AUGUSTA — MDF’s Maine Downtown Center is pleased to award a total of $600,000 through the REvitalizeME Downtown National Park Service Sub-grant program to four historic preservation projects. All four historic buildings are considered critical to their rural community’s economic development.
“All of these awards will support catalytic projects in Maine downtowns,” says Anne Ball, program director, Maine Downtown Center. “The program set out to drive the connection between economic development and historic preservation. These projects illustrate this in four unique downtowns in four different Maine counties and in four distinct building types: a former federal courthouse and post office, a theater, a downtown commercial building and former jail. In addition to enabling owners to be good stewards of their buildings, these projects help sustain businesses and jobs in our downtowns, further supporting economic growth.”
The four awards prevailed through a competitive process aimed at identifying new opportunities that will have a fundamental impact on economic revitalization and historic preservation:
- Olde Federal Building, Augusta – $140,000 for repair and insulation of slate roofing.
- Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail, Ellsworth – $185,770 for repair of woodworking on the south wall of the cellblock and on the west and north faces of the building.
- Center Theatre, Dover-Foxcroft – $77,280 for critical repair of the masonry columns.
- J. Palmer Merrill Building, Skowhegan- $152,508 for repair of roof and original copper flashing and reopening historic skylights.
MDF’s partner in this effort was the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. “We are pleased to be able to support rehabilitation work on several historically significant buildings,” says Kirk Mohney, director and state historic preservation officer. “The variety of buildings that received awards underscores the rich architectural heritage of Maine’s downtowns.”
The REvitalizeME Downtown sub-grant program was funded by the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program of the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The objective of the program is to support the rehabilitation of historic properties that will drive economic development in rural communities.
Established in 1999, the Center is a program of MDF and serves as the state coordinator in Maine for the National Main Street Center, utilizing the Four-Point Approach® to help communities statewide revitalize their historic downtowns. This almost 40-year-old approach has a reputation as one of the most powerful economic development tools in the nation for vibrant, healthy downtowns resulting in job creation, business growth, building rehabilitation and cultural enhancement. For more information visit our website.
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
