November 18, 2023
The Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) honored longtime supporter, the late Jessie Aikman of Rollinsford, with the 2023 ARCH Heritage Award, given annually to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the preservation of the history, heritage and culture of Rollinsford and the lower Salmon Falls region. The award was presented to Ms. Aikman’s family at the ARCH dinner and auction on Saturday, November 18 at Spring Hill in South Berwick, Maine.
“We at ARCH will miss Jessie’s friendship and support but more importantly, her spirit which was an inspiration to us all.”
ARCH and the Rollinsford community were stunned and saddened by the untimely passing a few months ago of Ms. Aikman, who died from injuries received in a riding accident. Both personally and as the owner of Back Channel Canvas, a business located in Eliot, Maine, Jessie. Aikman was a steadfast supporter of ARCH and the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House. She was a significant donor to the initial capital campaign to return the Wentworth House to Rollinsford and also sponsored the organization’s annual fundraising event every year since 2009.
Jessie was a resident of the Sligo area of Rollinsford and, like her mother Robin Aikman who passed just two weeks after Jessie, she was a strong advocate for conserving Rollinsford’s rural and agricultural heritage. Said Nancy Dickinson, co-president of the ARCH Board of Directors, “We at ARCH will miss Jessie’s friendship and support but more importantly, her spirit which was an inspiration to us all.”