Windham bakery feeds neighbors in need

By Erin Rose

Hailey’s Kitchen has been working to help ensure that no one in Windham goes hungry.

Hailey's Kitchen in Windham established a 
food pantry after thousands of Mainers lost
SNAP benefits right before Thanksgiving
last fall and the bakery took donations to
help provide meals to those in need in
the community. COURTESY PHOTO

The bakery established a food pantry after SNAP benefits were cut before Thanksgiving last year and spent several months taking donations and funds to help provide meals to those in need in the community.

“People went without food when it’s a holiday built around food after benefits were slashed,” said Rebecca Willis-Coffin, the owner of Hailey’s Kitchen. “I had so many people bring in turkeys, canned goods, and they put in so much effort to support others.”

In total, the public donated at least 50 turkeys, and many included all the fixings to go with them, including vegetables and other sides to accompany the bird. Someone even thought to buy mayonnaise for the inevitable turkey sandwiches that come from Thanksgiving leftovers, Willis-Coffin said.

One of the largest donations was $500 from Paul’s Boutique, a recreational cannabis dispensary in Windham.

“They brought turkeys and bags of onions, potatoes, squash, apples,” Willis -Coffin said. “They brought so much and were my biggest single donator.”

The food pantry at Hailey’s grew so popular that the bakery ran out of storage room for the donated food.

“I had to call people to come and pick up their food now because I couldn’t store it,” Willis-Coffin said. “I had so much in there.”

The donated meals expanded into donations of breakfast sandwiches, tracked by Post-it notes which were pasted on the bakery’s walls. Soon, the walls of the storefront were covered in pastel notes, each one designating a breakfast sandwich that was pre-purchased by members of the public. Anyone in need of a meal was welcome to come by and take a Post-It and present it to receive a free sandwich.

“I said, ‘if anyone needs something to eat, just come in and we’ll feed you’,” Willis-Coffin said. “People brought in money and pre-purchased meals for people in need.”

The food pantry and free meal program ended in June, as the busy summer season takes up too much of the bakery’s operations to be able to support both.

“We had so many people right up until June,” Willis-Coffin said. “Then I said that you’ll have to rely on the Windham Food Pantry because we just don’t have the time and staff in the kitchen to do it all.”

The bakery still receives support from the community, as many people who have donated continue to purchase baked goods from the business.

“I’m glad that a lot of them still come in every week,” Willis-Coffin said. “They really take care of us.”

The program may be suspended for the season, but Willis-Coffin still maintains one Post-It on the cash register, as she will never let anyone go hungry.

“Even though I ask that you use the food pantry when we’re busy, I still do love my community and fully support my community and will always take care of my community,” Willis-Coffin said.

“It’s been unbelievable for me,” she said. “I’m just offering a sandwich or just providing a turkey meal for my neighbors. It’s what we should do.”

National news outlets, including MSNBC, covered the bakery’s efforts and helped show that good works can draw the community together.

“The news coverage was amazing because it just goes to show that a feel-good story really does win,” Willis-Coffin said. “And it really does matter when someone does something positive for the community.”

“The community will rally around that and not just say ‘oh that’s nice’ and move on,” she said.

The coverage also expanded the range from which people were donating to the efforts, leading people from outside the area to provide funds for food.

“I had people drive from Massachusetts to donate money for sandwiches and for turkeys,” Willis-Coffin said. “They wanted to see me in person.”

Willis-Coffin has been encouraged by seeing the community come together to support the bakery’s efforts.

“You saw the keyboard bullies, celebrating the removal of people’s SNAP benefits. And I saw the opposite side,” Willis-Coffin said. “I saw the most beautiful people come into my café and just give from the heart.”

Hailey’s Bakery was started in 2017 as a project for Willis-Coffin’s son, Alex, who began home schooling after suffering from intense anxiety in fourth grade. The bakery helped him learn new skills, all while enjoying baking.

“Eventually, he just said, I’m all set. You’re on your own,” Willis-Coffin said, explaining that Alex returned to public school as a freshman at Windham High School. He recently graduated and will be attending College of the Atlantic in the fall.

The bakery is a family enterprise, as all of Willis-Coffin’s children help out and work at the bakery, and even those not related by blood are counted as members of her family. Willis-Coffin says she has five children, as Alex’s best friend Olyver has become a part of her family as well.

