Institution description
The Washburn-Norlands Living History Center preserves the heritage and traditions of rural life in Maine's past, celebrates the achievements of Livermore's Washburn family, and uses living history methods to make values, activities, and issues of the past relevant to present and future generations.
Norlands is an internationally acclaimed living history center, situated on 400 acres of picturesque working farmland and forests, which offers in-depth experiences in 19th century rural life. The site includes four historic buildings. Here, the visitor is an active participant in daily and seasonal farming and housework, and becomes involved in the social, political and educational activities of the times.
Norlands is the family home of the Washburns, one of the great political and industrial dynasties of the 19th century. Of the ten children born in Livermore to Israel and Martha Washburn, seven sons rose to serve as governors, congressmen, a United States senator, Secretary of State, foreign ministers, a Civil War general, and a Navy captain. As industrialists, the brothers' achievements included founding of the Washburn-Crosby Gold Medal Flour Company, invention of a typewriter, and serving as president of a railroad.