Leavitt students may be among last to experience Washburn-Norlands

PHOTO: Leavitt Area High School students, form left, Iris Petrin, Annabelle Chabot, Abigail Rounds and Abigail Marston, prepare to delve into original Washburn family documents in the archives at Washburn-Norlands in July. (Submitted photo)

By Linda Galway

TURNER — The days of participating in “real historical research right here in our backyard” may be in danger of disappearing if the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore can’t secure pledges for “a major capital infusion” of $3 million by March 1.
Often referred to simply as “Norlands,” the estate was home to the Washburns, “one of Maine’s — and the nation’s —most political and industrial families,” according to its website.

Since 1973, the organization’s mission has focused on preserving the family legacy as well as providing educational opportunities for countless students able to experience what life was like in rural Maine during the Civil War era.
Leavitt Area High School teachers Isaiah Davis and Nicole Marcotte feel deeply the potential loss for their students, who have, as recently as this past summer, spent hours at the museum during a week-long volunteer Summer Institute program sponsored by the trustees of Leavitt Institute.
“We ran a summer class where students went to the Norlands, learned about the history behind it, and then made videos about the history of the Washburn family,” Davis said. “It was an amazing experience, and the staff at Norlands worked with us and let us go down into the archives to look at original documents and do in depth research into the family members the students chose to focus on.”
Senior Iris Petrin said she was surprised “by the  immense  impact a local family had on the  industry,  law and philosophy of the nation,” and a deep dive into the history of the Washburn family had a profound effect on her.
“The mansion tour and the library’s historical records are incredible,” she continued. “In learning about this influential family, I feel more connected to my community. “ 
Abby Marston, a junior, discovered something about herself. “I like learning about history — when it’s not forced on me — and I’m more interested in it than I thought.”
Simply put, the trip to Norlands surprised her. “Going to the Norlands as a junior is so much different than what I remember from second grade,” she acknowledged. “It changed the way I thought about the place, because I got to learn and understand more about the history.”  
Davis said staff and students “talked about ideas for continuing to work together on ways students could be practicing history in real life,” he said, adding the students “loved looking at primary documents and learning all the connections to history.”
Part of the project included the students’ creating videos based on their research about the Washburn family and the Norlands as part of Davis’ Buzz Media program.
“The chance to do real historical research right here in our backyard was invaluable, and the students were really passionate about it,” he stressed.
The Washburn family story, he noted, “is actually really wild, and I feel like the staff at the Norlands is making great progress telling the story,” Davis continued. “We are excited to work with them, so hopefully people are able to pull together and help them preserve this experience for students and adults.” 
To learn more about the Norlands through the eyes of Leavitt students and the videos they created, click here.