“I’ve been pretty blessed in this endeavor,” she said. “My kids work with me, and I get to see them every day. Their growth with this business is just amazing and we’re a little family here. It makes me almost feel like I am just doing the job of somebody who isn’t doing their job in public office. We should have safety nets that never fail around food. When I was interviewed by MSNBC, they used my quote as their headline which was how can we call this a civilized country if we’re allowing citizens to go hungry? I’m using my powers for good.” <

Jeep and Military Vehicle Car Show and Swap Meet nearing in Windham

By Ed Pierce

If you’re anywhere near the Windham Veterans Center in North Windham on Saturday, Aug. 1, for the first time ever, American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 will be hosting a Jeep and Military Vehicle Car Show and Swap Meet and the public is invited to participate.

American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 will host a Jeep and
Military Vehicle Car Show and Swap Meet from noon to 
3 p.m. at the Windham Veterans Center, 35 Veterans
Memorial Drive in Windham on Saturday, Aug. 1.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

Jeeps old and new, ones that go off road and others that never do will be on display at the event at the WVC, 35 Veterans Memorial Drive, behind Hannaford in Windham.

Organizers say that vehicle registration for the Jeep Car Show will be conducted from 10 a.m. to noon for $25, followed by the show running from noon to 3 p.m. In the event of rain, the Jeep Car Show will be held on Sunday, Aug. 2.

Prizes will be awarded in six divisions for first through third place and a Best of Show award will also be presented.

The military history of the Jeep itself is the stuff of legends.

In 1942 with the United States embroiled in World War II, America’s military needed a nimble, 4x4 scout car. American Bantam Car Company built the first prototype called the "Quad", but the Willys-Overland and Ford companies were brought in to mass-produce the vehicles because American Bantam did not have the manufacturing capacity to mass produce the vehicles.

Willys was able to create what became the definitive military Jeep, and the Ford GPW was built to the exact same design.

Many say that the name "Jeep" came from U.S. Army slang short for "G.P." or a “General Purpose” vehicle.

The Jeep went on to revolutionize military transport and proved to be indispensable for the Allied forces. Jeeps were used for nearly every purpose including for shuttling troops back and forth from the front lines, as ambulances, and frequently as mobile command centers.

When World War II ended, Willys-Overland introduced the first Jeep for the civilian mark in 1945. During the 1950s and 1960s, Jeep expanded heavily into the recreational market. Corporate ownership then shifted to Kaiser Jeep and in 1963, Jeep introduced the Wagoneer, which transformed the market by offering one of the very first luxury, four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicles.

American Motors Corporation (AMC) acquired the Jeep product line in 1970. It refined the brand by introducing the full-time 4x4 Quadra-Trac system and eventually launching the Jeep Cherokee model in 1984. The Cherokee featured a groundbreaking unibody design that helped set the industry standard for all modern SUVs.

Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand from AMC in 1987 and introduced the Jeep Wrangler in 1986. Merging with DaimlerChrysler and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Jeep further evolved its lineup to include the Grand Cherokee and Gladiator.

Jeep operates under the Stellantis Corporation and now sells hybrid electric vehicles like the Wrangler 4xe.

During the Jeep and Military Vehicle Car Show and Swap Meet in Windham there will be vendors and a disc jockey playing music.

Donations will be appreciated with all funds going to support local veterans in need.

Jeep and Military Vehicle Car Show and Swap Meet sponsors include American Legion Post 148, Modern Woodmen of America and Mainely Jeep of Windham.

For further details or to inquire about vendor opportunities, send an email to [email protected] <

Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program honors Windham veterans

By Ed Pierce

Not many of us are thinking about Christmas in the middle of summer and holiday wreaths are not a hot topic for conversation when it’s 90 degrees outside, but for one local veterans’ organization, wreaths remain an important way to honor the men and women of Windham who ensured our freedom while wearing the military uniform of the United States.

American Legion Post 148 Auxiliary members gather during
last fall's Everlasting Gratitude Wreath program at 
Arlington Cemetery in Windham. From left are Pam
Whynot, Gail Labbe, Lin Tanguay and Maryann
Johnson. SUBMITTED PHOTO

American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 spearheads the annual effort to fundraise for Windham’s Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program, which supplies holiday wreaths adorned with red, white, and blue ribbons for placement on veteran’s graves in town. Each December, more than 1,000 wreaths are placed in 24 different Windham cemeteries honoring the service of military veterans buried there.

