A Brief History of the Buxton & Hollis Rod & Gun Club

In 1936, a group of like-minded rifle and shotgun enthusiasts gathered to form what is now known as the Buxton & Hollis Rod & Gun Club, Inc. The original organization, known as the Buxton & Hollis Skeet & Rifle Club, regularly met at the Community Hall at the Casco Bank in West Buxton, Maine.

In December of 1945, the Club purchased a property with a cottage on Deer Pond, in Hollis, Maine for $2,500. This cottage would serve as the home of the organization until 1972.

Throughout the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, the Club diligently served the local community by raising trout and stocking local areas ponds, as well as organizing and hosting several public-facing events. One such event, The Deer Pond Carnival, consisted of a wide variety of activities including a beauty contest, log sawing, a canoe tug-of-war, a canoe race, swimming, cook outs, and many smaller events.

The last meeting held in the old clubhouse occurred on December 7, 1971. Shortly thereafter, in early 1972, the cottage that had been the home of the Club for nearly 26 years was destroyed by fire. Subsequent meetings were held in the Hollis Town Hall and the West Buxton Fire Department, until the current clubhouse was completed in 1976.

Continuing to serve the outdoor community throughout the 80’s, the Club hosted several hunter safety classes, fly tying classes, trap shoots, black powder shoots, and participated in numerous county fairs. It was during this time that the Club’s archery program experienced substantial growth and yielded high degree of success.

Because of the Club’s dedicated focus on community service, it was deemed by the IRS to be a tax exempt “public charity” in April of 2016.

Prideful of our long tradition of community service, the Buxton & Hollis Rod & Gun Club continues to support organizations and events such as the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Active Heroes Foundation, and the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit.

Today, nearly 400 members strong, the Buxton & Hollis Rod & Gun Club continues to champion the growth of safe, sustainable, and fulfilling outdoor activities throughout the State of Maine. The Club hosts several organized events for both recreational and charity purposes including an annual breast cancer awareness shoot, American Rimfire Association matches, International Defensive Pistol Association matches, and an annual youth ice fishing event on Deer Pond, to name  a few.