Terry Doore cuts batting during the Central Hall Commons weekly quilting group for adults at Dover-Foxcroft's historic community center, which has received grant support from MaineCF. Photo Ashley L. Conti
What creates community?
For Gene and Mary Margaret Ripley, one answer is easy: vegetables. Carrots so sweet that children gobble them on the ride home, beets that tempt even picky eaters, and so many more varieties from their Ripley Farm in Dover-Foxcroft.
The couple, who met as Bates College students, have embraced their adopted small town in Piscataquis County where they found just the right farm. A dozen years later, they’ve realized their dream on six bountiful acres as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm with more than 200 families who buy CSA shares. They, in turn, give back to the community with free cooking classes and donations that supply scarce produce to area food banks.
Mary Margaret Ripley, right, co-owner and farmer at Ripley Farm, and assistant farmer Hannah Johnson, bottom left, harvest carrots at Ripley Farm. Photo Ashley L. Conti
“We loved how in Dover-Foxcroft there are locally owned hardware stores, a community theater, a community library, gas stations, a post office, and more all within 10 minutes of us. People like to live here and take pride in where they are from and we love being part of that,” said Mary Margaret Ripley. “We value that there are many people who still have rural skills that we feel are important for our children to learn and will be able to help us teach them to live with respect for the land, resources, and its bounty.”
Dover-Foxcroft, like many former Maine mill towns, once tapped the river’s power to supply sawmills and manufacturers that produced carriages, chairs, forks, pails, pianos, wool, shingles, and other goods. Today, just months shy of the 100th anniversary of the two towns’ merger, about 4,400 residents call it home. The strong community ties that have kept families here for generations continue to lure relative newcomers like the Ripleys, along with professionals drawn back to their hometown.
Maine Community Foundation support has helped strengthen Dover-Foxcroft and other communities in Piscataquis County for 35 years through more than $900,000 in grants from the Piscataquis County Fund, including grants to the nonprofit Center Theatre.
Patrick Myers, Center Theatre’s executive director, returned to his home in 2004 after years of post-college travels across the country. He and his wife abandoned plans for city life in Portland when his mother offered to sell them her home in nearby Sebec. Today it’s become a family homestead with his wife’s sister and parents, who also live on the property. For Myers, the move provided an opportunity to live, once again, in a place where a friendly wave on the street is commonplace.
Jason Rhoda, left, and Rebecca Siemerling run a scene during the Center Theatre after-school program. Photo Ashley L. Conti
Center Theatre, constructed in 1940, stood virtually empty for nearly three decades after it shut down in 1971. Myers and the nonprofit Center Theatre for the Performing Arts reopened the downtown landmark with continued MaineCF support – from a $25,000 endowment match to sustain its operations to an energy-efficiency grant and funding for youth programs.
The theater’s drama camps this summer reached about 80 students in three towns and in 2022 will expand to a fourth. The theater also is a drop-in center for high school students, a home to arts and drama programs, and an entertainment venue for town residents.
In September, a theater-led effort to bring new life to downtown was realized with the designation of the Dover-Foxcroft National Commercial Historic District. That recognition will open new funding sources for development and renovation of 19 buildings dating to 1836.
Myers, like the Ripleys, envisions a future that embraces the strengths of this rural community by providing a future for its children and resources for older residents who have the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to help guide Dover-Foxcroft forward.
“It’s that sense of community that leads to a sense of connection. That’s what I appreciate about it and what makes it special here,” said Myers. “We want to make sure new and current residents have a sense for that community and help contribute to it.”
“I think that at this point we’re getting our feet back under us,” said Myers. “We’ve got an economy that isn’t focused on any particular industry. In every facet of life these days, if we can just embrace that diversity, be open to creativity, and create a strong, resilient community, I think we’ll be doing all right.”
