Introducing Maine Preservation's Easement Program

Maine Preservation's Easement Program was established to preserve Maine's historic and architectural heritage by taking and administering preservation easements in significant historic properties. Maine Preservation is a charitable non-profit corporation, qualified under Maine Law (33 M.R.S.A. 1551) to hold easements on historic properties.

A preservation easement is a means whereby an owner of real property, whether land or structures, having special historic architectural or archaeological significance, can restrict the use of the property so as to maintain and preserve that significance in perpetuity. By donating a preservation easements to Maine Preservation, an owner may qualify for certain federal tax incentives, including a charitable deduction for the value of the easement donated. An endowment is required for all easements accepted by the organization.

A preservation easement in real property is a limited interest that leaves the owner free to sell, bequeath, mortgage or lease the property subject to the easement. An easement may be accepted on property in its present condition or on a property that the owner plans to rehabilitate, in which case the plans for the rehabilitation become part of the easement agreement.

Most commonly, a preservation easement restricts the appearance and maintenance of the exterior facade of individual structures. In some cases the restriction will extend to interior features and the surrounding landscape. Open spaces having special historic and/or archaeological significance may also be the subject or preservation easement restrictions. The conservation of open land lacking special historic or archaeological significance should be handled through the mechanism of a land conservation easement. Maine Preservation can refer interested persons to an appropriate land conservation organization; the Maine Land Trust Association is also an excellent resource for this information.

Maintenance, repairs, restoration and alterations are subject either to the specific requirements set forth in the easement or to the prior approval of Maine Preservation. Standards for restoration and maintenance are those recommended in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

A sample preservation easement agreement and an application form may be obtained from Maine Preservation upon request. The terms of each easement and any special requirements will vary from property to property. Please contact Roxanne Eflin, Maine Preservation's Executive Director at (207) 775-3652 for more information

 

Scribner Mill Homestead, Harrison, Maine Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

Harrison Homestead Protected with Easement

In August, 2002, Maine Preservation accepted a preservation easement on the Scribner Mill Homestead in Harrison, Maine, donated by John and Marilyn Hatch. The c.1849 property, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, consists of the Greek Revival style house, attached two-story ell, woodshed, and attached barn. Also included in the easement are a chicken house and a corn house. Situated on the Crooked River in Cumberland County, it is a family homestead spanning many generations of the Scribner family who operated an early logging and water-driven sawmill operation.

The Scribner Mill Homestead brings Maine Preservation's easements to four, each one unique and of inestimable value in maintaining a tangible record of the people and architecture of the state of Maine. Easements are also held on properties in Belfast, Cape Elizabeth and Yarmouth.