Timber Point Cottage, Biddeford (IN MOTION)

The Timber Point Peninsula, the farmhouse, and outbuildings were purchased in 1929 by Charles and Louise Parsons Ewing. Shortly after the purchase, Charles Ewing, an architect, began designing a summer cottage at the more private, far end of the point. The two-story cottage was completed in 1931 and has fourteen bedrooms. The oceanfront location of over one hundred pastoral acres is a true rarity in New England with diverse wildlife and ecosystems present on the property.

The family has retained 13 acres including the farmhouse and outbuildings on the north end of the peninsula. The 98-acre parcel purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service includes the Ewing Cottage on the southeastern end of the peninsula.

The ecosystems on the property have so developed in the context of the buildings and the use of the residents that have accompanied them over the past 80+ years. If people are totally removed from the peninsula, then the ecosystem will change. This use has also kept the this elegantly designed and laid-out cottage active and well maintained. Continuing a reasonable use of the cottage while managing the natural environment around it would retain the high quality that both now possess. Without active use, the condition of the cottage will inevitably decline, hastened by its location overlooking the ocean. Maine Preservation and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission have not been informed about what is currently being planned for this National Register-eligible property and how it will be protected and preserved for future use.

Maine Preservation is prepared to offer a small Matching Seed Grant of $500 to begin the funding for a comprehensive assessment for the cottage at Timber Point.

Cynthia Martinez (USFWS, Conserving the Future) stated, “The habitats we manage are intertwined with the greater landscape. Thus, we have to connect”. According to Majora Carter, Executive Director, Conserving the Future, we have to “bring unconventional partners into our fabric of interest”.

Historic preservation in collaborative partnership with FWS fulfills these mandates.

Bar Mills School, Buxton & Hollis High School, Hollis (SAVED OR IN MOTION)

In 2011, voters in the five towns within MSAD6 narrowly voted to allow the school district to demolish unused buildings instead of giving them to the community for repurposing, though no plans or costs for such uses were available. Meanwhile, their neighbors in Buxton voted “NO” on this article by a narrow margin, suggesting that where voters were informed about the issue, they agreed that repurposing is better than demolishing.

As a result, the school district is considering selling the Bar Mills School or demolishing it for an additional seven parking spaces to serve the district administrative headquarters (next door at the former Eliza Libby School). The school district had budgeted for demolition of Hollis High School, but a very close school board directors’ vote rejected the lowest contractor bid. Since that vote, the district has reevaluated its land/space needs, and is exploring an option to buy land on the West Buxton side of the Hollis Elementary School, which will provide a wider range of possibilities for future expansion and make the former Hollis High School more likely available for community use.

The combined appraised value of these buildings is $821,690, whose sale could bring the school district some portion of this, rather than spending an estimated $75,000 in demolition. Demolition would create approx 1,020 tons of debris (assuming 25% recycling). The embodied energy in these two buildings is equivalent to 190,103 gallons of gasoline.

The Community Heritage Alliance of Rural Maine (CHARM) is currently working to convince the Hollis Selectmen to accept the former Hollis High School Building and then transfer it to CHARM for repurposing. Additionally, The Buxton-Hollis Historical Society is considering using the Bar Mills building as the organization’s headquarters which enhance opportunities for the building’s interpretation and historical study. Additional possibilities include Recreation Department, library, police, or town hall use.

Wood Island Lifesaving Station, Kittery (SAVED)

The Wood Island Life Saving Station, a Duluth-style station designed by architect George R. Tolman,

was built in 1908 by the Sugden Brothers of Portsmouth, NH. It replaced the original Jerry's Point Station #12 across the harbor in New Castle, NH. The U.S. Life Saving Service (became Coast Guard in 1915) took control of Wood Island at that time. The station was in active service until 1955, when the Coast Guard moved its operation back to New Castle, NH, rendering the structure as abandoned “military surplus.”

In 1973, the Federal government restored ownership of the island and station to the Town of Kittery through a restrictive deed that prevents selling or leasing the land and mandates the town to maintain a safe and assessable area for recreation. Despite this, little maintenance has been performed, resulting in today’s severe deterioration. A 2009 Feasibility Study determined that demolition alone would cost $300,000, so Kittery has explored other ways of disposing of the property.

Public sentiment supports saving the structure, and a non-profit organization devoted to its preservation, the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association (WILSSA), has spearheaded efforts and discussion with the town about possible solutions.

In July 2012, the Town of Kittery and WILSSA reached a memorandum of understanding, which requires the town to pay the cost of asbestos abatement, but no other taxpayer money will be expended. The 2009 Feasibility Study estimated that cost between $130,000 and $160,000, with a federal grant covering all but $40,000. Because of the covenants retained in 1973 concerning Federal oversight of the island, the three parties involved (the town, WILSSA, and the National Park Service) now have to reach a concession agreement. This agreement will lay out the short- and long-term uses and how WILSSA will achieve those goals, including fundraising.

