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The evolution of a Whitefield "Lot" * The early years In Whitefield's developing years during the late
18th and early
19th century, our first serious settlers purchased large
lots Soon,
the 3 main "privileges" (elevation
drops in a river that can produce power from the fall)
on the Sheepscot in our town were able to be dammed to produce the A new village and post office called Joice, our 4th, sprung up in the west side of town at "Trainor's Corner" intersection of Hunt's Meadow Road and the road to Gardiner. It was on the turnpike that went straight thru from the river city of Gardiner across the West Branch past the Townhouse and its intersection , across the Sheepscot at Prebels, past the Poor Farm and the end of the "Kings Highway" straight into South Jefferson and on toward Damariscotta. Whitefield was on the map and the route. There was land aplenty for all the
farmers, hunters, fishermen, trappers, loggers, berry harvesters, nature
lovers and rusticators. Owning land was a concept reserved for those who
"needed it". People who produced in cooperation with the land
were those who "owned" land. The word "husband" had an
important connotation to this relationship. Land was not taxed in
any significant way. Everyone understood the important role land ownership
held for the entire community, producers and consumers. 1874....
Colby lot size 500+ acres . Those who did come, came for the "easy picking's". Forest Land was cheap to buy and to be abandoned for the taxes after the harvest . Farm land too, was often abandoned for taxes, buildings and all. In the first part of the 1900's, Whitefield's Tax Collector Warren Cunningham would buy these farms for their back taxes then go literally door to door trying to interest young men in paying him a small monthly payment to try farming. My father was one who took advantage of Mr. Cunningham's radical attempts at social engineering. Dad's parents, Harry and Emma Chase, had arrived on the narrow gauge with their 7 children in 1920 from Berwick with the promise of cheap wood lots on which to operate their portable steam mill in the production of box boards. The Chases would stay, multiply, prosper and help see Whitefield to her next era. During the depression pre-war years Whitefield "hunkered down". People made do. The advantages of living in a rural town was that you were use to a low level of what others referred to prosperity. It's true that the railroad also suffered. The service became more erratic making "Weak, Weary & Feeble" became a realistic interpretation of the WW&F. The mills too were just about done. The steam and combustion engines had pretty much replaced the troublesome waterwheel, as the trucks began to replace the railroad. Besides the need for the products of our mills was greatly diminished. But,Whitefield easily produced all of its own food. No one went without. Land was pretty much worthless. 1941.... N. S. Chase farm Lot Size was 125 acres. ( the land, barn and a furnished farmhouse cost them $1,500). The war years were better for Whitefield, with virtually everyone in the service to the country. Either in the armed forces, or manufacturing for the forces. From service to ships to shoes Whitefield's people turned out. There was hardly anyone "home". After
the war, things began to change in the land department. Returning service
people wanted to start Stick built homes became a popular industry in the 50's. Roving crews could construct a sturdy home on a concrete cellar foundation in reasonable time at an affordable rate. The manufactured home business responded with even less expensive creations with masonite interiors, plastic trim and aluminum skin made to stand on stacks of cement blocks, often with the wheels still attached. The race was on for inexpensive housing. The land market responded by making available virtually any size lot of land for that inexpensive trailer or ranch house. The rural countryside was fast becoming visually a different place. But, so was Western Avenue in Augusta and the awful mall in Portland that replaced the unused but grand train station. 1965 ... talk of trailer parks and housing sub-divisions was heard. By
the 60's new people from "Away" began to take advantage of the
remainder of Whitefield's charm and The
1970's became the beachhead for land use reform in Whitefield. Several
factors came together that created a climate and a method for
change: The
last 30 years have seen some local control in the area of land use. The
minimum lot size ordinance from the 1970's remains in place, but its
antiquity promises to bring problems in the future. And, things, as would
be expected, are changing again.
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of land along the river. Here they developed small water mills on the
brooks feeding into the Sheepscot and cleared land to raise crops and
livestock. In this post Revolutionary War era it took lots of land to
support a growing family, and it was relatively inexpensive to purchase in
large sections. Sylvester Gardiner and The Kennebec Proprietors were anxious
to get this part of their Pilgrim Grant
settled and producing income. The Turners, Choates, Peaslees, Prebles,
Littles,
Longfellows, Crowells, Carletons and Kings were all early owners of large
productive parcels carved from these original Plymouth grants. 1779.....
Thomas Turner lot size was over 1000 acres .
significant power to drive multiple mills. The villages of Coopers
Mills,
Turner's Corner (North Whitefield) and Whitefield (King's Mills)
sprung up around these power producing sites. Here, especially in Coopers Mills, buildings
were clustered to offer the convenience of services (smithing, merchants,
the postal stage, storage, and a hotel) to the community. This model had
served well all over young America. This was the pre railroad era for Whitefield.
Our developing society began to thrive on the
advantages of the village. Socializing and governing became important
considerations for town development. The Grange (3), churches (4), fraternal
organizations (2) and even a small library emerged to served the
town. 
products by wagon to a village and train station. The villages
were inhabited by elders, students, service providers, merchants and craftsmen
- all non-agrarian occupations. The institutions, save 12 of the 17
schools in town, were in the villages, but still the majority of people
would live in the country side, but now with the advantage of "going
to
town". Those who needed many acres of land, had it and the
others congregated for convenience and to conserve. 
in respect to the development of its
potential as a viable community in harmony with its natural attributes
and resources. Her farms decayed, her fields grew to weevil topped pasture pine, her youth
fled. Whitefield aged dramatically. But she was not alone - virtually
every rural community in northern New England reflected this evolutionary trend.
families, to work in town but live in Whitefield. This commuter mentality
had begun during the war years with scores of people riding to work in
Bath, Boothbay, Rockland, Gardiner and Augusta in the war effort. Now they
could continue getting better paychecks with less risk than that of a
farmer, woodcutter, sawyer. People brought no more land than they needed
for a home. Sometimes it was an owner built home. Often it was a mobile
home - a trailer or as Roy Potter said in one of his deed restriction
" those despicable trailers ". Times were changing,
housing was changing. Whitefield had begun yet another era. 1956...
1/2 acre trailer lots in Whitefield were common.
good
land values. To these outsiders it was still a wonderful place - a place
"worth saving", as they would say. Some came and enjoyed
the housing experiment called the "commune". There were only 4
or 5 communes, but their style of living and dress and behavior seemed to
impact all. They were called the "hippies". Virtually all of
them were good people. Few stayed beyond the 2 or 3 year experiment. Those
who did, contributed greatly to the character of our community. They
introduced back to our town an older way of living off and in cooperation
with the land. 19th century capes became popular, yet still inexpensive,
housing for the young and the ambitious. Our eyes were reopened and we
began to see Whitefield in a different way. Our river, our forests, our
fields and farms regained value. Another change was in the works.