The Seminary staff and students became deeply involved with the abolitionist movement and operated as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the 1840s, while Oren B. Cheney was principal.

When recounting its burning, Oren Burbank Cheney stated, "The bell tower flickered in flames while the children ran from its pillar-brick walls.."[2] The fire was believed to have killed three schoolchildren and two fugitive slaves, leading to a brief and unsuccessful investigation.

In 1889, Bartlett Doe, a wealthy San Francisco businessman who was a Parsonsfield native son, purchased the land and donated funds to repair and remodel Seminary Hall, adding its rear wing and front bell tower.

[5] To prevent the loss of the historic hilltop campus, the Friends of the Parsonsfield Seminary organized to preserve and maintain the property.

The non-profit, non-sectarian organization operates the handsome Victorian buildings and grounds for use for weddings, conferences, seminars, and graduations.