In the meantime, WILSSA is putting together requests for proposals for the first phase of work, which will be to stabilize the station and is also preparing a reasonable plan to help prevent storm surge damage to the Station. WILSSA expects the restoration work will take several years to complete, and does not anticipate starting phase one until next summer.

While lighthouses garner the most attention along Maine’s coast, life saving stations played an important role in maritime safety. At the other end of the state, the Quoddy Head Station has been preserved and repurposed as an inn.

Lincoln Street School, Rockland (SAVED)

Lincoln Street School, a neoclassical brick school in the town of Rockland, has long been home to a rich legacy of institutions and community organizations since its construction in 1868. The Watershed School, Rockland High School alumni association, and various other arts and educational tenants have all been housed within its venerable walls. Following a June 30 closure announcement by the management of Lincoln Street Center in 2012, initial interest by the nonprofit organization The old school faded when cumulative repair and maintenance cost estimates arose from engineering and roofing examination.

1923-1925 additions and renovations added outer wings to the school, which continued to house local schools until its acquisition by the city of Rockland in 1996, following SAD 5’s closure of Rockland District Middle School. Late 1990s renovations saw an attempt to develop retirement housing within the space, although a number of the school’s amenities remain – including a gymnasium and 300-seat auditorium. These assets remain a valuable advantage in potential adaptive use. In addition, the school’s location – near Rockland’s downtown core – offers an ideal opportunity to access both surrounding neighborhoods and commercial activity.

Necessary investment includes a new roof, in the neighborhood of $250,000 and maintenance on the building’s 180 windows. The three-story, 45,000 square foot building was foreclosed in the face of mounting debts by the nonprofit organization. Lincoln Street Center’s 2002 purchase of the school for $61,000 followed a three year lease from the city of Rockland, after which time the Center secured a mortgage through Camden National Bank. An impending auction makes the future uncertain.

The building has also housed a venerable collection of local memorabilia pertaining to the schools’ legacies, tying the facility to its historical context. In the face of increasing changes to Maine’s school systems and their historic resources, this use has helped to highlight an important part of the Midcoast’s community and cultural landscape.

The question of Lincoln Street School’s survival underlines the need for increased community awareness of local historic resources, as well as interest and backing for the resource’s adaptive use, rather than tax-funded demolition. The town of Rockland has already been an exemplary model in the effective use of commercial space to rejuvenate its rich historic downtown area. Its legacy remains incomplete, however, without a broader look at existing community resources.

Old Central Fire Station, Saco (SAVED)

Built in 1939 as one of only eight Works Progress Association projects in Maine, the Central Fire Station has been a significant landmark in the Saco community from the very beginning. The brick firehouse, designed to reflect an ongoing heritage from an earlier tradition of civic service and public safety, well served its role from its construction until January 2011, when a newly built North Street facility replaced it for local firefighting operations. Since, it has remained empty– already twice threatened with demolition.

2012 has seen a great deal of activity surround the fate of the building. Housing Initiatives of New England, a nonprofit organization led by Cynthia Taylor (a Maine Preservation trustee and Vice President), has offered the City of Saco $50,000 to purchase the station, in order to invest a far greater sum of $1.2 million to rehabilitate it for much-needed community senior housing. [Cynthia Taylor did not participate in or seek to influence the selection of this site for Maine Preservation’s Endangered List.]

Statewide economic impact studies have determined that rehabilitation investment in historic properties yield economic benefits for Maine communities, despite recent challenges in real estate. These rehabilitations foster revitalization, raise property values and property taxes and bolster the surrounding real estate market.

For the moment, however, a divided city council recently voted against the sale, opting instead to postpone demolition bids until at least mid-September. This action has already drawn criticism of a vocal base of support throughout Saco – including city councilors – who recognize the economic as well as historical benefit that a new phase of reinvestment could gain for the community. Moreover, the cost to demolish such a unique resource would place an additional burden on taxpayers, rather than provide a meaningful benefit.

Saco’s Central Fire Station echoes a growing threat to historic public facilities, as many municipalities across the state have increasingly settled for new peripheral construction, while historically and culturally significant resources are left as empty holes in the downtown landscape. This resource, however, is also poised to become a new example of a community’s tradition of economic resilience and reinvestment – answering a need for housing as well as honoring a unique local legacy of service and safety.

