The Old Winnegance Farm
By
Jeff Darling
My Historical paper is on the Old Winnegance Farm on the Meadowbrook Rd, in Phippsburg, Me. I don’t know for sure when the house was built because the records would be either in the county of York or Lincoln depending on the Date. It was built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. I got the information from 1832 on about the farmhouse.
In 1832 there was 132 acres on the farm and it was owned by a David Trufant. There was a farmhouse, garage, barn and stonewall on the land. Joshua Trufant, who was the son of David, was given part of the land by his father. In 1848, David sold the land with the Winnegance farm to Jeremiah Clifford. Joshua sold the Land on the north side of the house to Thomas Clifford, who was the son of Jeremiah Clifford.
The Clifford’s used the place for holding cattle, and in the back of the farm was a small orchard. When Jeremiah died, Elijah, his son, sold the land and the farmhouse for Twenty-Eight hundred dollars to John Perry Jr. From then on the Farmhouse was named the Old Perry Farm.
John Perry Jr. kept the house for 11 years. He kept the orchard going. He had about 10 to 15 apple trees out in back of the house. On June 14th, 1860, John sold the land and farm to Jeremiah Robinson. Five years later Jeremiah sold the farmhouse to Alfred Lemont. He held the land for 13 years and finally sold it back to the Perry Family. It was Abby W, Perry Jr, widow of John Perry Jr., that got the farmhouse. She kept the orchard up as she could. In 17 years, on July 3, 1895, Abby W. Perry died. The estate was left to Abby A. Perry. She married Thomas Hughes. Then Abby put the estate into her husband’s name on August 11, 1922. In 1931 Thomas Hughes Died. Abby then canned food and stored the food in the cellar. Down in the cellar, Abby made slashes to count a thing, Probably, how many bushels of apples.
Upon the death of Abby, the land became town property as the taxes weren’t paid. During the period nobody lived at the house. People ransacked the house for valuable antiques. Old stamps were taken off letters. Chairs were taken. The only thing they didn’t take was a few pictures and the house itself.
In 1964 John Morse bought the land. He held the land until he found somebody to buy it. He didn’t clear it up so the next family had to.
In 1969, John A. Darling and Leslie Darling bought the land and the farm from John Morse. It was going to be converted to a camping Area. When they came the house was a wreck. They fixed the house up and converted the Garage into a store. Now the Place is called “Meadowbrook Camping Area”.
In May of 1982 Tom and Cathy Mixon entered into and a “lease purchase” agreement with the Darlings. And in May 1984 Tom and Cathy official bought Meadowbrook Camping Area.
In May of 2000 Chris Mixon bought Meadowbrook Camping Area and still runs it today.
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