Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The Northern Maine Fair Association recently decided to construct an Agricultural Heritage Building that will serve as an agricultural museum and educational center. The new wood frame, metal-sided building will be located on the Northern Maine Fairgrounds, and will preserve and display antique farm equipment. Antique farm equipment displays have become a fast-growing part of the Northern Maine Fair. Over the past few years, with the support of the community and the Maine Antique Tractor Club Northern Division, the fair has reached the point where a year-round facility is needed to give this important tradition a permanent location on the fairgrounds.
“Much of our highest quality antique farm equipment is leaving the area to collectors or simply rotting away,” said Lynwood Winslow, fair president. “We believe it is important to preserve as much of this equipment as possible so that future generations of northern Mainers can learn the way things used to be here.”
The agricultural artifacts have been very popular with fairgoers, who have made this educational exhibit one of the most popular displays of the fair. Antique tractor owners brought more than 50 major pieces of motorized equipment to the last fair. The fair has even had to turn people away who wanted to display their antique equipment, but who could not move it to and from home easily.
Most of these potential exhibitors would leave their antique farm equipment year-round, or even donate the items to the fair, if there was a permanent home for them on the fairgrounds. The new building would also house non-motorized farm equipment and would have a display of artifacts from the history of the 154-year-old Northern Maine Fair.
This facility will be an attractively landscaped 50-foot by 100-foot building, located in the agricultural area, near the present flower building. The design will compliment the current architectural style of the grounds.
The Fair Association plans to raise enough money this winter so that construction can commence next spring.
“We will be working very hard to complete this project in time for the 2008 fair,” said Roger Hoffses, construction chair.
The Fair Association is launching a $100,000 capital campaign dedicated to constructing the Agricultural Heritage Building. This campaign, which will seek tax-deductible contributions from individuals, organizations, and area businesses, will be conducted as a special project of the Northern Maine Fair board of trustees. The core campaign will be voluntary contributions, which donors can make in a single installment or with formal one- to two-year pledges.
“This is an exciting project that perfectly matches the long-term goals of the fair,” said Winslow. “We continually strive to offer the community new activities and programs that are educational and bring out the rich, rural tradition of northern Maine.”
Winslow said there is a lot of work to be done, and directors will be looking for volunteers who wish to help with this project. Anyone interested in volunteering or other ways to help with the project should visit the fair’s Web site, www.northernmainefairgrounds.com.
For more information, contact Winslow at 227-4690 or by e-mail at lynwood@mfx.net.