History, Statewide

With the advent of digital media, the field of history has made powerful advances in the methods used and the efficiency of research and documentation of the past, in ways previously unimaginable. Such benefits to the field come at a cost, however. One of the ongoing challenges of historical research has always been to find written documentation to clarify events of the past. But now, at the same time that written records in digital form can reach a wider audience, the form of these record raises new questions of storage, permanence, volume and coherence. Given the volume and generally short-term nature of material, creation of lasting records in modern times has diminished, and the existence of official documents, personal correspondence, photographs, architectural drawings, etc. all face an uncertain future.

With issues of file type compatibility, where and how to store digital material, and how to ultimately access it, comes the question: what material will there be for historians of the future to study the present? Will those generations to come be able to synthesize our history? Will there be too much documentation or will the precarious availability of this knowledge lead to its premature demise?

This issue certainly engages the fields of archivists and librarians, but resonates with preservationists as well. Will we be able to access the images, records, and documents about today’s buildings the same way and as effectively as we can for those tangible documents of centuries past? For this reason, Maine Preservation brings attention to the threats to the study of history that have yet to be resolved. Commonly shared protocols for sorting and preserving digital materials need to be developed.

Now, within the era of digital documentation, will the records of today still exist for future generations to interpret the history of our time and provide for the preservation of its vestiges in the built environment? How can we ensure effective stewardship and long-term growth for the legacies of local, statewide, and national identity around us?

In-town Public Facilities, Statewide

Public facilities in major part contribute to our community’s future through architectural layout and location. Continuing to locate such facilities in town simply helps ensure continued vibrancy. Communities that see vacant buildings as an asset, a challenge and an opportunity to fill ensure that such vibrancy will continue. Communities that regard vacant buildings as “eyesores” and demolish them without due consideration, in turn, fragment the town center. These vacancies are often known as the “broken tooth” problem. Urban renewal was a huge failure in the 1960s and repeating this error by demolishing potentially serviceable buildings in the 21st century is replacing a potential business with a vacant lot. With this in mind, the strong potential for adaptive use and maintenance of historic in-town facilities can better facilitate an intact townscape.

When in-town facilities are relocated outside of town, the community risks owning underused facilities, or creating a distressed town center full of significant architectural gaps. Two projects that serve as an example of the successful reuse of such buildings to house important community facilities follow.

A Good Example: Gray Town Hall On Maine Preservation’s 2008 Most Endangered List, the Pennell Institute demonstrates how a vacant historic building can be successfully repurposed to serve the community and ensure the longevity of local architectural fabric. In 2008, after several years of population growth, Gray was faced with the problem of space restraints in its town hall. Rather than resorting to new construction, town-wide surveys were taken to determine which existing building in Gray would serve well as a replacement. This process also included a complete analysis conducted by the Community Economic Development Committee (CEDC) to confirm the economic viability of local options. On November 4, 2008 the town of Gray voted that the Pennell Institute would make an appropriate town hall. Gray’s citizens understood the importance in preserving the 136 year -old Pennell Institute. As a busy, occupied building, the ongoing maintenance of this historically significant resource will continue.

A Good Example: South Berwick Library The Friends of the South Berwick Library’s ongoing project to convert St. Michael’s Church into the town library is another success story. Still in progress, the friends are working to fund construction needed to transform the church sanctuary into the library’s main space. Together with an addition already built, the library will accommodate 6,800 square-feet for library collections. By using this building – located within walking distance of downtown, Central Elementary School, and a future senior housing building – the library will help redefine the “town square” for the community. By effectively ensuring the preservation of the St. Michael’s church, now as a library, the downtown area of South Berwick will continue to thrive.

KEY STEPS TO RETAINING IN-TOWN FACILITIES

• Rather than relying on new construction on the edge of town, a community evaluates existing buildings, located in town, which could house public facility operations. In turn, such buildings can serve as a symbol of town pride and assist in continued prosperity.

• Citizens understand the economic benefits of retaining public facilities within in-town locations. Underuse can be negative consequence when community members are forced to travel by vehicle to out-of-the-way facilities, away from centers of vibrant community life.

• Clear, open dialogue among the community is vital. This can take many forms, as is seen by Gray’s efforts to use the CEDC to distribute surveys and South Berwick’s forming of an open group.

Original Building Material, Statewide

Original Building Materials define historic structures, and have stood the test of time. Replacement of durable materials that are in good condition has begun to occur at an alarming rate. Such wholesale removal increases both up-front costs and long-term maintenance. Stripping off sound wooden trim, clapboards, historic windows, and other features sends the best quality materials we will ever see – old growth wood – to the dump and replaces it with inferior wood or other lower quality products. Such substitution forces owners to continually replace these materials at a quicker rate - every 20 or fewer years, in some cases.

Studies show that such careless replacements will not pay for themselves in energy savings – even windows – before they wear out and lead to new problems. Yet such approaches to historic buildings are regularly cited as more advanced and cheaper than careful repair. In truth, they are neither. Such severe alterations degrade historic integrity and resale value.

