead Village at Newfield

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 4:30-7PM

GUEST SPEAKER: Earl Shettleworth, Jr., Maine State Historian

This dinner is free to 2018 members and special donors

It is $20 per person for non-members (Under 12:$10). Consult our 2018 membership benefits.

RESERVATIONS NECESSARY FOR ALL: Call 207-745-4426, 207-205-4426.

PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATION BY JUNE 20.

This dinner, on par with our PAINTED PONY PARTIES, includes:

HERB ENCRUSTED PORK LOIN

CRANBERRY COMPOTE

SPRING SALAD with POPPY SEED DRESSING

RISOTTO PRIMAVERA

CORN BREAD

GLAZED BABY CARROTS

CORN SALAD with CITRUS AIOLI

PEAS with PROSCUITTO & CAPRICOLA

DESSERT

LOCAL BEER & WINE AVAILABLE

Mr. Shettleworth’s presentation is from 4:30-5:15 and is exclusively for diners.

Dinner is served at 5:30 PM. The presentation includes images of Maine’s statehood

centennial celebration in 1920 as well as a look at the Maine State Archive’s collection

of 1890s stereoscope slides of Maine towns and villages. Mr. Shettleworth will

specifically share images of 1890s LIMERICK, our neighboring community.