Insider Notebook: 'Endangered' Frances Perkins home gets new lease on life

Courtesy / Maine Preservation Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, declared endangered by Maine Preservation in 2018, bought by the Frances Perkins Center in November.

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By Maureen Milliken

The Frances Perkins Center recently bought the Frances Perkins Homestead, a national historic landmark that was listed on the 2018 Maine Preservation "Endangered Places" list.

The 1837 farmhouse, which was home to Perkins, the U.S. Secretary of Labor under Franklin Roosevelt, was deteriorating and the center, which is on the property, had to come up with $5 million by November to buy it.

Plans are already underway to prepare the site’s historic structures and 57-acre cultural landscape for future program and public use, according to a news release from the center. Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust will continue to monitor its conservation easement on the property and will work in partnership with the center to explore safe and appropriate access to the property, which is on the Damariscotta River.

A woman and two men standing in the snow in front of a brick building that has a sign the brick house on it.

Courtesy / Frances Perkins Center

From left, Sarah Peskin, board chair; Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, Frances Perkins' grandson; Frances Perkins Center Executive Director Michael Chaney.

"This achievement was made possible by the generosity of many donors and friends who seek to honor the principles and legacy of Frances Perkins, U.S. Secretary of Labor 1933-45 and the woman behind the New Deal," the release said.

Perkins is the subject of a new documentary, "Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare," which is scheduled to air on PBS in March. In the film, political commentator and writer Lawrence O'Donnell says, “There is no contribution that a cabinet member has made in the history of this country that has had the lasting kind of effect on all of us and the way we live than what Frances Perkins did."

Frances Perkins Center Board Chair Sarah Peskin said that the nonprofit will work toward the creation of a place-based education center that will advance the principles of Perkins, "inspire learning among students, scholars, and people of all ages, and continue to engage civic leaders in nonpartisan dialogue through programs of learning and civil discourse to address current and future economic and social issues."

In 2018, Maine Preservation said that "while the principal structures of the homestead have survived nobly over 180 years, harsh Maine winters have taken their toll."

Issues included deteriorated roofs, windows, doors and exterior brick walls, as well as failing posts, floor framing and roof beams, and antiquated mechanical systems. "These issues are threatening both the buildings and contents, and significant repairs are required to protect the building and allow it to host visitors as a public educational site."

The announcement is the latest good news for the Maine Preservation Endangered class of 2018. All but one of the buildings on the list — the Cushman Tavern on the Sabbatus-Lisbon line — have made progress, according to Maine Preservation.

Renys focuses on Bath renovation

The primary focus of R.H. Reny Co.’s real estate endeavors is the renovation of its store in Bath, John Reny, company president, told Mainebiz this week.

The company, as reported last week, recently bought the building it has leased since 1973 at 86 Front St. in Bath and has started a major renovation, using historic renovation tax credits.

“It’s a win-win story,” he said. “Since we bought the building, we’re not going away. We’ll be an integral part of that community for a long time.”

He said plans to open an 18th store, referenced in last week’s article, “are not definite and nothing’s set.”

The Bath store was the eighth the company opened since it began in Damariscotta in 1949, and the opportunity to buy came when owner Sagadahoc Real Estate Association, which once owned 20 properties in the city, began selling them two years ago.

Reny said the relationship with the community is an important one for the company, which has 17 stores across the state. The city was “really different” when Renys first located there, and the company has had a deep commitment to area consumers that continues.

The renovation will retain or reveal many of the historic features of the building, while also adding better access, including an elevator, and LED lighting, renovated restrooms, and more.

Kittery library gets $500,000 expansion grant

The town of Kittery has been awarded $500,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support renovation and expansion of Rice Public Library.

“This grant will help Kittery transform the 19th century Rice Building into a 21st century library,” said Town Manager Kendra Amaral. “The project will enhance our ability to deliver excellent humanities programming in an accessible and vibrant public space."

The move was supported by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who wrote a letter in support of the grant application. " We are grateful for the funding award from the NEH, and for Senators Collins’ and King’s support of our project," Amaral said in the release, which was issued jointly by Collins and King.

“The Rice Library is a pillar of the Kittery community, offering more than 400 programs for children and adults each year,” Collins and King said. “This funding will help the town renovate infrastructure that is more than a hundred years old, allowing the people of Kittery and Southern Maine to continue to enjoy the library and its array of educational services into its second century.”

More coffee in Gardiner

Yet another new business is opening in Gardiner's hopping downtown. Deja Brew, a cafe and coffee shop, will hold a grand opening Saturday at 289 Water St.

The coffee shop is owned by Tiffanie and Tyler Williams, who also own True North Alternatives, and are also renovating the former pool hall building across the street at 294 Water St.