OTISFIELD — The Otisfield Town Pound, built in 1818, will be the topic of the Otisfield Historical Society meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Old Town House, 53 Bell Hill Road.

The building is wheelchair-accessible at the rear entrance.

Located on the east side of Bell Hill Road about half a mile beyond the meetinghouse, the pound is still visible with a pair of sharp eyes. The small, stone-walled area was once used as a means of corralling wandering livestock to keep them out of residents’ gardens. Still owned by the town, it is one of only 45 town pounds in Maine recognized by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

Jean Hankins will present the history of town pounds, also known as cattle pounds. At one time they could be found in most Maine communities, conforming to an 1821 Maine law which mandated that every town must build one.

Polly Bartow will lead a discussion of recent efforts by the Historical Society and town officials to see what can be done to restore Otisfield’s pound as a historic landmark. This process involves researching the town’s ownership, establishing boundary lines and removing small trees inside the stonewalls. One objective is to apply for listing of the site in the National Register of Historic Places.

The public is invited.