The Jonathan Fisher House of Blue Hill will host our annual celebration of the arrival of autumn and the end of our tour season at the House on Sunday, October 8 from noon to 2:00 PM. Join us for activities and refreshments, bring your apples and other fruit to add to our community cider-pressing, and take a turn at the press at this free, outdoor, family-friendly event.

Pear and apple cider will be pressed on-site from the blue-ribbon winning pears planted by Jonathan Fisher as early as 1805, as well as apples from our orchard and donated fruit from around the peninsula. Leslie Cummins, who manages the historic orchard at the Fisher House along with Tim Seabrook, will be providing apple identification services, so bring your mystery fruit to see if she can give you answers!

Additionally, there will be guided tours of the reconstructed historic orchard, highlighting Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map.

Joseph Greeley, Fisher House docent and volunteer, will also share a period cooking demonstration, making a hearty fall meal that could have been served in Fisher’s day, cooked in an outdoor cook-box. Cook-boxes are a maritime invention originally used aboard ships which were too small to contain a cooking hearth. Samples of the meal will be available for visitors to try, and other autumnal refreshments will be available.

Local acoustic ensemble Big Moose will play tunes to entertain attendees while the cider is pressed, and house tours will be available throughout. This event is open to the public and free of charge, though donations are always welcome to support the Fisher House.

The Jonathan Fisher House is a historic house museum in Blue Hill. Fisher’s famed collection of folk art, surveying instruments, woodworking tools, furniture, and farming implements that he designed and personally made are housed at the Homestead located at 44 Mines Road (U.S. 15 S). For more information, call the Fisher House at 374-2459 or email contact@jonathanfisherhouse.org.

Each third Friday throughout the season, join Joseph Greeley, docent at the Jonathan Fisher House and historical cooking enthusiast, for an outdoor cooking demonstration of a historical recipe and technique.

On Friday, September 15, Joe will be cooking up Apple Fritters based on an 18th century recipe. Stop by to see the process of interpreting the recipe and cooking with period techniques, and enjoy samples when the fritters are complete!

We know that Fisher had a large apple orchard, and this recipe is included in Hannah Glasse’s 1788 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, a popular household text that Dolly Fisher likely would have used when feeding her large household.

The free cooking demo will begin at 1:00 PM and visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions during the process. Tours of the interior of the Fisher House are available from 1:00-4:00 PM, with a $10 suggested donation. Visitors are also welcome to self-tour the grounds and tool exhibit in the Slaven Barn on the property.

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, September 2 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

The 2023 Annual Antiques Show will be held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 19, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Dealers from around the country will be selling antiques of all kinds. The venue is the animal exhibit sheds of the county fairgrounds made famous in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Admission is $10.00, or early buyer's admission is $15.00 to be admitted at 8:00 am. There will be something for everyone!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please see this page for details and contact Amey at (207) 266-5583 for more information.

Blue Hill Public Library and the Jonathan Fisher House will co-sponsor a talk by Paul Lewis, Professor of English at Boston College, on Jonathan Fisher and his works of poetry, Wednesday, August 9 at 7:00 PM in the library's Howard Room.

Along with his other interests and pursuits–which included farming, science, painting, furniture making, and pastoral care–Blue Hill's first settled minister, Jonathan Fisher, wrote poems. These included elegies, broadsides, and, in 1827, a collection of poems on religious topics, such as “Satan’s Great Devise” and “A Dialogue on Universalism.” But other poems by Fisher–including “A Voyage from Blue Hill to Salem” and “Lines on the Death of Ebenezer Bell, who was Executed at Castine, Oct. 31, 1811, for the Murder of John Tileston Downs”–seem to have local resonance. Join Paul Lewis, the editor of The Citizen Poets of Boston, A Collection of Forgotten Poems, 1789-1820 (University Press of New England) for a discussion of this part of Fisher’s legacy.

This program is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information, please contact Assistant Director Kayleigh Thomas at 374-5515 or by emailing kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net.

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, August 5 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

Each third Friday throughout the summer, join Joseph Greeley, docent at the Jonathan Fisher House and historical cooking enthusiast, for an outdoor cooking demonstration of a historical recipe and technique.

On Friday, July 21, Joe will be cooking up Pork a la Normandie, a pork stew made with cider and apples, As the name suggests, this recipe originates in the Normandy region of France. The Fisher family probably would have just called it “pork stew with apples.” We know that the Fisher homestead raised pigs and had an apple orchard, and this dish is inspired by a recipe in Hannah Glasse’s 1788 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, a popular household text that Dolly Fisher likely would have used when feeding her large household. Joe will cook over an open fire on the Fisher House grounds, and samples will be available to enjoy when the food is ready!

The free cooking demo will begin at 1:00 pm and visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions during the process. Tours of the interior of the Fisher House are available from 1:00-4:00 PM, with a $10 suggested donation. Visitors are also welcome to self-tour the grounds and tool exhibit in the Slaven Barn on the property.

For more information, contact the Jonathan Fisher House at (207) 374-2459 or contact@jonathanfisherhouse.org.

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, July 8 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

The Jonathan Fisher House of Blue Hill will host our annual celebration of the arrival of autumn and the end of our tour season at the House on Sunday, October 9 from noon to 2:00 PM. Join us and bring your apples and other fruit to add to our community cider-pressing, and take a turn at the press at this free, outdoor, family-friendly event.

While this year’s weather conditions have meant that Jonathan Fisher’s own 200+ year-old pear tree did not bear any of its blue-ribbon winning pears, we will have apples to press, and we encourage attendees to bring fruit to contribute as well. Leslie Cummins, who manages the historic orchard at the Fisher House along with Tim Seabrook, will be providing apple identification services, so bring your mystery fruit to see if she can give you answers!

Additionally, there will be guided tours of the reconstructed historic orchard, highlighting Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map.

Joseph Greeley, Fisher House docent and volunteer, will also share a period cooking demonstration, making a hearty fall meal that could have been served in Fisher’s day, cooked in an outdoor cook-box. Cook-boxes are a maritime invention originally used aboard ships which were too small to contain a cooking hearth. Samples of the meal will be available for visitors to try, and other autumnal refreshments will be available.

Penny Ricker, art teacher at the Blue Hill Consolidated School, will lead a hands-on drawing activity for all ages inspired by Jonathan Fisher’s artwork.

This event is open to the public and free of charge, though donations to help support the Fisher House are always welcome. Weather-permitting, most events will take place outdoors, and tours of the interior of the House will be available (masks required indoors).

The Jonathan Fisher House is a historic house museum in Blue Hill. Fisher’s famed collection of folk art, surveying instruments, woodworking tools, furniture, and farming implements that he designed and personally made are housed at the Homestead located at 44 Mines Road (U.S. 15 S). For more information, call the Fisher House at 374-2459 or email jonathanfisherhouse@gmail.com.

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, September 3 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

The 2022 Annual Antiques Show will be held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 20, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Dealers from around the country will be selling antiques of all kinds. The venue is the animal exhibit sheds of the county fairgrounds made famous in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Admission is $8.00, or early buyer's admission is $15.00 to be admitted at 8:00 am. There will be something for everyone!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please see this page for details and contact Amey at (207) 266-5583 for more information.

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, August 6 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

The Blue Hill Public Library, the Jonathan Fisher House, and Blue Hill Books will co-sponsor a presentation by Walter Smalling about the recent book At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios, in the Howard Room at the Blue Hill Public Library on Friday, July 29 at 7:00 pm.

At First Light chronicles twenty-six extraordinary artists of the last two hundred years who have lived and worked in Maine, beginning with Blue Hill’s own Jonathan Fisher. It considers the significant contributions artists have made to a deeper and more profound understanding of Maine's history, its land and its peoples. Written and expertly researched by some of the foremost scholars and curators in the field, each chapter focuses on a different artist, featuring the artists' artworks and anchored by breathtaking contemporary photography of their homes, studios, and surroundings.

Walter Smalling took the photographs for At First Light, and will share his experiences working on the book, how the project began and was organized, and how it was made. Walter will also provide a survey of some of the artists included in the book, with a presentation of photos, including of the Jonathan Fisher House.

Walter lives and works in Penobscot, where he has a studio and a small gallery. His business as a photographer is based partly in Washington, D.C. where he also has a studio.

Books will be available for sale from Blue Hill Books. This event is free of charge and all are welcome. Attendees interested in seeing the Jonathan Fisher House and learning more about Fisher as an artist are invited to come visit the house at 44 Mines Rd. the following day, Saturday July 30, for tours from 1:00-4:00 pm.

This program is free, open to the public, and will be held in the Howard Room. For more information, contact Kayleigh at Blue Hill Library at Kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or by calling the library at (207) 374-5515. 

The Jonathan Fisher House will host special tours of the orchard on the historic property during regular visitor hours on Saturday, July 9 from 1-4 PM.

Leslie Cummins will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map, including the Roxbury Russet (a then-newly-established American variety), the Golden Russet (a very ancient variety) and the Ribston Pippin (a famous British variety).

Many people are rediscovering old orchards these days, but Jonathan Fisher’s is unique in its level of documentation. Just like Johnny Appleseed and other pioneers, Fisher planted apple seeds first (seeds being easier to carry than saplings) and then later top-grafted a known valued tree onto the young seeded tree. There is an example of Fisher’s top grafting on our 200+ year-old pear tree.

Tours of the orchard are free, but donations to support the Fisher House are always welcome. Visitors may also tour the interior of the historic house before or after visiting the orchard.

