Maine Light Stations

Story

Maine occupies the easternmost point of the United States and boasts 3,478 miles of coastline. At the time of European settlement and for another 250 years, maritime trade and transportation, and thus navigation, was crucial to its growth and prosperity. 

Most of Maine’s light stations were constructed atop ledges and precipices along the state’s rocky shores. They are primarily located in rural areas and of the 66 that remain, 50 are sited on islands. Light towers, mostly constructed of brick, granite, and steel, were the central feature of light stations, often joined by outbuildings. Typically constructed of wood, these ancillary structures could include keeper’s quarters, a fuel storage building, a foghorn building, bell tower, boathouses and slipways, docks, and stairs. With the help of modern technology, 57 of the 66 extant light stations still function as active aids to navigation. Nine light stations have been fully decommissioned, among those, three were lost to fire or storm damage.

Historically, the United States government, specifically the United States Coast Guard, owned and operated all Maine light stations until the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. Since that time, local and state governmental agencies, including the Towns of Cape Elizabeth, the Town of Rockland, and the State of Maine, have all taken on stewardship of these important cultural resources as have non-profit organizations including American Lighthouse Foundation, Lighthouse Preservation Society, Beacon Preservation, Maine Lighthouse Trust, and The Islands Institute. Modern uses range from private residences to educational facilities, local and state parks, and even vacation rentals whose fees go directly to maintaining the lights for public benefit. These stewards work ceaselessly to broaden community understanding and support for preservation of the light stations and continue their function as navigational aids for maritime activities.

Threat

Light stations were purposefully positioned on low-lying peninsulas and small outcroppings comprising the most dangerous parts of Maine’s coast, which means they are now extremely vulnerable to the rising seas and increasingly extreme weather resulting from climate change. According to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of all other ocean surface on the planet, meaning the rate of change in rising seas and storm surges impacting Maine’s light stations is among the most extreme. This new reality crystallized most recently during a pair of storms in January that saw crashing waves and ripping winds wreak havoc on light stations, causing an estimated $5.5 million in damage. 

The United States government has transitioned ownership of most light stations to local governments, non-governmental organizations, and private individuals. These entities do not have access to the financial resources needed for adequate maintenance of these cultural icons and navigational aids, let alone the significant costs of repairing and preparing these sites for ever-worsening weather events. In the face of climate change, these structures must be adapted for high winds and inundation, or infrastructure installed to mitigate the impact of larger and stronger waves. Without intervention, it is not a question of if, but when the long-standing sentinels along Maine’s coast will fall to the sea.

How to get involved

Now is the time to raise awareness, develop strategies, and adapt Maine’s iconic light stations to be more resilient in the face of climate change. They can be repaired, prepared, and adapted!

We encourage everyone to volunteer, donate, and advocate for their favorite light station. Maine residents can show their support by purchasing a specialty license plate with proceeds going to the Maine Lighthouse Trust, which manages a grant program to fund the preservation of light stations.

Residents can also call upon local, state, and federal elected officials to enact policies that support the documentation, preservation, and adaptation of light stations to give them a fighting chance in the face of climate change impacts. This includes Maine’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission formed in the wake of the recent winter storms, which is tasked with strengthening community preparedness, resilience, and recovery for the storms ahead.

Photo Credits: Bob Trapani, Jr.; Range Light Keepers; Maine Preservation

Sangerville Town Hall

Story

Sangerville Town Hall was completed in 1902 at a cost of just over $11,000. The National Register-listed building is remarkably intact and serves as a symbol of the town’s prosperity at the turn of the century, driven at the time by woolen mills along the Piscataquis River.

