Student knives from a Knife Making WorkshopMaple Syrup Sales at our Maple Syrup and Irish Celebration Event, 2023Model T Assembly Line, School Field Trip Program, 2023Propane Burning Forge at Earth Day, 2023Earth Day Knife Making Weekend Workshop, 2023 The proud creator of a bird house, Earth Day, 2023Earth Day, Knife Making Workshop in Progress, 2023Brothers enjoy the carousel, Earth Day, 2023A Relaxing Earth Day. 2023Dinah Bowden tends the old Curran stove in the farmhouse; it’s still functioning after almost one hundred years of continued use.John Boyce shared his two Belgians with us for the rare treat of a horse-drawn wagon ride.Volunteer Alden Miller assists with birdhouse construction at our first Earth Day Celebration, 2023Volunteer Harrison Nicholson of Loud Dog Farm looks on as birdhouses are underway.Volunteer Richard Lizotte gets the steam traction engine going; it takes more than 3 hours to get up to steam.Tristan Orr shares blacksmithing with a group of school kids, Tristan started blacksmithing at age 17 at the museum as one of the first to take our beginning blacksmithing class fifteen years ago.Lunch on the porch of the Country for this school group; this first to do so.Nate Coe demonstrates apple tree scion grafting. We have 60 tree samplings underway as we work at creating an apple orchard at the Village.Hay Wagon Ride. Harvest Event, 2023Our 1870s Commercial Cider Press & Grinder, Harvest Event, 2023Carpenter Shop, Harvest, 2023Model T & Jitterbug Pull Competition, 2023 Country Store, Harvest Event, 2023Collection, Circa 1850s WinnowerWinnower RecordCollection, Enterprise Coffee Grinder, Country StoreModel T & Jitterbug Pull Competition, 2023Jitterbug Pull Competition, Sept. 2023jitterbug Pulling Competition, Sept. 2023Jitterbug Pulling Competition, Sept. 2023Goat Treadmill, Cider & Grain Mill, 2023Horseless Carriage, Model t and Jitterbug Event, 2023Volunteer Cal McGraw operates the carousel engine, Sept. 2023Our Furniture Maker Shop in-progress, 2023Timber frame Education Center in progress, Oct. 2023Timber frame Education Center in progress, Harvest Event, Oct. 2023Tom Flagg Smithy (1935). This building originated from Lincolnville Beach, Maine.Our Letterpress Office includes presses and equipment from the Ellsworth American and the Whig & Courier newspapers. Collection, Ox Dump CartOur 1917 Model T Depot Hack & Replica 1902 OldsmobileStrudel and More, Harvest Event, 2022Steam Traction Engine, Harvest Event, 2023Our Horse CarouselWood Burning Kiln Relocation, Disassembly with Wooden Cribbing, Nov. 2023Collectiion, Circa 1890s Victorian Dollhouse, Oct. 2023Cider Making, Apple Harvest, 2022Second Floor, Furniture Maker’s Shop, Nov. 2023Fields House, Building roof returns, Nov. 2023Cider & Grain Mill, Cider Making 2022
Our Steam Traction Engine
Oct. 8 & 9, 2022. Harvest Event; Richard Lizotte runs the Holland Steam Traction EngineRichard Lizotte operates our steam traction engine at the Harvest Event, on Oct. 8 & 9, 2022Full steam ahead as our steam traction engine moves slowly along at the Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022
1894 Armitage Herschell Riding Gallery (Carousel)
Frank McDermott gets a ride on the carousel at the Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022
Cider Mill
10.8 & 10.9.2022, Harvest Event, We ran the apple grinder with an electric motor and flat belt this time. Harvest Event: More than 50 bushels of apples processed.Harvest Event: We did not run the big press. We used portable mills to press the ground apples produced in the big grinder.Harrison Nicholson and Keith Bowden work up yet another batch of cider. Out extra cider will be frozen or fermented into hard cider at 19th Century Curran Village’s Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022Harvest Event: lots of homemade baked goods including apple strudel and apple pie, 19th Century Curran Village’s Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022
Harvest Event 2022
Judith Gillis works at the Curran stove in the farmhouse, 19th Century Curran Village, Harvest event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022Susan Howard was on hand to demonstrate the use of foot treadle sewing machines, 19th Century Curran Village, Harvest Event, Oct 8 & 9, 2022Calving McGraw tinkers with our 1917 Ford Model T Depot Hack which was on the move with frequent rides for visitors at 19th Century Curran Village’s Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022Pumpkin , squash, and gourd painting at the Harvest Event, Oct. 8 & 9, 2022Wee Bit Farm of Orland, ME provided grass fed Scottish Highland beef sausages for the day. Don Albert-Ames worked magic on the grill. Harvest Event: Homemade picklesThis cider press and grinder includes screws and screw plates cast by Webber & Havilland in Waterville, ME.Our newly constructed Grain & Cider MillJohn Boyce’s Belgians pull our bobsled out to Fields Pond.The cider press in the new Mill.Car Culture Building in progressCountry Store in progressCollection, Machine Shop, Circa 1915 American Sawmill Company Bandsaw, from the Machine Shop of Larry Cook, Meriden, CTCollection, Weaving, Barn Loom, c. 1840, Donation of Kathi Smith, Waterville, MECollection, Whig & Courier Letterpress Office, Chandler & Price Letterpress with c. 1915 Electric Motor, Origin: Ellsworth American, Donation, Alan Baker, Orrington, MEHildreth Wood SplitterHildreth Wood Splitter with 5HP Fairbanks Morse EngineThe Shingle Mill includes an 1880s Chase Shingle Mill and an 1870s Lane.The lean to roof off the gable end of the Fields Pond Smithy covers our ox slingThe Whig & Courier Letterpress Office now includes two handicap ramps.Our collection of Machinist’s equipment in the new Machine Shop.This line shaft pulley system was removed from the Machine Shop of the late Richard Hopkins on Verona Island, ME, It will be installed in our new Machine Shop at 19th Century Curran Village.Shelving built by Nate Coe in the Machine ShopMachine Shop: Wet Grinding Stone and LatheMachine Shop: New ShelvingCollection: Post Lathe from the Furber Pond Co., Saco, ME Collection: Wheelchair, 1918 Donated by Gabriel Schmick, Bangor, MEWheelchair Provenance, Ellsworth, MEWheelchair Provenance, Ellsworth, MECarousel Building completed; this was relocated from 200 miles from its present location.The Carousel Building received a new metal roof replacing its’ former asphalt shingles.The Red Schoolhouse and Country StoreThe Armitage-Herschell steam engine sits in a pit forward of the carousel; it has been converted to run by compressed air.This engine and carriage dates from 1894; it is the original power source of our Armitage-Herschell Riding Gallery. This Gray Line barn floor thresher is now in the new Grain & Cider Mill; it will be made functional using a early hit n’miss type gas engine.Harvesting ice on Fields Pond. Just as the Currans once did, the Village has harvested ice as a free public event since 2008.This Ice House was built in part by a grant from the Narragansett Number One Foundation at Newfield. It was relocated to Orrington and currently has a small crop of ice cakes within (2022).Our Ice House stored this crop of ice in the Winter of 2018.This 1927 Model T Touring Car is one of several thoroughly restored Fords that were donated by Isaac Hughes of Fayetteville, NY.This 1926 Model T Sedan is being transported to 19th Century Curran Village from Newfield, ME, the site of the former Willowbrook Museum. The truck and trailer seen here was donated by Guy Pilote of Lewiston who assisted us in relocating many buildings from the Newfield site.This Ford Model T cord saw is the embodiment of Yankee ingenuity. It was restored by Tom Bragg of Kennebunk and women from the Womens’ Re-Entry Program of the Alfred Corrections Department.Our new Whig & Courier Letterpress Office was created from an open shed that housed Willowbrook Museum farm equipment collection. After making the 200 mile journey to Orrington it was enclosed and given a raised wooden floor. The interior is currently being insulated and sheathed. The insulation comes from a grant donation of 2700 square feet of cotton insulation from Cotton, Inc.’s Blue Jeans Go Green Program. Metal Casting. during a Summer History Program, Biddeford artist Anne Thompson shared this art form with our summer history camp campers. Using zinc pewter campers designed an ice cream spoon and cast it. Later they used the spoon for locally made ice cream. We will offer this hands-on learning experience for kids this summer at our STEAM History Camp (2022).This is our new shingle mill built from a recysled shed roof from Willowbrook Museum. We will sheath this building. The plan is to make one of these mills operable. The mill on the left is an 1880s Chase and the other is a 1870s Lane donated from nearby Kings Mountain where Donald Bowden ran the mill for many years.This crystal radio was created by the late Paul Fleming of Old Orchard Beach. In retirement, Paul gave workshops in crystal radio construction to kids in Southern Maine locations. We received his entire collection, which includes examples of combining parts of old radios with modern components. This early homemade crystal radio includes a crude cat’s wisker and cigar box enclosure. The museum is developing a greater collection of these homemade receivers that needed no power source.This crystal radio set was our last build with ages 8-14 at Newfield. In March 0f 2022 we have teamed up with radio afficianado Rex Harper to offer three workshops using a new build design. More radio workshops are planned.
