Paris: Historic Townscape and Nature Trails

Paris offers two special reasons to get to know the town better: a largely preserved historic townscape and trails through natural areas. The Paris Hill Historic District includes 18 properties dating from 1820 or earlier. Paris Hill is also home to Cornwall Nature Preserve, while Singepole Trail forms another trail network in Paris. If you are considering Paris as a vacation destination, you can focus on architectural history, local history, or outdoor experiences.

Historic Buildings on Paris Hill

The Paris Hill Historic District stands out for its rare concentration of early 19th-century buildings in a compact town center. The historic development has remained largely unchanged; with a few exceptions, the original buildings still stand there. This makes Paris Hill an illustrative destination for anyone interested in a town’s architectural heritage. The 18 properties dating from 1820 or earlier also provide a specific timeframe for this historic focus.

The Hamlin Memorial Library and Museum adds history on several levels to this perspective. Today, the building serves as a lending library, research center, and museum dedicated to preserving local, state, and national history. It was built from granite blocks in 1822. The granite was quarried in the Town of Oxford and hauled across the frozen ground to Paris Hill. The material, its origin, and its route of transport are therefore as much a part of the building’s history as its present-day purpose.

Nature Trails and Distinctive Places

Cornwall Nature Preserve is located on Paris Hill and was given to the Town of Paris in 1982. The preserve includes 147 acres of historic farmland, with winding trails totaling 3 miles. When planning your outings, this combination of former farmland and trails offers a focus distinct from the historic buildings. The trail length also gives you a specific point of reference when considering how much of your stay you want to devote to visiting the preserve.

Another trail network is Singepole Trail: it is 3.00 miles long and located in Paris. At the trail, an old granite quarry near the summit of Singepole Mountain offers opportunities for rock collecting and photography. This adds a distinctive quarry and summit as subjects to the impressions of historic buildings and farmland. If you enjoy taking in or photographing landscapes, you can keep these interests in mind when choosing activities; those more interested in local history will find a different focus on Paris Hill.

Choosing Paris as a Vacation Destination

You can also include South Paris as another place to get your bearings. If you would like to compare other destinations as well, you can find Norway, Rumford, Newry, Fryeburg and Lovell here.

For the broader travel overview: Oxford.