The Colonial Revival-style building incorporates striking Queen Anne features, most notably multi-colored, geometric windows that dominate three sides of the structure, illuminating the assembly space inside. The design of the two-and-a-half-story building is credited to local architect and contractor C.L. Smith. The Town Hall was built as a multi-use structure, which included storage for a hearse and fire apparatus on the ground floor, a Selectman’s Office on the first floor, and an auditorium with a stage on the second and third floors. A library space was incorporated later. The auditorium welcomed both concerts and shows by performers from across the country, as well as more locally driven events like dances, graduations, public suppers, basketball games, and town meetings.

Threat

The last significant building repair campaign was completed in the early 1990s, which included a fund to enhance accessibility to the upper floor spaces. However, that fund was instead put towards periodic repairs, leaving the upper floors unusable and triggering their perception as unneeded community space.

Deferred maintenance and dwindling use of the building led the Select Board to pursue sale of the building in 2021, but resistance from residents kept any actions at bay. The situation worsened the following year when the town’s insurer dropped coverage due to structural concerns with the foundation and balcony in the auditorium and other code and life safety deficiencies. Preliminary assessments from engineers estimate the repairs to the foundation alone could be upwards of $500,000. The town staff were forced to rent temporary space down the street.

Local reporting highlighted that the closure of Town Hall was part of a larger trend, with Sangerville having lost its masonic lodge, American Legion Hall, school, Catholic church, public library, and a local restaurant.

Concerned residents, with the support of the Sangerville Historical Society, pushed for the formation of an ad hoc committee to explore the building’s future. They successfully added a question to the town warrant and voters overwhelmingly supported preserving the historic building and investing public funds in its rehabilitation.

While the revived support is a win that should be celebrated, it comes at an enormous price tag and there are limited funding resources available to give the building the attention it needs. Town leaders and residents have taken an important step toward bucking the trend of closures and disinterest, but they will need to work hard to overcome the financial hurdles. In the meantime, the brick foundation continues to shift, mold is proliferating, and the town is left without a physical space for carrying out its most basic functions

How to get involved                

Residents from every corner of the state can “Vote Yes on 3” to create a funding source for the preservation of historic community buildings like Sangerville Town Hall. The third referendum question on this November’s ballot asks Mainers to support a $10 million bond that would create a state grant program administered by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to fund repairs on National-Register listed buildings owned and stewarded by nonprofit organizations or local governments. For the Town of Sangerville, a successful grant could mean critical repairs to the foundation and life safety upgrades to make it safe for public use.

Photo Credits: Sangerville Historical Society; Maine Preservation

Central Congregational Church

Story

Eastport’s Central Congregational Church, also known as the Seaman’s Church, was dedicated in 1829, although its spire was not completed until 1831. It was built by the First Evangelical Congregational Church and Society of Eastport, who later shortened their name to the Central Congregational Society of Eastport.

The Federal-style church is the work of prominent local architect and builder Daniel Low, and it was praised in the Eastport Sentinel for being well-proportioned and well-constructed. Low was known to have owned several plan books including Asher Benjamin’s “American Builder’s Companion.” Central Congregational Church appears to have been inspired by a design in the book. The interior, tower, belfry, and spire closely matched Benjamin’s plan, while Low took more license with the building’s proportions and added pilasters to its primary facade. The original belfry and spire blew over in the Saxby Gale of 1869 and were replaced with a different design. Additional alterations were made to the tower after a lightning strike in the 1990s. The only other significant alteration to the building is the enclosure of the galleries, which was done in the late nineteenth century.

In 1976, the Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an important example of Federal-style ecclesiastical architecture as well as an example of the skill of Daniel Low.

Threat

Like so many other houses of worship across the state, the number of congregants dwindled and owning the large church became financially unsustainable. In 2015, Maine Preservation staff conducted a preliminary assessment and warned that deferred maintenance was reaching a tipping point. A year later, the property was donated to the Tides Institute & Museum of Art, a nonprofit organization that has preserved a collection of significant historic buildings in Eastport.