Throughout the state and nation, the authentic historic houses and historic districts with original building materials command higher values than other comparable properties and areas. For more than two centuries Mainers successfully repaired their homes, but in the last couple decades many of us have merely settled instead for the steady demise of these solid materials and their legacy.

Railway Freight Sheds, Statewide

Freight sheds have long acted as the “back yard” of railroad stations. These buildings stood alongside the tracks, usually adjacent to a passenger station, and were built as less ornamental but more utilitarian versions of their depots. Each one served its local community as much as any vibrant business would; their loading docks provided an outlet for farmers to ship crops, milk, wood, or ice while also giving storage space for items like carriages or stoves traveling long distances over multiple railroad lines.

Once railroad traffic declined, freight sheds met the same demise as depots. Today in Maine, these sheds have become increasingly rare reminders of the industrial side of railroading. They are excellent candidates for adaptive use, due to their typically central locations, solid original construction and open floor plans.

Freight sheds, with their simple architecture and state of neglect, often do not inspire the same preservation interest as depots. Because of their long-term use as places of storage, freight sheds can have deferred maintenance, making their preservation a timely concern. Their spaces bear witness to a rich and dynamic history of labor, technology, and municipal growth. As intown areas across Maine embrace reinvestment and redevelopment, reuse of these resources bears careful consideration.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD WORK: BATH & BRUNSWICK

In two Midcoast Maine communities, groups of concerned citizens are taking a closer look at their freight sheds and developing strategies of reuse. In the City of Ships, the Bath Freight Shed Alliance has acquired a lease on its Commercial Street property and has begun improvements to house the City’s farmer’s market there (including EBT card reader capability). So far, repairs to the building include work on its sills, roof, and electrical upgrades, as well as site clean-up. When complete, the freight shed will also be headquarters for Maine’s First Ship, an organization currently building the Virginia – a reconstruction of the first maritime vessel known to have been crafted in North America.

Brunswick’s freight shed, despite pressure from new development across from its Union Street location, may also become home to the town’s farmer’s market. Though no formal organization holds the reins of the project, the practical conversion has many supporters, including the owner of the property. Brunswick’s already vibrant farmer’s market would benefit from an enclosed space downtown with access to electricity to increase the usability and accessibility of local agriculture.

Support for freight shed conversions often stems from a variety of sources. In Bath, other partners for the permanent farmer’s market comes from Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc., Maine Street Bath, and Maine’s First Ship. Recently, an online fundraiser supplied $18,000 for the Alliance, and when combined with creative solutions to tackling chores (using local high school trade students to do the electrical work), its resources can go a long way.

Hains Building, Waterville (SAVED)

At the turn of the 20th century the Waterville Savings Bank had become the financial core of a blossoming downtown community. In 1902, according to The Centennial History of Waterville, the bank was the city’s largest savings depository, with $1.2 million in accounts. Its architect William H. Butterfield, according to Earle Shettleworth: “was a native of Sidney, Maine, who moved to Waterville at age eleven. In 1881 Butterfield established an architectural firm in Manchester, New Hampshire, from which he conducted a life-long architectural practice that covered the New England states. His early ties to Waterville led to his designing at least ten major buildings there in the first decade of the twentieth century.” The reinforced concrete floors and gray brick and limestone exterior sought to guarantee the building as fireproof. Indeed, its appearance suggests that the bank’s goal was to have its headquarters look permanent and secure. During the Great Depression in 1939, the bank moved across the street to a larger block.

The four-story landmark retains a variety of architectural details that make the building highly significant. The storefront level’s façade is divided by a large arched entryway with flanking shop windows. On the fourth story, an arcade of arched windows adds heft to the upper level. Several cornice lines, lintels, and quoins add texture and profile variation on the façades (the block sits on the corner of Main and Appleton). The largely intact interior woodwork and layout also contribute to this significance.

After fifteen years of vacancy, the building is threatened by neglect and damage from a leaking roof. The owner has shut off water and electrical services to the building, making the fireproof design vulnerable. Because the building is privately owned, options for reuse and preservation are limited.

A group of supporters wish to see it preserved in a method that benefits downtown Waterville, though current costs exceed expected returns. More recently, conversations between the owner and Downtown Waterville focus on other options for making the property available so that immediate structural work can commence.

Downtown Waterville is a proponent of the building’s preservation, along with Maine Preservation and Maine Historic Preservation Commission. Of many buildings in Waterville, this historically and architecturally significant structure remains and important key to the continued successful revitalization of the city. The former Waterville Savings Bank building represents two key citizens in Waterville’s affluent rise, but its iconic Romanesque architecture and valuable location can, with a creative reuse strategy and help from partners, continue to symbolize the city’s resurgence as an economic engine of Central Maine.