The program was launched by Sebago Gardens in 2013 and continues today under the leadership of American Legion Post 148 in Windham.

Some of the local graves of veterans date back to the Colonial Era and the Revolutionary War and the graves of Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans can also be found in Windham.

Every year in early December, the Windham Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program conducts a ceremony honoring the contributions of local veterans and follows that up with the placement of seasonal wreaths adorned with red, white, and blue ribbons. The special ceremony is coordinated with the laying of wreaths at the national cemeteries across America and includes placing a large, decorated wreath at each cemetery entrance in Windham.

Thanks to generous donations from local businesses and many members of the community, Windham’s American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 has been able to sponsor this popular program, but further donations from the public are needed to keep it viable. The Legion’s Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program has zero overhead in expenses, and all donations are used to purchase wreaths, ribbons, and hardware.

Later this year, with approval and assistance from the Town of Windham, each veteran’s grave in town will have a shepherd’s crock placed on it about 30 inches high to hang the wreath on. These shepherd’s crocks allow volunteers to remove the wreaths easily when it is time to retrieve them rather than having to dig them out from under a pile of snow.

Fundraising for the Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program starts in July because Post 148 needs to raise more than $6,000 every year to support the program and requires the funds to be available by September to pay for the massive wreath order, says David Tanguay, Post 148 adjutant.

“Once all the wreaths are ordered, the accompanying bows will be made by the American Legion family and local community volunteers and then matched to the wreaths when they arrive later in the fall,” he said. “We are still working with Libby Sawyer, the founder of the program. Although now the Legion Post does the funding and labor, she is still the vendor for the wreaths. Bows are made by the members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148.”

American Legion members are now actively contacting the Windham business community and mailings to support the program run throughout the remainder of July and August.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Everlasting Gratitude Wreath Program may do so by sending a check marked “Legion Wreaths,” to Legion Post 148 P.O. Box 1776, Windham, Maine 04062. Additional information will be provided as to when the bows will be made by volunteers at a location in town, and when the wreaths will be distributed in the cemeteries for those interested in helping to support this initiative.

The American Legion is a Federal designated 501 (c) 19 organization. <

Loon Echo Trail Race Series nearing

The 2026 Loon Echo Trail Race Series kicks off on Sunday, July 26 with the Crooked River 5K race in Harrison.

Runners leave the starting line during last year's Pleasant
Mountain Half Marathon Race to benefit Loon Echo Land 
Trust. The fourth annual Pleasant Mountain Race
Half Marathon presented by ReVision Energy, will be
held on Sept. 27 and starts at the Pleasant Mountain Ski
Area East Lodge in Bridgton.
PHOTO BY R. PERRY FLOWERS    

The trail race series is run by volunteer Race Directors Addie Casali and Scott Eugley and takes place across three trail networks owned and managed by Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT). All proceeds from the events support LELT trails and conservation work.

Crooked River 5K

A great introduction to trail running, the racecourse winds through the woods and along the bank of the Crooked River. The race starts and finishes at Scribner's Mill, a historic sawmill and homestead located right on the Crooked River in Harrison. This is a family friendly event.

The race starts at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 26 and leaves from Scribner's Mill in Harrison.

The cost to participate is $25.

Bald Pate 10K and Five Fields Farm 50K

Wind your way through the ancient pitch pine forest and take in beautiful views of Peabody Pond and the surrounding area. This is your chance to experience the best of a much-beloved mountain and trail network.

The Five Fields Farm 50K race is a figure-8, three lap course that navigates through the Bald Pate Preserve and Holt Pond Preserve. Each lap finishes with a section right through the heart of the apple orchard. No matter if you are a seasoned veteran or looking to break into ultra-distance events, this race will surely challenge runners.

The Bald Pate 10K races winds its way through the ancient pitch pine forest and takes in beautiful views of Foster Pond and the surrounding area. This is a challenging course that features steep climbs and technical terrain.

The races start at 7 a.m. for the Five Fields Farm 50K and at 9 a.m. for the Bald Pate 10K on Sunday, Aug. 30.

Both races depart from the Five Fields Farm in Bridgton.

The cost to participate is $35.

