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Higgins Farm
Public Access: Yes, by a public pedestrian path from Coleman's Cove on South Shore Drive to the beach; waterfront activities allowed include swimming and recreational beach use, traditional commercial fishing and berry picking.
Parking location: Coleman's Cove adjacent to the property
Restrictions: No mechanized vehicle access
Descriptions and History
The Higgins property, known as Higgins Farm, is located on the southeast shore of Chebeague Island adjacent to Coleman's Cove. The Dayton family granted a conservation easement to the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust on thirteen acres of this old Chebeague farm. The Higgins family had once owned and farmed this land for nearly a century. At one time it was probably the largest working farm on the islands of Casco Bay, sending its produce to Portland, Boston and beyond.
The Dayton family granted this easement to preserve, in perpituity, the natural and scenic beauty of the site as well as the land's value for agriculture, animal husbandry and wildlife. The beach is open to the public for swimming and recreational beach use, for commercial fishing and for berry picking.
The protected property includes a farmstead area of 2.5 acres and a field that are not open to the public. The area outside the farmstead in the field below the house and its farm buildings may be used for agriculture and animal husbandry by the grantors, and their assigns, according to the conditions of the easement.
Joan Dayton and Leila Bisharat