In 2017, the Tides Institute, with support from the Maine Steeples Fund, commissioned a conditions assessment from Preservation Timber Framing (PTF) to understand the needs of the landmark church. It became evident that poor grade and drainage at the site resulted in areas of collapse in the foundation and extensive decay of the undercarriage framing. PTF’s assessment recommended significant repairs to the foundation and timber frame structure, including the steeple tower and spire. Other needs include the careful restoration of the windows, a new roof, and repainting the interior and exterior. The cost estimate for the most critical repairs to the structure and envelope is over $400,000. Compounding the physical problems, a new use for the building has yet to be identified. Large sanctuary spaces lend themselves to the performing arts, lectures, and meetings but the Tides Institute already programs a historic church down the street in these ways.

How to get involved 

Maine voters can “Vote Yes on 3” to create a funding source for the preservation of historic community buildings like the Central Congregational Church. The third referendum question on this November’s ballot asks Mainers to support a $10 million bond that would create a state grant program administered by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to fund repairs on National-Register listed buildings owned and stewarded by nonprofit organizations or local governments.

While the Tides Institute is an engaged steward with a proven track record of preservation and fundraising, long-term success requires a sustainable plan for reuse. Input from a variety of stakeholders in the Eastport community and larger Downeast region is welcomed and encouraged. If you or your organization wants to be a part of the conversation, please reach out to either the Tides Institute or Maine Preservation.

For information on how to directly support the Central Congregational Church, please visit, https://www.tidesinstitute.org/.

Photo Credits: Tides Institute & Museum of Art; Maine Preservation

142 Free Street*

*This is not about Just One building

Story

America’s first historic districts were created in Charleston, South Carolina (1931), and New Orleans (1936), cities whose identities, culture, and tourism are inseparable from their protected architecture. Historic districts allow for a means to appreciate buildings that alone may not be landmarks, but together "contribute” to a sense of place through architectural styles featured in its period of development, material choices and quality, patterns of scale and setbacks, and shared history. The City of Portland adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 1990 and immediately designated eight historic districts, protecting places now synonymous with the city’s history and identity—the Old Port, Stroudwater, and the Western Promenade to name a few.

The Congress Street Historic District was established in 2009, and the designation report states the “one word that characterizes the history and development of Congress Street…is change.” The district captures the backbone of the Portland peninsula where the city’s most important commercial, religious, residential, civic, and cultural buildings were erected. The rich and varied architecture of the district comprises nearly 200 years of development along Portland’s “Main Street,” from the Federal-style Wadsworth-Longfellow House built in 1795 to the 1956 Union Mutual Insurance Company Building designed in the Moderne Style. One building spanning the better part of the district’s history is 142 Free Street.

Along with dozens of other buildings, the brick building at 142 Free Street was classified as contributing to the Congress Street Historic District, meaning it exemplifies the qualities that give the district cultural, historic, or architectural significance. While the building was originally conceived as a theater in 1830, and later remodeled for use as a church, its last comprehensive renovation was completed in 1926 for use as the Portland Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. Its Colonial Revival design is representative of the diverse architectural styles along Congress Street, while its use by the Chamber of Commerce is inextricably linked to the zenith of Portland’s business district and its early beginnings as a destination.   

Threat

Historic districts often include buildings that are considered “non-contributing,” which are typically newer construction (less than 50 years old), do not demonstrate the qualities that give the district its purpose and meaning, or have been so drastically altered or deteriorated as to be dismissed on first sight. For example, a gas station, a new rowhouse erected on an empty lot, or an office building stripped of all detail and ornament may fall in the boundaries of the district and be considered “non-contributing.”

In 2023, the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) sought to reclassify 142 Free Street as a non-contributing resource to allow for its demolition and make way for a new structure that was conceived through an architectural design competition. The PMA argued the building was incorrectly classified when the historic district was created because it was too altered. Portland’s Historic Review and Planning Boards voted against the request while the City Council overruled these expert bodies. Local advocacy group, Greater Portland Landmarks, is appealing the Council’s decision in court.

