The society also owns "Narramissic," the Peabody-Fitch Farm in South Bridgton. The property, which consists of 25 acres of fields with spectacular mountain views, remains remarkably isolated from the intrusions of modern life. Visit the house for an experience of unsurpassed authenticity, as you move through the historic space and learn the story of the families that occupied it. The memoirs of Edwin Fitch, who grew up here in the 1840s and ‘50s (published by Bridgton Historical Society as Ninety Years of Living), preserves an intimate view of his family’s life in the house on the eve of the Civil War, and a remarkable number of the furnishings and objects would have been familiar to him.

The house was built in 1797 by William Peabody, and the barn, approximately 40 x 60 feet, was built in the 1830s by his son-in-law George Fitch. Mr. Fitch also added the ells to the house and built the blacksmith shop, which contains a restored functioning forge. Descendants of the Peabody-Fitch families lived here until 1938, when Mrs. Margaret Monroe, from Providence, Rhode Island acquired it for use as a summer home. She passed away in 1986 and bequeathed the property to the Bridgton Historical Society to be used as a museum, a site for demonstrating early American crafts, or similar purposes.  Narramissic is located at 46 Narramissic Road;  which is off Ingalls Road, a mile in from route 107.

In 2019 Narramissic entered into a new phase as Loon Echo Land Trust (https://www.loonecholandtrust.org/) purchased the "Peabody-Fitch Woods," 252 acres surrounding our buildings and fields, effectively re-uniting the original farmstead and guaranteeing that it will be preserved in perpetuity. We have been collaborating with Loon Echo on various projects over the last few years, and we are excited to continue and deepen this relationship by providing recreational and educational opportunities that bring togetther aspects of cultural and natural history.

Loon Echo recently received a $50,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program to build a new trail, parking area, and kiosk at Peabody-Fitch Woods, to be shared by both organizations. The trail, which is expected to be completed in 2020, will provide as much access as possible for people with limited mobility, and with interpretive signs and updates to our mobile app, it will provide glimpses into the farm’s agricultural past as well as spectacular views of the westerly mountains.