Gilsland Farm is a historic property in Falmouth, Maine, United States. In the early 19th century, Silas Noyes built a home on the land, formerly the home of the Wabanakis, a few yards from the eastern banks of the Presumpscot River. The home still stands today, now owned by Maine Audubon, a branch of the Audubon. It is known as the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center.
| Gilsland Farm | |
|---|---|
 The Gilsland farmhouse, pictured in 2024 | |
  Location in Maine | |
| Town/City | Falmouth |
| State | Maine |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 43°42′22″N 70°14′27″W / 43.70604°N 70.24093°W |
| Established | c. 1820 |
| Owner | Maine Audubon (since 1974) |
| Area | 65 acres (260,000 m2) |
| Status | Open to the public |
History
editSilas Noyes (1796–1874)[1] constructed a home at the start of today's Gilsland Farm Road,[2] beside a section of Old U.S. Route 1, in the early 1800s. Around a century later, in 1911, attorney and conservationist David Edward Moulton (1871–1951) and his brother, Willis (1862–1938),[3][4] bought the land.[5] Moulton lost his first wife, Etta Knight,[6] the same year, and remarried in 1918 to Helen Leavitt.[4]
Moulton named the land Gilsland, after his relative, Sir Thomas de Moulton, who was named "Thom of the Gils" by his friend Richard I. (A gils is a narrow, wooden glen in old English.)[4] It was during this ownership that the property was the home of over 400 species of peonies. Moulton died in 1951, and around two decades later his daughter, Ruth,[5] began donating parts of the farm to the Maine Audubon, which now owns 65 acres (26 ha).[7] Maine Audubon purchased the farmhouse in 1981.[8]
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A view of the western side of the farmland -
David Moulton's peony garden -
A common yellowthroat at the farm in 2022
References
edit- ^ Descendants of Nicholas Noyes. H.E. Noyes. 1897. p. 76.
- ^ "Maine Audubon's Gilsland Farm". Falmouth Land Trust. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ College, Bowdoin (1864). General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine. p. 124.
- ^ a b c "Habitat Magazine, Spring 2017 by maineaudubon - Issuu". issuu.com. December 21, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Falmouth (Maine) Historical Society - Falmouth Retrospective—February 2021". thefhs.org. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Who's who in New England. A.N. Marquis. 1909. p. 671.
- ^ "Gilsland Farm Audubon Center & Trails". My Maine. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Gilsland Farm History – Maine Audobon