VAN BUREN, Maine — A historical settlement honoring the St. John Valley’s Acadian heritage wants to raise $120,000 before its 50th-year celebration this summer.
The Acadian Village in Van Buren, a 17-building complex, has homes that date back to the 1700s. The funds will provide much-needed repairs and upkeep, along with new improvements that will be unveiled at the June event.
The village is a 17-building complex in a border town with a rich Acadian history, and aims to preserve that heritage for future generations. More than a museum, the settlement actually recreates what some early settlers might have seen and experienced. It is currently the second largest Acadian village in the country, topped only by one in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The village is also on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
Robert Beaulieu, a Van Buren native who now lives in California, wanted to help ensure the living museum endures. He was inspired to start raising money while visiting the town in 2024 and talking to his high school class president.
“He told me the Acadian Village really needed some money, so I decided to see what I could do,” Beaulieu said. “I wrote to all my friends, business associates, classmates, and anyone I think that could help.”
Beaulieu, who is a member of the village board, and another anonymous donor put up $60,000 as a match. That means they will match every dollar raised, up to that amount, with their own money.
Beaulieu’s parents were among the members of the group that founded the Acadian Village 50 years ago. His mother was on the committee for the village and his father was in the town’s Rotary Club, which helped put together the blacksmith shop.
He visited the town in 2019 for his class’s 50th anniversary and was discouraged by the state of the town at that time. But hearing about recent revitalization efforts led by Town Manager Luke Dyer inspired him to continue his involvement with his hometown.
“I said, ‘I don’t think I can come back anymore,’” he said. “Then came Luke Dyer, and he’s given me the courage to stay and to help.”
Shortly after this, Beaulieu was asked to join the board. Since then, he has been working on grant applications, reaching out to private foundations, and raising funds for the village in any way he can.
This is how he found the anonymous donor to put up the matching $60,000. The donor told him he could give $10,000 a year for three years.
“I thought, if he’s going to do it. I’ll do it myself, so I committed to that as well,” he said.
The caveat is that they hope to raise the matching $60,000 by March 15. The goal is ambitious, but they’re already close to halfway there. So far, the fundraiser has collected roughly $27,000, Beaulieu said.
He was also motivated after hearing about the nearby town of Madawaska, which also has strong Acadian roots, raising nearly $200,000 for renovations to its Bicentennial Park during a telethon in late 2025.
Some of the Acadian Village’s buildings, like the Roy House, date back to the 1700s. Others, like the cobbler shop and shoe store, are recreations with authentic historical artifacts inside. To maintain historic authenticity, there is no electricity.
Some of the planned updates include crushed rock pathways to each of the buildings, and recorded narratives in both English and French by the descendants of the original owners of the buildings. The recordings will be accessible by QR codes at the entry of each building.
Beaulieu recently traced his ancestry back to France, and said he hopes the Acadian Village can keep the region’s French history alive for generations to come.
“I’m just hoping it stays alive for other families, other kids, and other generations, because it’s history, and that history can’t be washed away,” he said.
The village plans its anniversary celebration for June 12 to 14. Donations can be made directly to its website at acadianvillagemaine.org/support.