Paul Yeaton never married during the early years of the house. His brother Andrew, Andrew’s wife, and their five children lived with him for many years, until Paul later fell in love with a much younger woman.

With the assistance of local antique dealers, the Taber family furnished the house with period-appropriate furniture dating to the 1820s and 1830s, supplemented by items from their family camp. Much of the home’s original architectural fabric remains intact, including interior shutter doors, original door hardware, and 9-over-6 window sash.
The long tenure of the Yeaton family contributed to the preservation of both the house and its associated outbuildings.

Historic farm tools remain on site, along with an original ox cart stored in the barn. The house retains its original brick fireplace, including beehive ovens once used for smoking hams. A blacksmith shop occupies the basement, and an attached carriage house survives as part of the original working farm complex. An early cooper’s shed also remains on the property, reflecting the self-sustaining nature of the Yeaton farm.
Excerpts from the Morning Sentinel, June 30, 2002

Immediately above the porch roof and centered below the gable peak is a set of four small six-over-six windows, recessed from the wall surface, which curves inward to meet them. In addition to the porch alterations noted above, the original wide steps and balustrade have been replaced, and sections of the porch balustrade that once flanked the steps and featured slat detailing have been filled in.

The north side elevation has a symmetrical fenestration pattern comprised of pairs of six-over-six windows near the northeast and northwest corners, with a trio of six-over-six windows between them. A fieldstone chimney punctuates the roof near the midpoint of the structure.

On the south elevation, the paired windows are repeated in the same locations as on the north side; however, the central section of the wall is occupied by a recessed porch that has been enclosed with a storm door and large four-pane storm windows. Spanning this central area and located about one-third of the way up the roof slope is the eyebrow dormer, which contains five windowpanes of varying size.

The rear elevation features paired six-over-six windows on the first story, separated by a ribbon window composed of four small three-over-three windows. On the upper level is a set of five six-over-six windows. A recently installed concrete block flue serving the furnace rises between the southeast paired windows and the first-story ribbon windows.

The interior of The Birches is virtually intact and is particularly notable for its varnished tongue-and-groove sheathing on walls and ceilings. The central great hall, open to the ceiling, contains a large stone fireplace and a balcony that wraps around all four sides of the space.

In plan, a short hallway separates the two front rooms, which are lit by paired windows behind the porch and along the side elevations. This hallway leads into the great hall, which occupies the central portion of the house. The fireplace is located on the north side of the hall and is flanked on the west by a recessed doorway opening into the kitchen, originally a sleeping porch.

The secondary entrance and recessed porch are located opposite the fireplace, and the stairway to the balcony is positioned at the southeast corner of the great hall. Behind the stairway, occupying the eastern third of the house, are two bedrooms separated by a pair of bathrooms – one opening off the hall and the other from the southeast bedroom.

The second story contains two additional bedrooms and a third bathroom, as well as a niche beneath the eyebrow dormer. Window and door surrounds are composed of symmetrically molded trim with corner blocks. The stair and balcony balusters are turned, as is the main newel post. Wainscoting is employed only in the hallways and the great hall, and several original light fixtures remain in the house.

The Burbanks next marched to reinforce Fort Ticonderoga. In 1777, Silas was promoted to Captain, and he is credited with leading a fourteen day march to Bennington, VT that ended in a victorious battle. Later they took part in the battle of Saratoga. In 1778, the troops moved to Pennsylvania, where their winter quarters were 20 miles outside Philadelphia at Valley Forge. Although in dire want of food and clothing that winter, the American army miraculously held together, and the Burbanks later fought in the battle of Monmouth. The remainder of their service was protecting West Point before retiring from the army on January 1, 1781.

You may go to a listing of those buried in the Quaker cemetery at the bottom of this webpage.

After purchasing the property in 1800, Eleazer must have gotten busy building a house for his family, because in 1818 when he sold the farm to his eldest son John Burbank for $1, the deed described the property as “located on the road that connects the Kennebec River to the Sandy River, and having a dwelling house and barn thereon.” In 1846 John Burbank married Emily Avery. He is buried in the Quaker cemetery on the farm property.

The Burbank barn

Clarence Chase carried on the tradition of selling milk from his herd of Guernsey cows and raising produce on the farm. Many remember his vegetable stand at the east end of Pine Grove Cemetery on Route 11. Always a well-liked man, Clarence served as Master of the Belgrade Grange.

Rene and Katharina Burdet

The house had been vacant for several years when the Burdets purchased it in 1983.

