HOULTON, Maine — The owners of a newly created northern Maine community gathering space, “The LIVING Room,” intentionally picked its historic building because it was on the sunny side of the street.
Located just off Houlton’s historic Market Square in the old S.L. White Drug Co., The LIVING Room can be used for scheduled events or impromptu gatherings.
Owners Randi Bradbury and Ira Dyer moved back to Houlton after decades away, and found people hungry to connect. They realized the town lacked a comfortable gathering spot to foster that kind of community, especially in a region where long winters often isolate neighbors and new residents may find it hard to break into the County vibe.
So, with community input, they created a space where they hope people will find closeness. And they’re adding a twist: membership packages to grow use of the space.
“There’s a need for human connection. We’re so stuck on our phones most of the time,” Bradbury said “Communities need places where people can simply gather.”
After COVID-19, people did not return to previous levels of gathering, often sticking closer to home. For new Aroostook County Mainers, that lack of connection is isolating, said Kathryn Harnish, who has been helping Bradbury and Dyer get The LIVING Room up and running.
Harnish, the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging’s director of strategic initiatives and communication, pointed to the 2024 Aroostook County Health Improvement Partnership study, Calling People In: The Unmet Needs for Belonging & Connectedness in Aroostook County. Researchers found that the close-knit community cherished by Aroostook people often felt like a barrier to social acceptance for newcomers.
“The profound impact of alienation and lack of belonging was surprising,” said Harnish, who reported on the findings during the 2024 Maine Rural Issues Symposium.
It’s not just about belonging, it’s about mattering, she added.
“When you matter, you are missed at the table when you are not there,” Harnish said.
The LIVING Room is still a work in progress, but its creators want people to come in and feel like they matter.
Bradbury and Dyer, both Mars Hill natives, met in grade school and were high school sweethearts. They parted ways and lived outside Maine for 45 years. They reconnected later in 2018 and felt like they hadn’t missed a day, Bradbury said.
Bradbury worked in real estate in Connecticut and Dyer, a musician, lived in Ohio. They moved back to Maine and during the COVID-19 pandemic they bought the White drug store building. Before buying their Houlton home in 2024, they lived in a second-floor apartment above what is now The LIVING Room.
“There are so many interesting people here with interesting backgrounds and travel stories that are just stuck at home with no interaction with others,” Bradbury said. “So we are embracing that.”
It’s about living, not just waiting around to die, Dyer said.
As they developed the space, the couple asked people what the community needed. Then they painted walls, floors and ornate fireplaces, and planned how the space would function.
“Randi Bradbury and her associates have knocked it out of the park,” said Summer Dulinsky, who owns the downtown consulting agency The Mustard Seed. “It’s inviting, unique and perfect for so many different events and needs. I think it’s going to be a great cultural hub and I enjoyed being part of her group of advisers.”
The couple plan a grand opening on Saturday, April 18. They’ve already held some functions, such as a Valentines Day murder mystery for 50 people, a baby shower and business meetings.
Several curious onlookers visited on a recent afternoon. The space contains plush sofas, board game tables and overstuffed chairs, and can fit any event, Dyer said, pointing to the wheels he’s added to tables so they can move them quickly.
The back contains a maker space with a sink, while a smaller room will accommodate a meeting or even a podcaster, Bradbury said.
The main room can transform into a gallery for local artists to show their work, and will host an author’s upcoming book signing.
One regular event will be a Sunday salon, which is similar to the famed Sunday Salons in Paris that drew philosophers, political thinkers and artists for discussions, Bradbury said. The couple have previously held these in their home.
The only rules are that discussions about politics and religion must be left at the door.
“There is so much going on in the world right now, this is a sanctuary for people to get away from all that,” she said.
The first salon is slated from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, and will focus on belonging and connection.
Regular themed nights will include maker night on Mondays and thinking night on Wednesdays, which might include book discussions.
“We want to create a place where sparks can happen,” Harnish said. “Somebody will walk through that door and when the right energy comes into the room, those sparks start to happen, connections start to happen and the next thing you know, you have three or four people sitting and talking.”
They will offer different membership packages with offerings such as rental access, which will start at $15 a month for private access to the space from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
“We are trying to make it accessible to everyone,” she said. “I hope it becomes a place where people feel like, ‘I need to get out of the house. I [have been] stuck inside and I want to see people. I’m going down to The LIVING Room.’”