Pleasant Mountain Race presented by ReVision Energy

The Fourth annual Pleasant Mountain Race Half Marathon is presented by ReVision Energy. Runners will tackle Southern Maine's tallest mountain, and they will be greeted with technical single-track and traverse across Pleasant Mountain’s iconic ridge.

The race starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 and departs from the Pleasant Mountain Ski Area East Lodge in Bridgton.

The cost to participate is $75 for those registering prior to Sept. 1.

Pleasant Mountain is the tallest mountain in southern Maine and draws tens of thousands of visitors every year for hiking, running, and snowmobiling. The mountain is also home to Pleasant Mountain Ski Area.

Runners will compete on a tough course that begins at Pleasant Mountain Ski Area’s East Lodge in Bridgton. Runners will then head up the Bald Peak Trail and descend the mountain on the Firewarden’s Trail. They then run on the road from the Firewarden’s Trailhead to the Southwest Ridge Trailhead to head back up the mountain to the summit, across the ridge to Sue’s Way Trail, and down the Bald Peak Trail back to the East Lodge. The course is 21 kilometers long and has over 3,600 feet of elevation gain.

LELT races

Runners who sign up for one race in the 2026 series will receive $5 off another race in the series.

Not a runner but want to get involved? Volunteers are critical to the success of each race and always needed.

More information about registering as a volunteer and race registration links are available at LELT.org/race-series.

Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) was founded in 1987. It is a nonprofit organization that protects land, ensures public access to the outdoors, and builds and maintains recreational trails in Raymond, Casco, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, Bridgton, and Denmark. For more information on LELT properties, upcoming events, or how to get involved, visit LELT.org or their Facebook page. <

Bob Norwood: A teacher to remember

By Max Millard
Special to The Windham Eagle

In September 2025, I attended a lakeside reunion for the Windham High School Class of 1967. I brought a copy of the 1962 yearbook for Field-Allen Junior High and placed it on a picnic table, where it was instantly commandeered by a cluster of women from the class. They turned to the pages of head shots, touched them lovingly and emitted a chorus of "gone ... gone ... gone" for about one-quarter of our classmates.

Science teacher Bob Norwood, left, is shown in the 1962
Field-Allen Junior High School yearbook. At right, Bob and
Carol Norwood enjoy a meal in Florida in 2024. Bob passed
away at his home in Wells at the age of 89 earlier this year.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS 

The page depicting the 14 teachers and administrators drew little attention because, of course, they had all passed on. Except they hadn't. There was one survivor: Robert E. Norwood, who taught science at the school from 1960 to 1965.

I remembered Mr. Norwood as an energetic, engaging, fireball of a teacher who loved to tell jokes in class, but could be strict and serious when necessary. He loved teaching, and in 7th grade he directed a one-act play for the annual drama competition. I was among the players, along with Jean Bromley, Patty Hodgdon, Steve Turkington and Gail Sylvester.

Our play was voted the best of the evening. As a reward, Mr. Norwood drove the whole cast to Boston to see "How the West Was Won" at the Cinerama Theater, which had an ultra-wide, curved screen and three projectors to produce an immersive experience.

After the 1960s I lost touch with Mr. Norwood, but last year I learned that he was still alive and living in Wells. I contacted him and paid him a visit, along with my old Windham neighbor Jim Hawkes.

We were ushered into a room at the back of the house, with a big picture window facing the pristine backyard. Bob – as he preferred to be called – sat in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube under his nose, looking very fragile. He had been asleep when we arrived, but he immediately perked up, and along with his wife Carol, the four of us had a long, lively conversation.

Bob said that he left Field-Allen to teach in Portland because the pay was better. But he much preferred his old job. He explained: "In Windham, if a boy behaved badly and I called the parents, they would say, `He won't do that again.' In Portland the parents would say: `Oh, my son wouldn't do that!'"

In frustration, he quit Portland after five years, and met with William Foss, the Windham superintendent of schools, to request a new assignment. He was offered the post of transportation director, in charge of all of Windham's bus drivers, and with the authority to close the schools on snow days. He readily accepted and embraced the job for the next seven years.

Meanwhile, he was enjoying a side career as a businessman. His most successful venture was Arctic Penguin Ice in North Windham, which delivered ice to stores, summer camps and campgrounds. At its peak, the company had many employees and nine trucks.

