Portland

The Sawyer Building - 2-6 Exchange St. / 395-399 Fore St., Portland

This highly recognizable building is in the heart of the Old Port. An earlier building on the site was destroyed during the Great Fire of Portland in 1866 and only part of a wall remained after the fire. A new structure built shortly after the fire included the old wall. Throughout the decades, the building had several different owners. Harrison Hill Sawyer II bought the building in 1974 for retail, office and apartment use. It was one of the many buildings he purchased to grow his company. Flash forward to present day, Sawyer's grandson, Harrison Wirth, now sits next to the original wall in his office at H.H. Sawyer Realty.

After enduring years of drafty and foggy windows, the building owner, H.H. Sawyer Realty engaged Bagala Window Works to remediate the situation. Bagala performed an assessment and removed one of the windows, and realized the project was going to be a larger one than anticipated. The original windows were modified with insulated glass panels, which had structurally impacted the stability of the upper and lower sash. The jambs surrounding the sash were also weather worn on the exterior and many sills needed repair or replacing. Due to these conditions, the windows needed to be reproduced.

Since the building is in an historic district, and a highly visible, important part of the Old Port, the owner believed the right thing to do was to restore the building to its original glory. H.H. Sawyer Realty funded restoration project itself and used state historic tax credits.

Justin Smith, of New England Sash Company, crafted exact reproductions of the original sash with the original configuration, muntin ogees and stile and rail widths. The sash were made traditionally through mortis and tenon with wood pegs- no metal fasteners or glue used. The biggest challenge during this process was making the clipped corner and bowed sash. After the sash were fabricated, Bagala Window Works arrived onsite to remove the existing windows and begin extensive repair on the exterior jambs and sills. The wood sills and the mortar below the sills were deteriorated to the point of both needing replacement and reinforcing. Pete Chavonelle of Masonry Preservation Associates was consulted about using the right mortar products and new a brick mold was fabricated to match the existing. Victor Wright and his crew at Heritage Company, replaced the slate roof and copper gutter system and Bill Bunton reconstructed the dormers.

The building's original architectural details have been brought back to life with the window restoration work; the windows now feature single-pane antique reproduction glass, reinstalled weight balance systems, and metal interlocking weather-stripping to prevent air infiltration. The windows now operate smoothly and efficiently. The building now consists of four apartments, four offices and four retail stores. The new roof, dormers and gutter system cap off this project.

Project Participants

  • Harrison Wirth, Owner

  • Justin Smith, New England Sash Company

  • Victor Wright, The Heritage Co., LLC

  • Pete Chavonelle, Jr., Masonry Preservation Associates

  • Bill Bunton, Bunton Construction

  • Marc Bagala, Bagala Window Works

Butler School & Payson House, Portland

“Everyone Deserves a Place to call Home” is the tagline that Avesta Housing has used to describe the newly rehabbed Butler-Payson Apartments. And what a home it is!  Consisting of two separate structures, the Butler School and the Payson House, both designed by Francis Henry Fassett who had a strong impact on the look of Portland, the apartments date from 1879 and 1877 respectively.  Exhibiting the leading architectural trends of the era, the Butler School is a keen example of the Victorian Gothic style while the Payson House, at its core, is an Italianate structure. Originally, the Butler School was constructed as a grammar school while the Payson House was originally a private home before being converted into a hospital in the early 20th century. 

Both buildings were converted into apartments in the early 1970s and were used as housing until 2011 when Avesta purchased the buildings for conversion into affordable, senior housing. The buildings had inefficient mechanical systems, poorly sealed and insulated envelopes, and outdated life safety features that needed to be upgraded to ensure the ongoing health and safety of current and future residents.  Determined to keep the historic fabric of both structures while upgrading both facilities to meet current safety codes and increase the buildings’ energy efficiency, Avesta worked closely with Efficiency Maine to facilitate air sealing, insulation, and other efficiency upgrades that were acceptable from a historic perspective, exceeded code, and would have the desired impact on building operations. Avesta teamed with Hebert Construction, Goduti/Thomas Architects, Structural Design Consultants, and Tremont Preservation Services to ensure that the rehabilitation of the buildings met the needs of all parties.  

