This Brooklin house and, especially, its barn are local icons. The original structures on the property were built about 1850 and owned by the Bowden family who farmed the land for many years and later even operated a long-gone roadside gas station here.
By 1958, the property reportedly was run down. And then Joseph “Roy” Barrette and his wife Helen came along looking for a fixer-upper retirement place. They bought the property and constantly worked on improving it. They named it Amen Farm, perhaps because they had found their dream and/or because of its breath-taking view across Blue Hill and Jericho Bays. (Yes, Roy was the legendary author-horticulturist-gourmand and wine expert who kept writing during his “retirement” in Brooklin. He died in1995.)
Subsequent owners have kept up and improved the property, especially the completely renovated barn. As with many barns in New England, it no longer houses farm animals. It reportedly has a modern great room with fireplace and large windows overlooking the back pasture, as well as a separate exercise area. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine. on February 7, 2025.)