Bob and Carol – a lifelong elementary school teacher – purchased a house on Pettingill Pond in Windham for $9,000. Bob built a second floor to accommodate their four children, and the family lived there for over 30 years. In 1991, Bob sold both the house and the ice business, and the couple moved to Polk City, Florida, where they spent the next 32 years. Recently the same house changed hands for $1 million.

In Florida, Bob renovated an old Greyhound bus to live in, and took a job as a tour bus operator, reinventing himself once again and getting to know every corner of the state.

Bob grew up in Biddeford, and he began teaching right out of college. I didn't realize at the time how young he was, because all the teachers then seemed to be adults of an indefinite age.

He laughed while recalling how teaching had changed since the old days – for example, the time he walked into the office of Field-Allen Principal Ronald Jacques and saw him with a boy over his knee, getting a vigorous spanking. He related that my classmate John Bridges once asked him, "Mr. Norwood, is it true that hot air rises?" Bob had said yes, at which John quipped, "Then why don't you go floating in the air?"

As much as Bob loved teaching, he valued his independence more and always managed to find jobs that suited his temperament. In his bedroom in Wells, his mind remained sharp, but it was apparent that his body was failing.

After an hour and a half, Jim Hawkes and I sensed that it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, and I pledged to visit Bob again in 2026. He asked me to tell him the next time the Class of 1967 had a get-together because he would like to attend, "if I'm still alive."

On May 5, 2026, Bob passed away at his home in Wells at the age of 89, leaving behind his wife of 66 years, three daughters, six grandchildren. and several great-grandchildren. His obituary in the Portland Press Herald gave the bare bones of his biography but failed to capture the essence of this remarkable teacher, entrepreneur, and bon vivant who lived his life to the fullest.

Max Millard is a retired journalist and teacher in San Francisco, California. Email him at: [email protected] <

Presentation to focus on lost Presumpscot River

In the summer of 2024, a dam malfunction caused the water in Dundee Pond in Windham to drain, offering a short-lived glimpse of what the Presumpscot River looked like before industrialization.

Whitney Falls reappeared in Windham in 2024 as part of the
'Lost River,' a part of the Presumpscot River, which was 
swallowed up when a dam was built creating Dundee Pond 
more than 100 years ago. The 'Lost River' returned in the
summer of 2024 when a dam malfunction drained Dundee
Pond. PHOTO BY ABBY WILSON     

It showed the ribbon of river below the dammed-up waters, giving new insight into the river which once flowed and the human history that was lost. It revealed clear remnants of the Cumberland & Oxford Canal, farm foundations, mysterious holes, and ancient artifacts.

At 7 p.m. on Monday, July 13 at the Little Meetinghouse, 719 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, retired University of Southern Maine Professor Mike Shaughnessy will give a presentation and lead a discussion about the lost wildness of this “river of many falls.” The river derived its ancient name from the Abenaki language spoken by the first people of the region, who fished the river's abundance and lived along the shorelands there for centuries.

This area of the Presumpscot River was the site of an original canal project dating back to the late 1700s. During this time, many dams were being built along the Presumpscot River for hydroelectricity. The pond was not flooded until 1910, however, which means the last time this landscape featured a river was over 100 years ago.

On May 17, 2024, a gate malfunctioned at Dundee Dam near Dundee Park in Windham. It is a hydroelectric project on the southern end of Dundee Pond, and the malfunction resulted in water being drained out of the pond there.

The Dundee Dam is owned by Presumpscot Hydro, the licensee of the Dundee Hydroelectric Project, and is operated by Relevate Power Management of New York. According to the company, one of the dam’s two deep sluice gates, used to pass large amounts of water during flooding events malfunctioned, sticking in the open position.

The dam gates were original components of this historic 1913 dam, and while proper maintenance has kept them in service for over a century, one of the gates reached the end of its useful life unexpectedly. The gate was located at the very bottom of the 52-foot structure, and subsequent repairs could only safely begin once the pond had been emptied.

