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Photo / Maureen Milliken
The Clough & Pillsbury Building, at 108 Congress St. in Rumford, is on the 2018 Maine Preservation Endangered Historic Places list, but may be getting new life.
There's good news for several of the properties on Maine Preservation's 2018 Endangered Historic Places List — including one building that was likely slated for demolition.
A definite move from endangered to "in progress" for two of the five buildings on the list, possible solutions for two more, and postive news in two of the general categories are all a sign of increased focus on conserving historic properties, said Greg Paxton, executive director of Maine Preservation.
"There's growing positive momentum for preservation in the state," Paxton said Tuesday.
The most notable progress is a possible reprieve for the McGlashan-Nickerson House in Calais, which had been slated for demolition by the National Park Service, and a possible new owner and developer for the Clough & Pillsbury building in downtown Rumford.
There are also efforts to save the Star of Hope, the late artist Robert Indiana's home and studio on Vinalhaven, and fundraising efforts are continuing for the deteriorating Frances Perkins House in Damariscotta.
In the general places category — working waterfronts and historic dams — Paxton cited progress in preserving Boothbay Harbor's working waterfront, part of only 20 miles of working waterfront on Maine's coast. There is also action on some deteriorating dams in the state.
The only property on the list where no improvement's been made is the Cushman Tavern, on the Sabattus-Lisbon town line, he said.
The Rumford select board is negotiating with a potential buyer for the Clough & Pillsbury building, a three-story, 103-year-old commercial building with space for apartments on the upper floors.
The board agreed Oct. 3 to negotiate with a local party who emerged from the RFP process, George O'Keefe, economic development director, said last week.
O'Keefe said no more information would be made public until an agreement is reached, but the proposal "is really good news."
The RFP said the board would "make a subjective decision taking into consideration price offered, taxable value created, proposed redevelopment use along with other tangible and intangible aspects of the proposal.”
The town has owned the building since 2009. It was originally a hardware store, then later a paint store. Fixtures and other inventory from the hardware days are still on the upper two floors.
While the long-vacant building has deteriorated, and has basement water damage that occurred after a snowplow struck the building, O'Keefe told Mainebiz in June that it was in better condition than expected.
At one time, he said, “A lot of folks felt it should be demolished." But he said it's a contributing structure in the town’s national historic district and "it can be rehabilitated."
Paxton agreed. "It's really exciting for us," he said.
"It's always a struggle to get to the finish line," he added, but buildings like Clough & Pillsbury are part of the fabric of a community. Rehabilitating them adds to the tax rolls and businesses and residents that are tenants of the building add to the town's economy.
"And, just as important, when buildings like that are rehabilitated, it looks good, it makes the community feel good and it attracts people to the community."
The McGlashan-Nickerson house, in Calais, was likely to be demolished. The owner, the National Park Service, had offered it free to anyone who'd move it off the property, but there were no takers.
Maine Preservation, the Maine State Historic Preservation Office, the town of Calais, the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, the park service and community members were working on a solution. In June, the park service said it will offer a 60-year lease on the house to anyone who will rehabilitate and preserve the building.
The park service, in a news release announcing the decision, said it took feedback from preservationists into account in its decision.
"It's good news," Paxton said of the agreement. He said that the house could be used for a bed and breakfast, or any other business that's compatible with the park that surrounds it. Paxton said the cost of the lease will be rehabilitating the house.
The two-story Italianate house was built in 1883 and is surrounded by six acres of rolling parkland. It's considered one of the most historically significant houses in the Red Beach area of town, both for its architecture and its surroundings. It's one of the few houses in Maine with landscape designed by Andrew Jackson Dowling, an early authority on American landscape architecture.
The house is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the park service bought it and restored it for use as administrative offices in 2000. The house was only used for a few years and was vacated when the park service built the St. Croix International Park visitor's center just downriver.
The park service said in 2018 if no one wanted to remove the house from its location, it would likely be torn down. The park service said it put $100,000 into the house, and estimates it will cost $1 million to get it back in shape.
Maine Preservation is working the park service on a request for proposals. A lessee must be secured within two years for the house. If not, it's back on the chopping block.
"The clock is ticking," Paxton said.
Two more general places on the 2018 list were working waterfronts and historic dams.
Paxton said progress is harder to measure on the "theme" places, and the purpose to bring attention to an ongoing issue.
"What we're seeking to do is move the needle in a positive direction," he said.
Boothbay Harbor's working waterfront was specifically mentioned in the list, part of the 20 miles of working waterfront along Maine's 3,200-mile coastline. In February, Luke's Lobster and the Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation announced they will partner to operate a lobster-buying station at the Sea Pier in Boothbay Harbor.
"That's 60-plus lobstermen served, and it insures all of them have a place to work," Paxton said.
The historic dams designation on the list was an even broader effort.
"There are more than 1,100 dams in Maine, and there's not a complete inventory from a historic standpoint," he said.
He said the state used to have a dam coordinator, and while some areas, like the Belgrade Lakes region, still have their own, Maine Preservation would like to see the state take more of an interest.
In that region, the inter-local dams agreement includes Sidney, Mount Vernon, Belgrade, Oakland and Rome, with all five towns contributing to dam upkeep on the seven lakes and numerous connecting streams in the area.
The Wings Mill Dam, more than 100 years old, on Belgrade Stream on the Belgrade-Mount Vernon line, is an example of the attention dams can get with focused attention.
Last November, the dam was temporarily reinforced to ease leakage. Next fall, the a two-year permanent remediation project will start, and will include replacing almost all of the timbers, facing and deck boards above water.
Paxton said many other dams in the state, that don't have that type of oversight, are in poor condition or lost. The inclusion on the list wasn't to keep dams from being removed where it's been deemed environmentally necessary, but for people to be aware of the ones that need attention.
"They're part of the state's history, it's industry," he said.
The 2019 Endangered Places list was released last month and Paxton said he's optimistic there will also be good news about those properties.
Since the list began in 1996, 60 places have been saved, 36 are undergoing preservation and 20 have been lost. There are also some starts — 10 have received honor awards for notable historic preservation. Maine Preservation has been giving out those awards yearly since 1998.
He said that historic preservation is must for economic development. "The building tells the story of the town just by being there," he said. "And it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It draws people to the town.
"We have 39 million people visit the state ever year," he said. "A community can make a substantial difference, it can be an attraction for positive economic impact."
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