YOU ASKED, WE'LL ANSWER: What's the history of the Mallet Barn?
HISTORY
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Wolfe’s Neck Farm is a unique saltwater farm with over a half-century of raising food and growing community. The Farm and its surrounding countryside have a rich history, with many stories about the land, its people, and the names of the places over the centuries.
Of Wolfe’s Neck Farm’s 626 acres of preserved farmland, coastline, and historic buildings, it is our livestock barn and campground that are most frequented by thousands of visitors each year. However, there is more here than initially meets the eye, and the historic Mallet Barn is one such hidden gem. At the end of the Wolfe’s Neck peninsula, beyond the farm and winding roads lined with towering pine trees, past the state park, stands the regal structure of the iconic white post-and-beam barn. Let’s take a trip back to 1890. The cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were growing and thriving, and coastal ports continued to source the demands of a growing population. Maine’s population was quiet by comparison, but there were some key players during that time who called this state their home. Freeport resident Edwin B. Mallet had inherited a hefty fortune, and with his entrepreneurial spirit set out to bring industry and jobs to his town. Over the next decade, Mallet purchased 291 acres of land on Wolfe’s Neck and transformed much of the landscape to a large-scale hay farm yielding 300 tons of hay each year. Mallet’s hay harvest continued into the early 20th century, but it was when operations began in the 1890s that the soaring post-and-beam barn was built to store the hay before being sent to Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Horse-drawn streetcars (as many as 200,000 in New York City alone!) were providing all city transportation, and they needed hay to keep them going. After harvesting, the hay was left loose, not baled, and horses provided the pulling power in this production. Mallet took stored hay
from the barn—which he filled to the very top— and transported it by sailing ship from the end of Wolfe’s Neck, where he had constructed a huge granite pier. Mallet’s enterprises contributed to Freeport’s transformation of a manufacturing and commercial center. His fortune was also used to open a shoe factory, the largest general store north of Boston, and two granite quarries. However, plans to create an elegant resort hotel complete with deer park at the end of the neck fell short, and Mallet’s enterprises eventually led him to bankruptcy. Despite pitfalls later in his career, E.B. Mallet’s legacy remains standing today at the end of Wolfe’s Neck as a reminder of his contributions to Freeport and use of the land for agriculture. The historic Mallet Barn, no longer used to store hay, is enjoyed today by community members during the annual Wolfe’s Neck Farm Harvest Dance, as well as for the Farm-to-Table Dinner Series and rustic Maine weddings.
In the past year, the Wolfe’s Neck Farm community has lost two beloved and important members of our family.
Top: The Historic Mallet Barn Today Right: E.B. Mallet
IN MEMORY
Charlie DeGrandpre
1927-2016
An early leader in sustainable agriculture and founding spread his knowledge and experiences to farmers across southern Maine, ensuring the the innovative farm manager at Wolfe's Neck Farm in the 1960s. practices being put in place at Wolfe's Neck could Charlie, an innovator in the organic farming have lasting impact across the state. movement, was hired by the Smith family in 1968 as Wolfe's Neck Farm’s manager. He worked “His legacy here is immense and really here nearly his whole life, teaching young people immeasurable,” said Dave Herring, executive sustainable farming practices and sharing his director of Wolfe’s Neck Farm. “His fingerprints are all over this place. We all feel that we lost a real knowledge with farmers across southern Maine. legend from these parts. He was one of those everDeGrandpre worked on the farm for much of his present forces here for so long. Our hearts go out to long life, and carried on his legacy by teaching his entire family.” young people sustainable farming practices. He
Judy Higbea
1943-2015
One of our most beloved board members, volunteers Combined with her amazing ability as an educator, Judy was the heart of the education program at and friends. Wolfe’s Neck Farm. Judy Higbea was a remarkable presence in the community as teacher and principal in the Freeport She brought her talents to our many events as a school system, where she inspired a generation of volunteer, always meeting the kids’ enthusiasm children and mentored countless other educators. and curiosity about the farm with her own. Judy Her exemplary public service extended to many was a key board member for eight years, serving local organizations, and her impact at Wolfe’s Neck as Secretary and on the Education Committee. Farm is immeasurable. She brought her extraordinary grace, compassion, patience, and humor to everything she did at the Having grown up on a farm in Ohio, Judy was a farm. total natural around animals and in the garden. Wolfe’s Neck Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization open free to the public every day! Visit us at 184 Burnett Road, Freeport, Maine or at wolfesneckfarm.org