Birdsacre Sanctuary in Ellsworth, Maine, grew from Cordelia J. Stanwood’s 40-acre homestead into about 200 acres of protected land with trails, an orchard, and a nature center. At its core was Stanwood’s modest Cape-style house, built around 1850, where the self-taught ornithologist and naturalist spent 50 years studying local birds and landscapes and creating paths that still shape the refuge. After her death in 1958, local activists led by Chandler S. Richmond acquired the property and opened it in 1960. Despite a devastating arson fire in 2014, it remains significant for both its habitats and its preservation of Stanwood’s natural history work.