That malfunction revealed geography and culture of an earlier time, most notably the re-emergence of the Presumpscot River, free-flowing again after nearly 125 years and acres of stumpage – old forest land that preceded the flooding of land that made way for construction of Dundee Dam in the early 1900s. It unveiled landscape such as the mile-long section of the old Cumberland & Oxford Canal, a watery hand-dug thoroughfare of the 19th century that transported goods between Long Lake and Portland, and the eroded remains of at least three locks used to raise and lower the barge-like freight boats along the channel’s 20-mile route 150 years ago. The Whitney Locks, located directly across the pond from Dundee Park, a double system consisting of two concave ditches with vertical tree trunks positioned against the banks to avoid cave-ins was uncovered.

This free presentation by Shaughnessy is sponsored by Windham Historical Society.

Though the dam has been repaired and the rushing waters silenced, Shaughnessy will explain to those attending his presentation what the river was, and what it can be once again. He will talk about the rich history of the Presumpscot River and its uses over the centuries.

Shaughnessy is the founding member and president of the Board of the Friends of the Presumpscot River organization. It is the mission of this group to restore and protect water quality, river habitat, native fisheries, and create recreational opportunities.

He lives in the historic Conant Homestead which sits along the Presumpscot River and is within a short walk to Saccarappa Falls. Situated nearby there is a monument and a memorial plaque that pays tribute to Chief Polin, leader of the Abenakis.

For further details about the presentation, visit windhamhistorical.org/ <

Last active Shaker Village in America preserves traditions

By Dina Mendros

Maine is home to countless natural and cultural treasures, but few are as unique, or as historically significant, as the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester. 

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New
Gloucester was founded in 1931 with the
goal of educating the public about Shakerism.
A museum there exhibits traditional Shaker
crafts such as woodenware bowls and a 
collection of 27,000 Shaker items.
COURTESY PHOTO  

This remarkable site, the last active Shaker community in the United States, blends serene natural landscapes with centuries of living history. Spread across 1,800 acres of rolling farmland, orchards, gardens, and forest, the village remains home to the final three practicing Shakers, who continue to preserve their traditions while welcoming visitors from around the world.

The Shaker Museum, a central feature of the village, opens for the season on Saturday, May 23 and remains open through Indigenous People’s Day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, giving guests ample time to explore the grounds, tour historic buildings, and learn about the Shakers’ enduring legacy.

The Shaker movement began in Manchester, England in the mid-1700s, founded by Mother Ann Lee. Facing persecution for their beliefs – including communal living, pacifism, and celibacy – Lee and several followers emigrated to America in 1774. They settled near Albany, New York, where their message of simplicity, equality, and devotion quickly attracted converts.

After the American Revolution, the faith spread rapidly throughout New York and New England. By 1824, the Shakers had established 19 self-sufficient communities stretching from Maine to Indiana. At their height in the 1850s, roughly 5,000 Shakers lived and worked in these villages.

The Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum was founded in 1931 by Sisters Iona Sedgley and Ethel Peacock with the goal of educating the public about Shakerism. It remains the only museum created by Shakers themselves to interpret their culture firsthand. Today, the museum introduces visitors to the village’s historic buildings and traditional crafts, offering a rare window into more than two centuries of Shaker life in Maine.

Inside the museum’s 27 period exhibit rooms, guests can explore an extraordinary collection of nearly 75,000 items. These include Shaker furniture, folk art, tools, textiles, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and artwork. The collection represents every Shaker community known to have existed, with special emphasis on the Maine villages of Sabbathday Lake, Alfred, Gorham, and Poland Hill. The depth and breadth of the archives make it one of the most significant Shaker collections in the world.

The Museum Visitors’ Center, located in the 1850 Boys’ Shop, is open throughout the regular season. It features books, Shaker-made goods, locally crafted woodenware and baskets, and a wide selection of culinary herbs and medicinal teas - products long associated with Shaker ingenuity and self-sufficiency.

Upstairs, the exhibit “Come Little Children, Come to Zion: Growing Up at Shaker Village” offers a vivid look at 19th-century childhood in Maine’s Shaker communities. Set in the very rooms where Shaker children once lived, the exhibit includes a recording of Sister Mildred recounting her experiences growing up at the Alfred Shaker Village, choosing a Shaker life as an adult, and eventually moving to Sabbathday Lake.

Although the Shaker population has dwindled, the community emphasizes that their faith remains meaningful today. As their website explains, “Shakerism is not, as many would claim, an anachronism… It teaches above all else that God is Love and that our most solemn duty is to show forth that God who is love in the World.”

For more details, visit hmaineshakers.com/ or the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village Facebook page. <