Tim Harrison, East Machias

In Memoriam

We mourn the loss of Tim Harrison in 2023 and recognize his immense contributions to the preservation of Maine’s iconic lighthouses and sharing the stories of their keepers.

Tim’s passion and dedication to lighthouse preservation was incomparable and unending. He researched and wrote books, gave talks, founded nonprofits, started a magazine, lobbied for legislation, and found interesting ways to fundraise.

Tim was a co-founder of the Rockland-based American Lighthouse Foundation and served as its first president. During his tenure, Tim is credited with fundraising over $1 million in support of historic lighthouses. The ALF and its chapters steward lighthouses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, and are joined by affiliate organization from across the country in working to save and preserve the nation’s historic light stations and their rich heritage.

Tim also founded the Museum of Lighthouse History in Wells, which collected, interpreted, and shared the life and experiences of lighthouse keepers and their families. He recognized that without their perspective, lighthouses were just cold, empty structures. Further, Tim created the U.S. Lighthouse Service Memorial Marker Program that marked nearly 200 gravesites of lighthouse keepers across the nation.

Tim counted among his many honors, the F. Ross Holland Award from the American Lighthouse Council and the United States Coast Guard’s Meritorious Public Service Award and Medal.

From his home in East Machias, Tim served as Editor in Chief of Lighthouse Digest magazine for over 30 years, informing readers through in-depth, well-researched histories from across the country. Through its pages, Tim celebrated preservation successes and inspired action with its Doomsday List of endangered lighthouses.

Tim was a true beacon of preservation, and he will be missed.

Photo Credits: Bob Trapani, Jr.; Lighthouse Digest, Kathleen Finnegan

33 State/213 Exchange, Bangor

Bangor architect Wilfred Mansur designed the Classical Revival-Style First National Bank Building at 33 State Street to anchor the heart of the city’s business district following the 1911 fire. After the bank failed in the Great Depression, the building was purchased by Bangor Hydro-Electric Company to serve as its headquarters. The company later acquired neighboring 213 Exchange Street, built in 1912, and connected them internally to expand office space.   

Fast forward one hundred years, and the facades of tan pressed-brick, cast-stone columns, decorative cornices, and original windows remained but presented a mere shell, the buildings were empty and idle inside. In 2016, both buildings were sold, and the storefront of 213 Exchange was rehabilitated for a commercial tenant. The remaining interior spaces were underused and unmaintained. Enter Dash Davidson of High Tide Capital, whose vision for downtown Bangor led him to purchase these properties at State and Exchange in 2022 after successfully rehabilitating the nearby Merrill Trust Company building. Dash’s approach relied on state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits and was supported by investment and guidance from CEI, Preti Flaherty, and First National Bank.

Pike Project Development acted as the lead contractor, rehabilitating and converting the upper stories of both buildings into 18 market rate apartments. Hardwood floors were uncovered and restored, and historic plaster and trim were retained throughout. A traditional storefront design was reestablished at 213 Exchange and now hosts a boutique store. A tenant for the grand former banking hall is still being sought.

The design team, including WBRC Architects and Hanson Historic Consulting, demonstrated creative approaches to achieving compliance with modern code requirements while meeting historic rehabilitation standards. This included a fire-rated stair tower shared by both buildings and pairing sprinklers and intumescent coatings to allow use of the original wood and glass doors and transoms instead of installing new entryways. When exposed to high heat, the coating expands and creates the required fire separation for the upstairs apartments.

The adaptive reuse project at 33 State/213 Exchange retained and restored significant historic features and materials representing the heyday of Bangor’s commercial activity, created new housing, and now contributes significantly to the momentum of a revitalized city core. It is a shining example of the power of preservation in renewing our downtowns.

