Book gives potato houses a close look
There are about 200 old-style potato houses left in Aroostook County, fewer every year. While most are in disrepair, some remain in productive use. You can take a look at many of these unique buildings in a new book, “Embedded Memories: the Story of Aroostook Potato Houses,” by Roger Akeley.
A descendent of George Henry Akeley, 
an early Aroostook pioneer and potato farmer, Roger’s agricultural resume was built in Presque Isle where he worked on three potato farms in his youth. Akeley, who lives in upstate New York, followed this background with a career involving land conservation and preservation work.
Five years in the making, the book displays the author’s pictures of the remaining potato houses in Aroostook County and includes images of more than 100 others which have already disappeared — from Sherman to St. Francis. The older pictures come largely from two albums, one by Lauretta Blackstone of Caribou and the other by David Baldwin, who summered in Smyrna.
While Aroostook potato houses tended to adhere to common design standards, as the book explains, no two were built exactly alike. Why? What were their origins? How many were there in their hey-day? Why did most of them have gambrel roofs? How were they constructed? How large were they? And why did they lose their importance after the 1960s? “Embedded Memories” covers this territory and more as Akeley explores the architectural and cultural implications of Aroostook potato houses.
The book places potato houses in the wider context of Aroostook’s potato producing history. It includes geographical and historical information, depicting the past through old post cards and pictures. Peering into both farm and trackside potato houses, Akeley book also displays potato handling equipment, as well as people and machines at work. One of the most interesting sections is a detailed timeline pertaining to the Aroostook potato industry.
The beauty of Aroostook County, with its fields, long views and expressive skies, is on full display in this book. Embedded Memories includes many pictures by noted photographer Paul Cyr, as well as colorful narratives from people who recall the old-time harvest and storage methods. Farms in Fort Kent and St. Francis are highlighted because they still use their traditional potato houses.
The book has been a true labor of love for the author who holds dearly his rural heritage. “It’s been on my mind for the past twenty-five years. Each summer, I’d see that a few more had quietly disappeared. I felt somebody had to preserve them, at least photographically, for our memories’ sake,” Akeley said.
The book will be available initially in mid-February at Morning Star Art and Framing in Presque Isle, Yorks Bookstore in Houlton, Lake Road Grocery in Soldier Pond, and Mr. Paperback in Caribou and Presque Isle. More information is available at Rooftop Publications.com.
