THE ALLENS OF THUNDERCASTLE ROAD

READFIELD - It was a beautiful July morning when I made my way to George Allen’s big white house with the blue roof on Thundercastle Road. George welcomed me at the door, anxious to show me some old pictures he had gathered and to share stories of how his neighborhood used to be – not three or four decades ago but over the course of eight decades – from the time he was born in this very house.

 

We made our way to a window that frames a view of his gardens and expansive lawn, where we sat to chat about his family and this home he loves. George Allen’s grandfather - his namesake - moved to this house from Strong, ME in 1909 with his wife Annie and their children Emma age 16 and William age 10. William became George’s father. Since 1909 four generations of the Allen family have lived here. “It’s a post and beam and the original house had four rooms downstairs and another four upstairs. It was a cape at first and they added onto it” said George. “There used to be numbers on the bedroom doors upstairs but I don’t know why… I wish I knew more about this place – didn’t really care when I remodeled years ago. Now I do care!” He and I decided that because his house was built circa 1823 by nearby fulling mill owners, Mayo & Bartlett, that perhaps it was used to board mill workers. “We may never know” lamented George, “but I hope to someday.”

 

The Allen’s history is not tied to this property alone. His grandfather and father both operated a grocery store at Readfield Corner in 1920-21 – now known as Cornerstone Café. In 1919 his grandfather and father bought the old Joel Bean, Jr. homestead north of here. When William Allen married Betty Richards that farm became theirs. Their family grew to include Annie in 1930 and George in 1938. George was anxious to show me what remained of his parent’s farm so we boarded my van and set off on an adventure.

 

As we poked along Thundercastle Road George reminisced. “I remember when every piece of land from here to Chase Road was open fields, and the stone walls were taller…. There was a barn there… That building has been moved three times… That is where Torsey Shores road used to be… Thundercastle sat right there… Sam Fogg’s pasture was along here.” We turned onto a road flanked by stone walls, to approach where his parents once lived, and George agreed with my comment about the Bean men having built impressive stone walls that have endured well over the centuries.

 

We exited my vehicle and moved towards a grassy clearing while George pointed out where the house and barn once stood and where two wells and a spring were located. We admired the majestic old Maple trees still standing. “Behind the farm buildings” said George, “there was an apple orchard that held every kind of tree you could imagine – Ben Davis, Crab Apples, Maiden Blush and Snow Apples were some of the old varieties in there.”  He observed that little remains of the orchard except for an old Yellow Transparent tree. As we forged our way through raspberry bushes in search of other remains he told of the grapes and blueberries that once graced this farm; of the lower, middle and upper pastures nearly 20 acres each in size – all bordered by more of those Bean stone walls; and of the view that once reached all the way to Mt. Blue, across Torsey Pond and to all the surrounding farms. “My folks liked to play cards, and so did the neighbors who lived on Chase Road” said George.   “They let each other know they wanted to play by putting a kerosene lantern in the kitchen window and pretty soon there would be a knock on the door. Life was simpler then and it was good.”

 

The old farmhouse is gone now – burned down by the actions of some mischievous teenagers years ago. All that remains are pictures, a few trees, a small grassy clearing and those Bean stone walls, but in George’s mind’s eye there is much more.  As we made our way back to my van George said “I have told my kids that when I die I’d like some of my ashes spread here. I love this place.” 

 

This article was written by Dale Potter-Clark who is a founding member and consultant for Readfield Historical Society, and organizes "Readfield History Walks". FMI crossings4u@gmail.com or visit www.readfieldhistorywalks.blogspot.com. 

(C) 2014 All Rights Reserved by Dale Potter-Clark

This article appeared in Lakes Region Reader in 2014