The Jonathan Fisher House of Blue Hill will host a celebration of autumn at the House on Sunday, October 10 from noon to 2:00 PM. Pear and apple cider will be pressed on-site from the blue-ribbon winning pears planted by Jonathan Fisher as early as 1805. Attendees are encouraged to bring a jug or jar to take home some “peary” of their own.

This event is open to the public and free of charge, though donations are always welcome. Cider-pressing will be held outdoors, and any visitors to the interior of the House will be required to wear masks.

The Jonathan Fisher House is a historic house museum in Blue Hill. Fisher’s famed collection of folk art, surveying instruments, woodworking tools, furniture, and farming implements that he designed and personally made are housed at the Homestead located at 44 Mines Road (U.S. 15 S). For more information, call the Fisher House at 374-2459.

The 2021 Annual Antiques Show will be held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 21, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Dealers from around the country will be selling antiques of all kinds. The venue is the animal exhibit sheds of the county fairgrounds made famous in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Admission is $8.00, or early buyer's admission is $15.00 to be admitted at 8:00 am. There will be something for everyone!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please see this page for details and contact Amey at (207) 266-5583 for more information.

The 2020 Antiques Show has been canceled due to Covid-19 concerns. Please support the show’s dealers if you can!

The Jonathan Fisher House of Blue Hill will host a celebration of autumn at the House on Sunday, October 13 from noon to 2:00 PM. Pear cider will be pressed on-site from the blue-ribbon winning pears planted by Jonathan Fisher as early as 1805. Attendees are encouraged to bring a jug or jar to take home some “peary” of their own.

House tours will be available during the event, as well as samples of cheeses to celebrate the recent identification of one of the objects in Fisher’s barn as a cheese press, and, in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a new display about Fisher’s relationship to the Penobscot language and people.

This event is open to the public and free of charge, though donations are always welcome. The Jonathan Fisher House is a historic house museum in Blue Hill. Fisher’s famed collection of folk art, surveying instruments, woodworking tools, furniture, and farming implements that he designed and personally made are housed at the Homestead located at 44 Mines Road (U.S. 15 S). For more information, call the Fisher House at 374-2459.

The 12th Annual Antiques Show will be held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 17, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Dealers from around the country will be selling antiques of all kinds. The venue is the animal exhibit sheds of the county fairgrounds made famous in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Admission is $7.00, or early buyer's admission is $15.00 to be admitted at 8:00 am. There will be something for everyone!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please see this page for details and contact Amey at (207) 266-5583 for more information.

Several local organizations will co-sponsor an event about the music history of Blue Hill on Wednesday, May 29 at 7:00 PM at Kneisel Hall. The event will be a whirlwind journey from Jonathan Fisher to jazz, featuring short presentations on the history of some of Blue Hill's most memorial musical moments, accompanied by live performances from different musicians.

Whether it was the first piano being brought to Blue Hill or the founding of Kneisel Hall, the area has been home to many musical events of historical interest. The public is invited to come hear about tidbits such as a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pinafore taking place on a yacht in East Blue Hill, and early jazz blow-outs at the old Mineral Springs, plus much more. Each story will be followed by a short musical performance emblematic of that style.

This event is co-sponsored by the Jonathan Fisher House, Blue Hill Historical Society, Kneisel Hall, Bagaduce Music, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Maine. It is open to the public and free of charge.

The 11th Annual Antiques Show will be held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 18, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Dealers from around the country will be selling antiques of all kinds. The venue is the animal exhibit sheds of the county fairgrounds made famous in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Admission is $17.00, or early buyer's admission is $15.00 to be admitted at 8:00 am. There will be something for everyone!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please see this page for details and contact Amey at (207) 266-5583 for more information.

The Jonathan Fisher House Memorial and the Blue Hill Public Library will host a symposium on Sunday, July 22nd, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the library, on the subject of religious divides in Fisher's time and beyond. Several experts will be on hand to discuss various aspects of this history.

Michael McVaugh, board member at the Fisher House, will speak about the division in Blue Hill that resulted in a significant percentage of Jonathan Fisher's congregation leaving to form the Blue Hill Baptist Church. Gary Vencill, retired pastor and also a board member, will give broader historical background from the early nineteenth century on the divisions that took place in the Blue Hill and Castine Congregational Churches. Alison Dibble will talk about what was happening on the Baptist side of the divide, and Lynn Parsons will speak on the schism in Castine that resulted in the formation of a Unitarian Church there.

Following an intermission, there will be a panel featuring Lutheran minister Elaine Hewes, Episcopal priest Emily Blair Stribling, & United Methodist pastor Vicki Woods with of a discussion of schisms happening, or threatening to happen, in denominations today.

There will be a reception at 4:00, following the symposium, at the Fisher House on the Mines Road in Blue Hill. Light refreshments and tours of the house will be offered. This event is cosponsored by the Fisher House Memorial and the Blue Hill Public Library. There is no charge and everyone is welcome. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.