Moving the ell on the Burbank house

Rene Burdet’s runway

 The Burbank house under the Burdets’ stewardship in 2001

QUAKER CEMETERY – BURBANK FARM

A Gilded Beginning and a Tragic Fall

The story begins in the early 1900s with Edward Russell Bourne, a prominent Philadelphia insurance broker and wealthy investor. In January 1903, he traveled to Maine, captivated by the Belgrade Lakes region’s natural beauty and tranquility. He purchased a parcel of shoreline land along Long Pond with dreams of building a luxurious summer estate – a place where the elite could retreat from city life.

Construction began soon after, with no expense spared. Bourne’s vision was grand: heated by steam, lit by electricity (unusual luxuries for the era) and framed with elegance. By 1904, he had already invested over $12,000 in the build – a fortune at the time.

Yet Bourne’s life unraveled with startling speed. Suffering intensely from chronic rheumatism and facing mounting isolation after dismissing his personal attendant, Bourne spiraled into depression. On September 17, 1904, he died by suicide in his room at the nearby Belgrade Hotel, a single gunshot ending the life of a man whose ambition had just begun to take physical form on the lakeshore. Reports described his death as likely the result of temporary insanity brought on by illness. It sent shockwaves through both Philadelphia and Maine.

Following his death, local contractor Ruel J. Noyes, who had overseen the cottage’s construction, traveled to Philadelphia to consult with Bourne’s estate. It was agreed the cottage would be completed, and later that fall, Noyes himself purchased the property from Bourne’s heirs. Thus, The Bourne Cottage passed from its visionary founder to a new chapter.

The Scientist and the Soldier: Col. Marston T. Bogert

Not long after, The Bourne Cottage became part of a broader Belgrade legacy through its association with Colonel Marston Taylor Bogert. A towering figure in the world of chemistry, Bogert was Columbia University’s first professor of organic chemistry, president of the American Chemical Society, and a key contributor to the development of chemical warfare defenses during World War I and World War II. His name became synonymous with scientific excellence, earning him the Priestley Medal and global respect.

Bogert maintained his summer residence in Belgrade for many years and was active locally, as a President of the Belgrade Lakes Association. He eventually becoming the link between The Bourne Cottage and the man who would redefine it for generations to come.

Enter John J. Casale: Businessman, Equestrian and Enigmatic Figure

In 1918, while still in New York City, John J. Casale met Col. Bogert. Their friendship would shape the destiny of the Belgrade estate. Casale was a larger-than-life figure. A self-made millionaire, he built one of the largest truck leasing operations in the country, with a fleet of over 1,400 vehicles serving major industrial clients. His reputation, however, extended beyond business. His summer property in Rome, secluded and private, was said to have hosted gatherings that drew prominent and influential guests.

Casale had originally spent time fishing and staying at another of Col. Bogert’s cottages – the one located on the point, owned by Dr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Snyder. Mrs. Snyder was Bogert’s granddaughter, maintaining a family connection to the storied property. This early relationship with Bogert and the surrounding land deepened Casale’s ties to the region, setting the stage for his eventual acquisition of The Bourne Cottage.

In 1945, Casale purchased the property, by then part of the Bogert holdings, and renamed it Rome Farms. He transformed it into an expansive 180-acre estate, complete with Arabian horses, Hereford cattle and pristine pastures. The grounds were kept in immaculate condition: white fences, lush lawns and barns that rivaled luxury stables. He extended the lawn to the lake by filling in 1,600 feet of shoreline, built guest cottages and tack rooms, and installed a private boathouse and a quarter-mile horse training track. His improvements turned the property into both a working farm and an elegant rural retreat.

Casale and his family often stayed in the upper portion of the property, while Guests – including business associates and personal friends – were hosted in the main house and surrounding cottages. At its peak, Rome Farms included multiple cottages, barns, outbuildings and carefully maintained farmland, all arranged to balance privacy, hospitality and agricultural use.

Locals remember Casale for his charisma and generosity, as well as the quiet authority he projected. He was also a significant benefactor of St. Helena’s, Belgrade’s Catholic church, contributing to its upkeep and maintenance throughout his years in the community.

Legacy and Reinvention

In the 1960s, Rome Farms became a beloved landmark in the area. Casale and his family welcomed visitors to see the Appaloosas and Arabians in the fields. His great-granddaughter Paula was often seen riding beside him in a sleigh or wagon, sometimes dozing off in the sun. The stables, track, barns, and pastureland all told a story of both elegance and ambition – of a man who sought refuge, control and perhaps a bit of redemption.

Though Casale passed away years ago, the estate he shaped continues to inspire awe and curiosity. Its manicured lawns and lake views are now part of a living history – rooted in early 20th-century dreams and reshaped by figures of intellect, power, and myth.

The Bourne Cottage – or the “Green House”, as his family called the cottage – since divided from Rome Farms across the road, is more than just a summer home. It is a mirror reflecting the complex American story – of industry, brilliance, reinvention and legacy. To live here is to step into that ongoing narrative, as steward of a place of beauty for over a century.