Smiling Hill Farm’s historic legacy could foil Gorham Connector plan

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 5, 2024

The Maine Turnpike Authority has known for years that the farm was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places – but has never publicly disclosed that or its potential impact on the controversial highway project. Being eligible for or listed on the national register doesn’t automatically block development of the 304-year-old farm, according to preservation experts. But it does allow the Knight family to request a seat at the table when the Army Corps of Engineers reviews the authority’s application for a critical environmental permit. And it could give the federal agency fodder to force the authority to alter its preferred route for the 5-mile, four-lane spur.