FARMINGTON CONFERENCE CENTER
  BACKGROUND

In 1986 the Maine Baptist Association in partnership with the New Hampshire Baptist Association assumed ownership of 52 acres of farmland on the Sandy River in Farmington, Maine. At the time of this acquisition an old colonial home was the centerpiece of a property that also included an attached shed and carriage house along with a detached barn and country store. The old colonial home was built in 1790 by Moses Chandler, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and an officer under George Washington. The property was subsequently owned by descendants of Moses Chandler including a Dr. Mary Cushman, a medical doctor and missionary to Africa. When the general store was renovated and converted to a church sanctuary the building was renamed Cushman Chapel in recognition of her years of Christian service. The colonial home, known to local historians as the Moses Chandler House, has eight rooms, five working fireplaces and has been painstakingly restored by Earl and Carole Edgerly who not only reside in the old home but are also co-directors of the Conference Center. Earl is also pastor of the Farmington Baptist Church (SBC) which meets in a building they built on a ten acre lot that the Center deeded to Farmington Baptist Church in 1997.

This unique property is being developed into the premier Southern Baptist campground and conference center in Northern New England. Over the past decade the Board of Directors has overseen the development of the property and has approved the addition of a year round bunkhouse that sleeps thirty-two, a year-round multipurpose facility that sleeps twenty-four, the construction of three cabins that sleeps forty-eight, two bathhouses with 12 showers, a screened-in pavilion and dining hall that seats 200 people, a canoe and tractor storage shed, and outdoor sanctuary, and all the roadways and utilities to service these facilities. There are two full kitchens, one in the basement of the Cushman Chapel and one attached to the pavilion. There are six thirty-amp hookups for recreational vehicles, and numerous Campers-On-Mission teams have visited and worked at the Center.

As we look to the future there is still the need for significant investment of resources to attain our vision. The key missing ingredients are:

a. Graded recreational fields for soccer, softball, volley ball, etc.
b. Ropes course, climbing wall, archery area, and nature trials
c. Two story lodge with individual rooms and upscale conference facilities

There are numerous projects of various sizes and complexity which can be tailored to individual teams who select the Farmington Conference Center as a mission project site. Schematics and drawings are available upon request. The Board of Directors earnestly solicits visits by missions oriented teams and encourages financial donations of any size to support this vital ministry in Maine.