Maine's Most Endangered Historic Properties 2003

Sheepscot Village, one of Maine's Most Endangered
Properties of 2003. (Detail from a photo by David Higgins)

Introduction by Tara Phelps, Program Intern, Columbia University Historic Preservation Master's Program

Buildings link our past to the present and future. They tell our stories if we listen—the story of a family growing up captured in a house or the stories of workers in a factory. A municipal waterworks tells us of a town fighting off a cholera epidemic by drinking from its safe, fresh water. Other buildings tell darker tales of slavery, poverty and oppression. Together, these structures create the layers of history that support our cities, towns and rural districts. These buildings are our conscience and our collective memory. When we tear them down, important parts of our past are erased.

Each year, in the name of progress, we tear down historic buildings, often replacing them with structures only designed to last ten years or less. Other buildings escape development only to suffer slow decay, forgotten until renovation is impossible. Many communities and individuals, feeling overwhelmed by the financial and technical requirements of preservation, see no alternative to demolition, but dedicated people using creative financing can often make a difference.

The goal of Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Properties program is to insure the longevity of Maine’s architectural patrimony. Begun in 1996, the program is intended both to increase public awareness of the need to preserve and to provide leadership and support in the rescue of critical historic structures. Nominations are solicited each spring and reviewed by the Preservation Outreach Committee. The Board of Trustees then creates a final list.

The program has been a great success with only two listed buildings having been demolished. The list has four major thematic categories—barns and agricultural buildings, traditional downtowns, historic neighborhood schools, and granges. It includes buildings stretching from Down East to Up North with nearly every Maine county and structural type represented. Together, they tell the story of Maine.

The sites and structures on this year's list tell stories that touch the soul of all Mainers: "Sea Urchins" cottage in Bar Harbor, a one-room schoolhouse in North Alfred, the Brick Church in Lovell, the Colcord House of South Berwick, the Norway Opera House, and the Sheepscot Village Historic District. We also included Grange Halls statewide for this year's list. Maine Preservation has highlighted these endangered properties. Now, it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure those properties are not lost.

Endangered. Our fourth statewide thematic endangered property type, Grange Halls were once a prominent community asset in Maine. Numbering as many as 540 at one time, only 187 exist in our state today, and are being lost at a rate of 3-4 each year. The Grange was founded as a fraternal organization for the social and political interests of farmers and as a result became the central building for all political and social events in town. However, as is symptomatic of many granges, grange organizations often reflect an aging population, fewer members, and a dwindling income. Many of these building are in urgent need of roof, window and foundation repairs as well as updated wiring, plumbing and restroom facilities.

Thanks to the nomination for endangered status submitted by the Monticello Grange, these irreplaceable historic resources have captured our interest and focus this year. The Monticello Grange Hall, located on U.S. Route 1, is the largest downtown structure in this Aroostook county community. Built in 1921 to replace an older grange that had been destroyed by fire, the building is listed in the National Register and is notable for its beautiful interior tin-work. Its condition is threatened with lack of funding for needed repairs, indicative of so many granges.

For more information or to make a donation to the building fund, contact Louise Beaulieu at PO Box 171 Monticello, Maine 04760.

Endangered. Located on the campus of the College of the Atlantic, "Sea Urchins" is one of the few remaining large summer cottages that was spared from the devastating 1947 fire. The c.1881 shingle-style building was designed by the Boston architectural firm of Rotch and Tilden, and is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th century, it was expanded to include a large servants wing, a ballroom, and a carriage house. With the recent passing of the life tenant, the future of this building is now within the sole purview of the College of the Atlantic, whose campus master plan calls for its removal for redevelopment with modern student housing. The building is suffering from deferred maintenance and does not have a building endowment to fund repairs.

Endangered. The 1894 Norway Opera House with

its landmark clock tower dominates the Main

Street skyline. Considered to be a pivotal building

in Norway’s new Downtown Revitalization program,

suffered from deferred maintenance with a badly

leaking roof and dated wiring and heating systems.

The Opera House was the center of community

activity for many years, featuring famous headliners

and healthy first-floor retail establishments. This

building has significant rehabilitation potential

and an ability to once again be the star of

downtown Norway.

For more information or to make a donation to the building fund, contact Anne Campbell, Norway Downtown Revitalization, PO Box 271, Norway 04268.

Gone. Recent emphatic citizen efforts were not successful in persuading the local Planning Board to deny a demolition and redevelopment application for the Colcord House. Located just outside the local historic district, and therefore not protected by the preservation ordinance, this mid 19th century building was reduced to salvage and scrap to make way for a new medical facility of York Hospital. The small-scale village character of Portland Street, a gateway into South Berwick, was dramatically altered with this new development.