Reclassifying a contributing building without following clear standards established in the ordinance sets a dangerous precedent for other designated properties across the city. If the PMA moves forward with this approach, there is little to stop the next property owner from seeking reclassification of a historic building simply because it has changed over time. The Romanesque Revival-style Lancaster Block, a contributing building to the Congress Street Historic District, originally stood only four stories high but received a two-story addition in 1908. Across Monument Square, the 1924 Time & Temperature Building donned a two-story addition in 1962 and was remodeled in 1987. Buildings have always evolved, and as they gain new layers and shed old features, those changes can garner significance in their own right. And what is the purpose of the Congress Street Historic District–defined by the word “change”–if the rich and varied architecture comprising the backbone of Portland cannot, too, change.

Ironically, the Council’s decision preserves the city’s landmarks and historic districts in amber by dismissing change, counter to the intent of the preservation ordinance.

How to get involved

Those concerned by the fallout of the Council’s decision should call on PMA to abandon the reclassification and devise an expansion proposal that incorporates significant features of 142 Free Street as a contributing building. World-class museums and cultural institutions are often found in historic districts or are standalone landmarks themselves, and yet they successfully expand program space, increase accessibility, and add functionality without full-scale demolition of their historic assets.

The PMA should follow suit, submitting a design to the Historic Review Board that integrates character-defining features of 142 Free Street using the standard permitting process. Indeed, Portland’s preservation ordinance was designed to “review standards in a reasonable and flexible manner to prevent the unnecessary loss of the community’s historical features and to ensure compatible new construction and rehabilitation in historic districts while not stifling change and development.”  

Furthermore, 142 Free Street and its site, regardless of a court decision in favor of the City and PMA, remain within the boundaries of the Congress Street Historic District. Any new construction must follow the preservation ordinance’s standards for review and receive approval from the city’s Historic Review Board. This means that the new structure must be deemed “appropriate” for the district. While the review board may very well approve a dynamic and exciting new building design by right, a terrible legal precedent will be set by moving forward with the reclassification.

Photo Credits: Maine Preservation

Starling Hall

Story

In 1877, members of the Fayette Starling Grange #156 decided to build a permanent home for their meetings. Land was donated by T.F. Palmer, and the building committee was formed by civil engineer, Rev. E.R. French, and two local carpenters, T.F. Palmer and Alfred Tuttle. Starling Hall was dedicated on March 8, 1879, making it one of the first purpose-built Grange halls in the state. It became the center of activity for the area hosting the Farmers’ League, the North Fayette Lyceum, the Sons of Temperance, and numerous balls, oyster suppers, and local musicals. After the Grange disbanded in 1986, the Town of Fayette accepted ownership and has used it for community-facing purposes ever since.

In 2014, town leadership began to consider selling the property and the nonprofit Friends of Starling Hall (FOSH) was formed in response. With initial guidance from Maine Preservation, FOSH successfully nominated the property to the National Register of Historic Places and has since partnered with the Town of Fayette to forward its preservation. The most dramatic work occurred in the fall of 2017, when the hall was moved and set down on a new foundation. The building had been dangerously close to the road, risking close calls with cars and sustaining damage from winter plows. The lift allowed for critical repairs to the sills and reinforcement of the first-floor joists.

Since then, FOSH has also built a new code compliant entrance, drilled a new well, and installed new electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems. Construction of a ramp at the rear of the building has made the first floor more accessible and an updated commercial kitchen has allowed for the space to be used for community meals, in addition to public meetings and fundraisers. The work in total has cost approximately $300,000. A third of that originates from a town bond, with the remaining coming from FOSH-led fundraising and nearly $40,000 from other Town-approved sources.

Threat

The successful public-private partnership has been a locally contentious issue. A vocal group of residents has openly opposed the work, citing the slow progress of the project and decrying the use of public funds. This opposition was felt most acutely in 2022, when Senator Susan Collins awarded $500,000 to complete the building’s rehabilitation, but a town vote on matching funds thwarted the grant.

