Criterion C: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1810 - ca. 1922
Local Level of Significance
The Morrill Homestead is a New England connected farm complex in Chesterville, Franklin County, Maine. The land was purchased by David Morrill in 1810 and the Federal-style house and a barn were constructed at that same time. Morrill farmed, operated a mill near the homestead on the Sandy River, preached, and worked as a carpenter. As an early Euro-American settler on the Chesterville side of the Sandy River, Morrill developed a mill and other industries as well as serving as a Justice of the Peace, selectman, and State Representative. The farm descended through the family with later owners often using the same multi-skill approach to make a living on the property. The building has evolved over time during the family's ownership to meet the changing agricultural and social trends. Like many Maine farms, the connected form of this building was the direct result of mixed farming and home industry. The homestead is being nominated to the National Register under Criterion C as a good example of a New England connected farm complex. The property is locally significant with a period of significance from 1810 to ca. 1922. Those dates represent the original construction date to the point in time when the farm complex reached its current connected configuration.