Birdsacre Sanctuary, also known as Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary, is an
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...
and wildlife sanctuary at 289 High Street in
Ellsworth, Maine
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 Census determined it had a population of 8,399. Named after Founding Fathers of the United States, United States Foundi ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The core of the property is a parcel owned by the pioneering Maine
ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
Cordelia Stanwood, whose home was opened as a museum in 1960, and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1973.
Stanwood's homestead was extensively damaged by an arsonist-set fire in 2014.
The sanctuary, now , includes trails, an orchard, and a
nature center
A nature center (or nature centre) is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually in a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through thei ...
that showcases a fine art and nature collection, including Cordelia J. Stanwood's avian field-notes and extensive photographic collection.
Description and history
The Birdsacre Sanctuary is set south of Ellsworth's central business district, on the west side of Maine State Route 3, which connects Ellsworth to
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor () is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population is 5,089. The town is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory, and MDI Biological Laboratory. ...
. The Stanwood homestead, standing near the road, is a modest c. 1850 Cape style wood-frame house, which housed much original material, including artifacts of Cordelia Stanwood, prior to the 2014 fire. Stanwood was a self-taught ornithologist and naturalist who devoted 50 years of her life to studying the birds and nature of the area around her homestead. Following her death in 1958, community activists joined to acquire her property, which was opened as a museum and sanctuary in 1960.
The efforts of the activists were led by Chandler S. Richmond who became the first curator of the sanctuary and museum.
The wildlife sanctuary, now enlarged to about , has a network of trails, some of which were laid out by Stanwood, and feature a variety of landscapes and habitats in which different types of birds may be observed. A nature center, built in 1990, houses a collection of mounted birds and mammals, as well as a collection of eggs and nests. Some parts of this collection are more than 100 years old.
The Stanwood homestead was devastated by a fire set on March 6, 2014, destroying much of the building's historic fabric, and a significant number of artifacts from Stanwood's life, including her camera and typewriter. Some artifacts, including many of her field notes, were spared by the flames.
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See also
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References
External links
Birdsacre: Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary
- official site
{{National Register of Historic Places
History museums in Maine
Historic house museums in Maine
Museums in Hancock County, Maine
Buildings and structures in Ellsworth, Maine
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Protected areas of Hancock County, Maine
Nature centers in Maine
Houses in Hancock County, Maine
National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine