The Homestead
Maine Coast Heritage Trust partnered with MidCoast Regional Housing Trust donating approximately one acre of land in Rockport at Erickson Fields along with the existing farmhouse and old dairy barns. The remaining five acres, adjacent to Camden-Rockport Elementary School, will be added to the land trust’s Erickson Fields Preserve, enhancing possibilities for expanded community access and agricultural programming.
The homestead site will be a multi-family housing development designed to reflect the character of rural Maine communities by creating a cluster of related farm buildings in the architectural style of a traditional Maine farmstead.
Photo credit: Jeff Brazee
Site Fundraising Goal: $250,000
The Homestead - once part of a multi-generational dairy farm - now carries a new purpose. Through a unique collaboration between MidCoast Regional Housing Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the property is being preserved and renewed.
One acre, including an 1850s farmhouse and retired dairy barns, has been donated to MCRHT to create long-term, multi-family housing for working people who are increasingly priced out of the region. The remaining five acres will expand Erickson Fields Preserve, ensuring continued agricultural programming, outdoor learning opportunities, and public access.
What’s Happening at the Homestead
Why It Matters
-
Knox County needs 1,280 homes by 2030 to meet demand.
-
Median home prices now exceed $450,000, far outpacing local incomes.
-
Teachers, nurses, public safety staff, tradespeople, and young families are being pushed out, not by lack of jobs, but by lack of housing.
The Homestead will create a small cluster of farmstead-style homes, honoring the rural character of Rockport while providing year-round stability for local workers.
How You Can Help Right Now
MCRHT has launched a campaign to raise $250,000 to renovate the farmhouse and prepare the site for the addition of multi-family units.
Early community support is essential to move quickly.
Help create homes that honor Maine’s past and secure its future.
Homestead
Phase One: Renovating the Farmhouse
MCRHT is raising $250,000 to renovate the existing 1850s farmhouse into safe, efficient, year-round housing for a local working household. This renovation is the first phase of creating a farmstead-style cluster of homes that reflect the character and heritage of Midcoast Maine.
Phase Two: A Cluster of Maine-Style Homes
Over the coming seasons, the remaining portion of the homestead will be carefully developed into multi-family housing designed in the architectural style of a traditional Maine farmstead, simple, durable, functional, and rooted in place.
Future Projects
Granite Way
Located in Rockport
Granite Way marks a major step in bringing attainable housing solutions to Midcoast Maine.
This thoughtfully designed neighborhood will feature homes that provide quality, stable rental opportunities for working households and individuals who are part of the region’s “missing middle”—those who earn too much to qualify for subsidies but cannot keep pace with rising market prices.
Granite Way demonstrates our commitment to creating homes that strengthen communities, support local employers, and allow essential workers to live close to where they work.
We believe lasting impact comes through collaboration. By working alongside Midcoast towns, local employers, and like-minded organizations, we build strong partnerships that expand opportunities, share resources, and strengthen the entire community.
Supporting Partnerships
mcog