There is still significant work needed to ensure the use of Starling Hall as a community center, including exterior carpentry repairs and painting, accessibility improvements for the second floor, and interior finishes. However, those opposed to using town funds have gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum this November that would require the Town to sell the property:

Shall the citizens of Fayette request the selectboard and town manager to take all necessary action to sell the Starling Hall currently owned by the town before the end of the year of 2025?

The future of Starling Hall is at a significant juncture with the results of the November referendum likely deciding its fate as a publicly owned community space.   

How to get involved

Fayette voters can help ensure the building continues to be a public asset by opposing the local ballot question in November.

Meanwhile, Maine voters can “Vote Yes on 3” to create a funding source for the preservation of historic community buildings like Starling Hall. The third referendum question on this November’s ballot asks Mainers to support a $10 million bond that would create a state grant program administered by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to fund repairs on National-Register listed buildings owned and stewarded by nonprofit organizations or local governments.

To learn more about Starling Hall and how to help FOSH, please visit https://starlinghall.org/.

Photo Credits: Friends of Starling Hall (FOSH); Maine Preservation

Eagle Island State Historic Site

Story

Eagle Island, located off the coast of Harpswell, was the summer home of the famed arctic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary (1856-1920). Peary was born in Pennsylvania but raised in Maine, going on to study Civil Engineering at Bowdoin College and serving as a civil engineer in the United States Navy. He led his first expedition to the Arctic in 1886 and, on his ninth and final expedition in 1909, became the first person to reach the North Pole.

Peary fell in love with what he would name Eagle Island well before his fame, buying it in 1881 for $200. In 1904, Peary designed and built a house on the island as a place of refuge, where he would spend time writing about engineering, nature, and coastal defense. The original house, sited on a north-facing ledge overlooking the open water, was a simple one-story wood-framed structure. Over the years, the house was expanded to look like a ship with a surrounding deck and a flag lawn representing the ship’s bow. Peary also added two stone bastions, one on the west side for his library and the other on the east side for an arboretum.

The family continued to summer at the house after Peary’s death in 1920, later gifting it to the State of Maine in 1967. What was then the State Park and Recreation Commission built a new pier and initiated a $200,000 restoration campaign to preserve the history of Admiral Peary and provide a way station for recreational boating.

The nonprofit Friends of Peary’s Eagle Island (FPLE) formed in 1992 and has worked closely with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) to preserve the main house which serves at the primary museum space, caretaker's cottage, gardens, and trail across the 17-acre island. Among the highlights of the FPLE’s work is construction of a welcome center, upgraded bathroom facilities, and installation of a fire suppression system in the main house. The site was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2014.

Threat

FPLE and BPL have successfully stewarded Eagle Island, welcoming 6,000 visitors per year to the site. However, that success has been hampered by compounding challenges that began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The site was closed as part of the public health emergency and the island buildings were mothballed. The house, however, was not properly ventilated in the process, resulting in the proliferation of mildew and mold. Biological growth now threatens not only the house, but the priceless artifacts stored within its walls. Visitors can still tour the island, but numbers have dropped by one third without access to the main attraction–impacting not only attention on this significant site, but the local tourist economy on shore.

In 2023, the State planned to use American Rescue Plan funds for mold remediation and repairs to the foundation, roof, and envelope, but discovered preservation work was not an eligible expenditure. To make matters worse, the pair of January storms that wreaked havoc along the coast destroyed the Eagle Island’s pier and moorings, undercut sea walls, and jeopardized the east bastion. The damage is estimated at $1.9 million but does not include measures to help mitigate future harm. BPL hopes to rebuild the pier by 2025 but funding from the Federal Emergency Management is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Maine State Museum has been asked to assist the site in cataloging and preserving the contents of the house.  