The envelopes of both buildings were significantly improved through air sealing, insulation, and replacement of windows. Structural improvements in both buildings ensured their stability, which was especially necessary in Payson House due to the piecemeal construction and additions over time. The brick exteriors of both buildings were repointed, slate roofs repaired, copper gutters replaced, mechanical systems were upgraded, and life safety issues were addressed throughout both buildings. In some cases, window openings were enlarged to allow the installation of windows more reflective of those that were originally designed by the architect. Overhead utilities were also buried at both properties, thus improving the historical accuracy of the overall site. The flagpole memorial to Harold Andrews at the Butler School was also rededicated through the collaboration of the Rotary Club and City of Portland.

With these modernizing renovations, the focus was not just improving the quality of life for people living in the homes, but also reincorporating these buildings into the historic fabric of the neighborhood where the buildings have stood for almost 150 years.  The historic preservation of Butler School and Payson House preserves affordable homes for 56 households on Portland's West End and affirms that safe, quality, and affordable homes can elevate and strengthen existing neighborhoods.

Project Participants

Jose Block - 80 Exchange Street, Portland

The Jose Block is one of several buildings built on Exchange Street in the mid-19th century by Horatio Jose, one of Portland’s most prominent businessmen. Constructed after the great fire of 1866, the Italianate-style structure has a stone facade and arched windows. Notable features include a gambrel roof, which is unusual for an office building of its time, and iron pilasters on the first-floor facade. Constructed to house shops on the first floor and offices on the second, the third floor was finished as a performance space and for a number of years was used by a local music group, the Rossini Club, which is still active today. The Jose Block is a contributing building within the Old Port Historic District and is well known locally, in part for a large tromp l’oeil mural on its southern elevation adjoining Tommy’s Park.

Over the years, the building experienced some significant visual changes. The storefronts were reconfigured, the original arched sash windows were replaced with square casement windows, and, in the 1960s, yellow stucco was added to the Exchange Street facade. It also survived two fires.

In 2018, the Jose Block was bought by developers Jim Brady and Stev Parker. Since then, the owners, in consultation with the City of Portland and working with Warren Construction, restored and rehabilitated both the interior and exterior of the building. The upper three floors have been updated to Class A office space, with The Grill Room Restaurant remaining on the first floor. The yellow stucco was removed and replaced, and the storefronts were restored to their original layout and setback. The inappropriate casement windows were replaced with new, arched, sash windows based on the originals. Two new modifications were made to the structure: first, at the rear of the building, two dormers on the rear elevation were expanded into one continuous dormer, which is minimally visible from the street; and windows were added to the southern elevation.

The final challenge of this project was the famous mural on the south elevation overlooking Tommy’s Park. Investigation revealed that the masonry behind the mural was failing and that the required repair would destroy the mural. The decision was made to replace the mural after repairing the wall. The developers and Julie Larry of Greater Portland Landmarks formed a committee to review design proposals and chose Will Sears, who created an abstract design inspired by the colors of Portland. The final design was reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Board. The mural was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

The rehabilitation of the Jose Block made updates and improvements while reinstating the building’s architectural and historic significance. The building is now home to high quality office space, and hosts successful restaurant and other businesses as well as Fathom Companies as tenants. Inappropriate updates have been reversed, and the facade has been restored to its former elegance. All of this is made complete by the new mural facing Tommy’s Park.

Project Participants

  • Jim Brady & Stev Parker, Owners

  • Fathom Companies

  • Briburn LLC

  • Warren Construction

  • Titan Mechanical, Inc.

  • Deb Andrews, City of Portland

  • Julie Larry, Greater Portland Landmarks

  • Will Sears