Ag Museum in Littleton opens for summer season

The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton has opened for the season. Volunteer guides will be on hand from 1 until 4 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week through October. Admission to the museum is $5 per person and $3 for children. School group admission is either a monetary fee or a donation of needed supplies. Admittance is free with one’s paid dues.
The museum was established in 2001 after the purchase of the Littleton Elementary School. Since then volunteers have filled the building with items familiar to any County family home and farm. From the farmhouse replica to the inside of an old-fashioned potato house, memories are relived by the many guests who step through the doors. The Carl and Helen Hagan Barn built in 2004 houses a variety of large of equipment, trucks and tractors, some of which have been refurbished to enhance the display.
The Ross School, moved to the property from the Ross Ridge Road has been brought back to its original look in the early 1900s. This is a popular stop for not only visiting students, but also those who may have attended a one-room school in their youth.
The museum began with just a dozen or so members and has increased yearly. The annual dues help support the monthly expenses of heat, lights and phone, while suppers, raffles, grants and donations enable the volunteers to continue with the many projects ongoing at the museum.
The most recent projects include new siding, windows and a furnace. Funds are still being sought to complete the siding on the main building and complete the steel roof.
The museum memberships are, single, $20; family $30; sodbuster, $50; thresher, $100 and Farmer of the Year, $100. Lifetime memberships are also offered at $500 for a single or $750 for a couple.
Current officers for the museum are, Jay Clark, president, Karen Donato, vice president, Debbie Campbell, treasurer and Debbie Melvin, secretary.
Meetings are held every first and third Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at the museum.
For more information call 538-9007 or 538-9300. The museum is located eight miles north of Houlton on U.S. Route 1 and is handicapped accessible with plenty of parking.
If you are interested in becoming a member or a tour guide, call the above numbers for a membership form or send your name and address with the membership dues listed above to S.A.A.M., 304 Campbell Road, Littleton, ME 04730. Donations are also appreciated.