How to get involved

Infrastructure required to rebuild the pier will only be made possible through federal disaster recovery funds and investment from the State of Maine. BPL has signaled that a funding request will be submitted to the legislature in 2025, and Eagle Island is a top priority. Voice your support for investment in our state-owned historic sites by reaching out to your state legislators, the Governor, and Maine’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission formed in the wake of the recent winter storms. This includes advocating for the reintroduction of L.D. 791, An Act to Support the Maintenance, Preservation and Promotion of Historic Sites,” which would have allocated $1 million over the next two years towards state-owned historic sites but failed in the legislature last year.

To learn more about Eagle Island and how to support the Friends of Peary’s Eagle Island as the organization continues to welcome visitors, please visit https://www.pearyeagleisland.org/.

Photo Credits: John Burgess; Nick Knight; Friends of Peary’s Eagle Island; Maine Memory Network; National Park Service; Ford Reiche

Kneisel Hall

Story

Kneisel [kuh-NI-zul] Hall was founded in Blue Hill by world-renowned violinist, Franz Kneisel who was born in Bucharest, studied at the Vienna Conservatory, and emigrated from Berlin in 1885. By the time he arrived in Blue Hill at the turn of the century, the small town had attracted a handful of prominent summering musicians who formed the core of a budding music community. Visiting from New York, Kneisel started the summer music school in his home, offering students time for individual practice and lessons, chamber music rehearsals, and evening performances.

By 1922, the school outgrew the house. Felix Kahn, a friend and amateur cellist, constructed a large hall on the side of Blue Hill Mountain, a building with a resonant wood interior that has been the center of the school’s activities ever since. The concert hall is an unconditioned, vernacular structure of little more than 1,100 square feet. The building has a covered front porch and side corridors all built of light wood-frame construction, wood exterior siding, and interior wood paneling. The north end is anchored by a beautiful fieldstone fireplace and chimney.

Now celebrating its 122nd year, Kneisel Hall is an internationally recognized chamber music school and festival, educating more than 80 music students and presenting over 50 public performances through the summer months. Its storied past has earned its reputation as the cradle of chamber music teaching in America, a legacy the organization hopes to enshrine through a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.   

Threat

Unfortunately, the seasonal use of the building and deferred maintenance has contributed to slow deterioration of the structure. A 2023 assessment by Stahnke + Kitagawa Architects documented that the wood post foundation is susceptible to freeze thaw cycles and the chimney needs to be carefully disassembled and rebuilt after having settled into the ground considerably. Water infiltration along the roof and dormers has also led to damage to the wood paneling lining the main performance space.

As the Board of Trustees and staff explore their options, they have expressed a strong interest in preserving the building. Of utmost importance is the hall’s acoustics for live performances resulting from the volume and layout of the space, historic surface materials, and the window and door openings that carried sound to audience members on the wraparound porch. They intend to take a considered approach by retaining as much historic fabric as possible, while using new appropriate materials and sensitively integrating modern amenities. As the summers get hotter, this includes exploration of more efficient air conditioning to increase comfort for audience members and protect priceless antique instruments used by performers.

Kneisel Hall is a nonprofit organization whose attention is directed at developing world class artists and sharing the chamber music tradition with audiences, not comprehensive preservation projects. Repairing and reimaging Kneisel Hall will be an expensive endeavor that will need to be executed around an intensive summer programming and performance schedule.

How to get involved

Maine voters can “Vote Yes on 3” to create a funding source for the preservation of historic community buildings like Kneisel Hall. The third referendum question on this November’s ballot asks Mainers to support a $10 million bond that would create a state grant program administered by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to fund repairs on National-Register listed buildings owned and stewarded by nonprofit organizations or local governments.

To learn more about Kneisel Hall and how to help this center of chamber music teaching and performance excellence, please visit www.kneisel.org. Keep an eye out for the announcement of their 2025 programs; enjoy a show and support preservation!

Photo Credits: Kneisel Hall; Maine Memory Network