D.W. Adams Building, Augusta

It’s 1909, and Augusta’s largest department store, The Bussell & Weston Co., moves into a new home on Water Street in the heart of the central business district:  The three-tory store, popular for its huge display windows and 12,000 square feet of floor space, quickly becomes a retail icon in downtown Augusta. Though Bussell & Weston closed in 1920, the popular landmark was purchased by D.W. Adams who operated his own store here until 1985 -- the same year it was listed in the National Register as one of the best surviving unaltered structures constructed as a department store in Maine. In the late 1990s, parts of the building were occupied by a dance studio, but the upper floors stood vacant. In 2013 owners Laura and Jason Gall began rehabilitating the storied department store, beginning with the historic commercial space.

Renovating the 12,000-sq. ft. building was an enormous financial undertaking. Though structurally solid, the building required extensive remodeling inside, including lead paint abatement, a new roof, replacement of knob and tube wiring and installation of all new mechanical systems. Replacement doors and windows replicating the originals, including the stunning Chicago-style windows on the front, were installed. Project developers also had to deal with the removal of a once manned hydraulic elevator and the discovery of a buried oil tank. On the exterior the brick was repointed, and the 1900 fire bell on the Commercial Street elevation was restored. The project was topped off with new paint from top to bottom using historic colors. 

Today the second and third floors, originally wide-open spaces, house six market-rate apartments. Inspired by serene views of the Kennebec and Old Fort Western across the street, the owners’ goal was to create warm and inviting spaces that celebrate the building’s historic character. These residential spaces have brought new life to Water Street, and have helped inspire other projects, adding to the capital city’s increasingly vibrant downtown atmosphere.

Schlotterbeck & Foss Building, Portland

The Schlotterbeck & Foss Company was first incorporated in February 1892 as a premiere food and pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility in downtown Portland. The company’s 1927 home on Preble Street is significant as the only major Art Deco-style building designed by John Calvin Stevens and John Howard Stevens, and as one of the few surviving commercial buildings designed by the firm.

Structurally, the facility made use of then- new technology for supporting a large masonry building on filled land with composite wood and concrete pilings. It remained essentially unaltered from the time of its construction, but bore several examples of wear and tear. When ownership transferred to John Anton, Tom Watson and Brian Bush with a goal of rehabilitating the structure for residential use, Sutherland Conservation & Consulting prepared a nomination for inclusion on the National Register to make the building eligible for historic tax credits. Once funding was secured, rehabilitation processes with Goduti/Thomas Architects began, starting with masonry repairs to the cast stone and brick exterior, replacement of single-glazed windows with matching insulated windows, and installation of efficient modern mechanical systems.

The primary entrance on Preble Street was retained and restored for use by offices that now fill the first floor. The existing south entrance was expanded to provide access to both offices and residential units. Original stairs in the building were retained and a new, modern elevator installed. Residential units are located throughout the building and feature open plans with partial-height partition walls. Historic brick and concrete walls, floors, ceilings, and structural columns remain exposed, expressing the industrial character of the spaces.

The result of the project was the creation of 55 housing units in addition to first-floor office space. Taken together, they represent a vibrant new addition to Portland’s post-industrial Bayside neighborhood.

John E. L. Huse School Apartments, Bath

Named to honor Bath’s first casualty of World War II, the John E.L. Huse Memorial School was constructed in 1942 according to plans drawn by architect Alonzo J. Harriman, a native of Bath and founder of Harriman Associates. The school served the children of Bath Iron Works employees, a growing population that necessitated the addition of a new wing of classrooms at the North End of the building just seven years later.

Huse thrived throughout the baby boom years, but the student population here and elsewhere in Maine gradually declined, and in 2006 the City of Bath shuttered the school. Regional School Unit 1 occupied the International-style building for several years, but when they moved out, the 33,000-sq. ft. community anchor began to deteriorate.  Thankfully, the Szanton Company saw the value in the historic structure and purchased it in August 2016 with the intention of converting the space into residential apartments.

While vacant, Huse School did suffer from the effects of water damage, broken windows and graffiti. Overall, however, the condition of the building was excellent—the original wood joists and masonry bearing walls were in very good shape. The hardwood floors, under several layers of glue, carpet, and pads, were also in amazingly good condition.

With a firm plan in place to add a new wing and transform the historic complex into 59 affordable housing units, renovations began by exposing interior brick walls, removing small amounts of asbestos and lead paint, and refinishing the original hardwood floors. New roofing and insulation buttoned up the building and new walls framed the contemporary apartments.  Modern electrical and mechanical systems were promptly installed.

Today, the school retains its historic mid-century vibe with original signage at the 1942 front canopy, as well as period-appropriate replacement doors and windows. Common areas are sprinkled with memorabilia such as vintage classroom clocks, sections of original chalkboard, original blueprints, student murals, and historic school and class pictures. The one-time gymnasium was modified and converted into a common room and several two-story apartment units. Other amenities include a lobby with a fully accessible elevator, new entrances, and both fitness and laundry rooms. The Szanton Company did extensive site work to build a large, modern neighborhood playground, an expanded parking lot, landscaping that includes many evergreen trees, and new walking paths that feed into existing city trails.

The community response has been overwhelming, and just a week after opening 78% of the units had been rented. This remarkable project honors the schools’ namesake and its historic character while providing much needed affordable housing for the deserving citizens of Bath. 

Lofts at Saco Falls, Biddeford

The 20th century saw a huge shift in textile manufacturing from New England to the American South, and ultimately overseas. This seismic change posed enormous challenges for towns along the Saco River, home to some of the largest cotton milling complexes in the country. As orders dried up, it became impossible for the Saco-Lowell Shops in Biddeford to survive. By 2015, the building was virtually empty, and it had been years since any significant maintenance had been done. A leaking roof and broken windows compromised structural members and rotted the floors. 

Lack of interest in reviving the property was due primarily to its location next to a trash burning electricity plant. But when the City of Biddeford decided to purchase and demolish that facility, the historic property next door had a second chance and the Szanton Company snapped it up.

The new owner had two goals: 1) to preserve a vital part of Biddeford’s industrial and cultural history; and 2) to provide desperately needed, high quality, new rental housing for diverse income groups. 

This tax credit rehabilitation project encountered major hurdles including extensive rot in the carrying beams holding up the first level; the decision to demolish a 20th century connector building without damaging adjacent 19th-century buildings; and careful repair of the “scar tissue” on the face of the 1867 north wing. Crews also had to remove existing heating, plumbing and electrical systems, and replace all windows—including some mid-19th century openings that had been blocked for decades. They even had to remove and rebuild the gargantuan roof, and repoint all the exterior brickwork. 

With much of the structural work complete, the builders created corridors inside of each major wing with new 1- and 2-bedroom apartments on either side. A fitness room, bicycle storage room, community room with kitchen, and other amenities were added. In the attic of the 1842 wing, a hauling wheel framed with heavy timbers -- believed original to the building—was discovered, as well as an enormous chest of drawers once used to store spare machine parts. Both artifacts have been placed in the community room for display.

All 80 apartments inside the Saco-Lowell Shops were leased by the end of the first month of availability—an eye-opening demonstration of the pent-up demand for high-quality, affordable and market-rate new rental housing in Biddeford. An empty and forlorn structure facing demolition was transformed it into a state-of-the- art residence for 80 families, while also creating a facility that helps to interpret the industrial history central to Biddeford’s cultural identity.