Pettengill Farm Preserve

The story of Pettengill Farm Preserve is a story of the land and the remarkable people 
who have inhabited, used, and lived on it for centuries. From the indigenous Abenaki people 
who lived along the estuaries in what is now Freeport, through generations of saltwater farmers, 
to the Freeport Historical Society, the ongoing story of this place is what makes it a treasure. 
Learn more below.

Plan your Visit!

Location: 31 Pettengil Rd., Freeport, ME 04032

Hours: Trails are open Dawn to Dusk, 365 Days per Year.

House is open only for private tours or special events.

Learn More About Tours Here

Land Use Expectations

Dogs

Dogs are welcome at Pettengill, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Please clean up after your dog. There is a dog waste station with bags at the top of the road.

Hunting

Hunting is permitted rarely at Pettengill, and only with express permission of FHS. Feel free to reach out to us for specifics.

Scavenging and Treasure Hunting

Pettengill remains an ongoing archeological site. We do not permit people to search for artifacts on the property.

Trash

The Pettengill Farm Preserve is beloved by people for many reasons, not the last of which is the untouched natural beauty. We ask that everyone follow a “carry in, carry out” principle and remove any trash you bring with you.

Livestock

FHS has is working with local farmers to rehabilitate the fields around Pettengill. Part of this process includes the keeping of livestock on the property. Please keep this in mind as you walk your dogs on the property.

Winter Sports

Pettengill Farm Preserve is a great place to explore in the winter! Cross Country Skiers and Snowshoers are welcome. Winter recreational vehicles are not permitted.

Water Access

Pettengill Farm is beautiful viewed from the water. Unfortunately there is not currently a landing for boats at the Preserve property. However, you can access the salt marsh from Porters Landing or Mast Landing, both of which have public launches.

History of Pettengill Farm Preserve

???

Indigenous Land

For more than 10,000 years, the land that is now known as Pettengill Farm Preserve was part of the ancestral home of the Abenaki tribe.

1790s - 1811/1816

The Lufkins

Aaron and Sarah Lufkin built the saltbox house and raised eight children here. The land offered marsh hay, timber for home and for sail, estuarian clay for brick yards, and access to coastal trade.

1811-1816

Sarah Lufkin

A month before his death, Aaron Lufkin's financial woes led him to mortgage this property to David Curtis. Upon his death, this left his widow and 5 children penniless. Sarah Lufkin sued David Curtis for her dower rights - a widow's claim to 1/3 - 1/2 of her husband’s property - and won in the Massachusetts Supreme Court. She then promptly sold her portion of the estate to Curtis.

1816-1825

The Curtises

David Curtis, who bought the land from Aaron Lufkin, did not buy the land for himself to live there, as he had a farm on the Freeport/Brunswick line. His two unmarried sons, Calvin and Abiezer, lived and worked on the farm until Abiezer died in 1821 and Calvin 4 years later. The house then sat empty until 1831.

1831-1848

The Rodicks

James and Patience Rodick purchased the abandoned Lufkin-Curtis farm when James left his career on the sea to take up farming full time. James’ children helped farm the land, and several other structures were built on the property for them. Daniel Rodick, James and Patience’s son, lived on in the saltbox house after his father died.

1831-1894

Jane Rodick Brewer

One daughter of James and Patience, Jane Rodick Brewer, lived in a separate small house on the property. She was widowed young and left destitute with no job and 3 boys under the age of four. Living in nearly constant debt and with a well that often ran dry, she relied on the other people living on the property for access to water. That no longer worked when the Randall’s moved into the saltbox house and she was denied access to water on their property. When her one-room house burnt down, she moved to Freeport’s poor farm where she lived out the rest of her life.

1861-1877

The Randalls

Daniel and Rebecca Sylvester Randall lived, farmed, and raised six children on this property. After Daniel’s death in 1866, Rebecca continued to successfully run the farm. Her children eventually convinced her to sell the farm to the Pettengills, who had been slowly buying up the other parts of the original 160 acre farm.

1877-1970

The Pettengills

In 1877, Charles Pettengill purchased the house and land for his son Wallace to live and work. Wallace and his wife Adelaide Gerry worked the farm and had three children: Ethel, Frank, and Mildred. Ethel died young, but Mildred and Frank continued to live on the farm for the rest of their lives.

1959-1975

The Smiths

The Smiths bought the farm from Mildred Pettengill, but granted her and Frank life tenancy and a monthly income. Frank died in 1960, and Mildred continued to live on the farm until she left for good in 1970. The Smiths continued their preservation work at the farm.

1975-Present

Freeport Historical Society

In 1975, the Smiths gifted Pettengill Farm to the Freeport Historical Society. Since that time, FHS has worked to preserve the property and farmhouse, while using this invaluable historic resource to provide education to those who visit about historic agrarian Maine life.