Fiber Arts
Our fiber arts programs begins with the source. In 2019, Curran offered a day of fiber arts that included carding, dyeing, spinning and weaving. This will be an offering at our 2022 Summer STEAM History Camp.Students worked to process raw wool and learned about natural dyeing.Lap looms are used for each individual., and each weaver gets to make and take home a lap loom with them.This homeschooled group spent a day doing fiber arts as well as creating some catapults from our home-brewed kit that is an introduction to post and beam construction using wooden peg fasteners.This is our Leonardo Da Vinci inspired catapult that is regularly tested once completed with a bag of cheddar goldfish crackers.
Coal Fired Forging-Blacksmithing
Student Work 1: Beginning Blacksmithing WorkshopStudent Work 2: Beginning Blacksmithing WorkshopStudent Work 3: Beginning Blacksmithing WorkshopStudent Work 4: Beginning Blacksmithing WorkshopStudent Work 5: Beginning Blacksmithing WorkshopDovetail Blanket Chest Making Workshop
Radio Collection
Radio Collection: This is an Atwater Kent radio packing crate. Radios were shipped through mail order and many early versions were kits that necessitated assembly. Before the vacuum tube the crystal radio was a relatively easy construction.Radio Collection: This Atwater Kent and farm battery units were typical entertainment in rural Maine and New England. These particular units came from a Wiswell farmhouse in Orrington, ME.This microphone was used by the amateur radio station W1UP out of Brewer, ME which was started in 1913.Radio Collection: The radio on the bottom shelf is a 1925 Freed-Eismann.Radio CollectionRadio Collection; This is a 1929 Atwater Kent console radio donateed by Larry Koolkin of Vermont.The back view of the Curran Barn, 2015This is a replica of a 1902 Oldsmobile produced in 1952. This was donated for the purposes pof experiencing the “horseless carriage” in its earliest stage; notice the steering tiller.This 1915 Ford Model T tractor conversion is one of many homemade machines that served the needs of small farms in Maine. Our earliest example of a kit produced by Sears & Roebuck was purchased in Bangor, ME in 1918.This 1924 Ford Model TT truck had a snow plow hooked up to it at one time. This and three other fully restored Model Ts were donated by Isaac Hughes of Fayetteville, NY. We are currently doing a mechanical restoration on this T.Aaron Boyce with his pair of Percherons at the Village, Harvest Festival, 2017Alan Ashley assists in the assembly of our timber-frame Carpenter’s Shop, 2016Board member Bill Wilkins at Old Week Celebrations at Curran Village, 2017Bluegrass at Curran, 2017Bluegrass, 2017Jim Leighton on banjo at our bluegrass jam at Old Home Week, 2017Boo ! Halloween, 2017Civil War Event & Bluegrass Festival, 2017Civil War Event & Bluegrass Festival, 2017Civil War Event & Bluegrass Festival, 2017 at 19th Century Curran VillageCivil war Event & Bluegrass Festival, 2017Civil War Event & Bluegrass festival, 2017Under the tent at the Civil War Event & Bluegrass Festival, 2017Bluegrass acts performed in this mobile stage lent to us by the City of Bangor’s Recreation Department, 2017Draw some scarecrows among other Halloween related activities associated with the Harvest Festival, 2017 at 19th Century Curran VillageCalvin McGraw and our museum director Robert Schmick prepare some Wee Bit Farm Grass Fed Highland Beef sausages at the Harvest Festival, 2017We receive frequent donations of Wee Bit Farm of Orland, ME sausages thanks to owner Dan Hughes.Jitterbug Pull Competition at the Harvest Festival, 2011, with Gabriel Schmick and Jean Schmick in the foreground.That’s Dick Hanson on the Kubota tractor moving weights during the Jitterbug pull Competition with the Maine Antique Tractor Club, 2011our 1930 Ford Model AA Jitterbug “Orange Crate” in the Jitterbug Pulling Competition with Maine Antique tractor Club at the Harvest Festival, 2011Judith Gillis gets in the swing of things at the Harvest Festival, October, 2017 Baked beans, baked goods and beer available at the Old Home Week Celebration, July, 2017 Tetley T, our Depot Hack Model T providing excursions at our Harvest Festival, 2017Harvest Festival at 19th century Curran Village, 2017Panoramic of evolving ground work for development of the site as a museum village, 2017Beginning Blacksmithing Workshop with students Cal McGraw and Nate Coe, 2017Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Car Workshop with Byron Aubrey and Larry Littlefield, 2011Freshly cut Grass performs in the living room of the Curran Farmhouse, Harvest Festival, 2017
Bag-O-Buffalo, Travelling the Oregon Trail Activity, Rootin’ Tootin’ Cowboys (2009), Birthday Party Theme. YMCA Program,, Contact us about this for your birthday party; we still have the props,
