About Us

HISTORY OF THE CORNISH FAIRGROUNDS In 1876, the first fair association was formed in Cornish to promote and display the produce and trade goods of the area. One of the most influential founders of the association was B. Franklin Pease, great grandfather of Royden and Rebecca Pease and Helen Bradeen. He also founded the Grange in Cornish the year before. Little is recorded of the early years of the Ossipee Valley Union Agricultural Assoc., but its success by the turn of the century saw the complete rebuilding of the fairgrounds and racetrack to allow for growing expansion. It was during the rebuilding that the grandstand was erected and an innovative concrete subway was constructed underneath the racetrack for the safety and convenience of the fair patrons. It was not until 65-70 years later that major tracks adopted a similar safety feature. The racetrack was known as one of the finest driving parks in New England harness racing due to its excellent surface and professionally engineered banked turns, which were almost unheard of in Maine. Over the years, many nationally famous horses and drivers raced at the Cornish race track. By 1914, renamed the Cornish Agricultural Assoc., the fair became one of the state's most important annual events. On the second day of the fair in 1914, over 8,000 people were admitted to the grounds with almost 500 cars parked in the infield of the racetrack. For the next 35 years, the fair prospered and grew. The Maine Central Railroad made special arrangements for the transportation of livestock and exhibits as well as people coming to attend the fair. After the Second World War, most of the active members of the association had died, and due to lack of supportive interest, the death of the Cornish Annual Fair was nearing. Since 1952, fairground activity was limited to only the training of horses. The old judges' stand was repaired and is now one of the last surviving examples of its type of construction still standing. Under the direction of the town bicentennial committee during 1976, the Cornish Fair was revived and held at the fairgrounds by permission of the owners, the DiBiaso family. Local enthusiasm grew so strong that a non-profit organization, the Ossipee Valley Agricultural Society (OVAS) was formed to continue the Cornish Fair as a community annual event, and the work on the new fairgrounds in Hiram began.