Project Participants

• CEI

• Dee Bielenberg

• First National Bank

• Hanson Historic Consulting

• High Tide Capital

• Pike Project Development

• Preti Flaherty

• WBRC Architects

Photo Credits: Scott Hanson, Hanson Historic Consulting; Connor Griffin, NoLimit Films

Freedom Place, Portland

The brick, Gothic-Revival building at 66 State Street was purpose built in 1923 for the St. Dominic’s Parochial School for Boys, part of the St. Dominic’s Parish campus. More recently, the building housed various social service providers including Amistad, a nonprofit that provides support and addiction recovery services. In 2018, Kevin Bunker of Developers Collaborative purchased the building with an intent to develop it into market-rate housing. However, when Amistad was unable to find a new location, Bunker collaborated with the nonprofit and the City of Portland by creating a new vision--a supportive housing facility for women in recovery.

The redevelopment plan for the site involved two phases, with PM Construction overseeing work on both, while Essex Preservation Consulting ensured character-defining features were preserved. In the first phase, the former school was adapted into 38 single-occupancy bedrooms supported by communal bathrooms, kitchens, and gathering spaces. The three-story building suffered from decades of deferred maintenance and required a fresh start. Thankfully the school’s soaring, twelve-over-twelve wood windows, topped with original transoms, could be retained and restored, while all the existing systems needed to be fully replaced.

The second phase, designed by Archetype Architects and completed in September 2023, delivered 30 affordable housing units on land previously occupied by a parking lot. The three-story building fronts Danforth Street, matching the composition, massing, and brick exterior of the adjacent historic school. The fourth floor is stepped back and the rear half of the building is set apart from the historic streetscape, clad in modern materials.  

Developer’s Collaborative and Amistad worked hand-in-hand to provide a full continuum of housing options for Freedom Place residents, in part by securing 25 housing vouchers for income-eligible women from MaineHousing. The two-phase project required multiple sources of financing, including state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and a 30-year TIF. Camden National Bank and Evernorth stepped up with the financing and supported the use of state and federal rehabilitation tax credits.

Safe, stable housing is vital for recovery, and women often have a more difficult time navigating the shelter system and having their unique needs met. Freedom Place provides women with secure housing and on-site programs to break the cycle of homelessness and promote recovery and pathways to productive lives. Re-entering the job market is one important aspect of recovery, and residents are able to participate in vocational training in the building's commercial kitchen.

Transforming places can also spark transformation in people. Freedom Place at 66 State Street is a groundbreaking model of private and nonprofit partnership. It is a socially responsible development that has used the tools of preservation to unlock life-changing resources for those in need.

Project Participants

• Amistad

• Archetype Architects

• Camden National Bank

• City of Portland

• Curtis Thaxter

• Developers Collaborative

• Evernorth

• MaineHousing

• PM Construction

• Terradyn Consultants

Photo Credits: Will Honan, Helix Media Marketing; Tim Greenway, Tim Greenway Photography

The Grant, Bath

The W. T. Grant Building was erected in 1936 on the site of the former Bath City Hall for the exclusive use of Grant’s, a five-and-dime department store chain. The prominent Art Deco façade introduced modern architecture to Bath, while the open-concept retail floor highlighted the modern goods and services for purchase. The department store flourished and later expanded in 1945 because of the steady, good-paying jobs at nearby Bath Iron Works. However, like so many other retail establishments of the mid-20th century, Grant’s ultimately closed their downtown location and decamped to a suburban shopping center.

The building was left vacant for several years until Sagadahock Real Estate Association purchased it. The Association intermittently leased the building to BIW beginning in the mid-1960s for onshore ships quarters and offices. In 1995, the building was leased to R.M. Tate’s department store, which moved out in 2014. During the pandemic, Beacon Park, an indoor community space created to combat social isolation, was established by Sagadahock Real Estate Association, the City of Bath, BIW, Main Street Bath, and other local stakeholders. One of them, Sean Ireland, Principal of Windward Development, became the building’s third owner in May 2021.  

Having previous experience with historic buildings, Sean looked to state and federal rehabilitation tax credits, but quickly met the first obstacle. Bath’s Historic District is one of the oldest in the state and focused primarily on 19th century buildings, defining the 20th century building as a non-contributing resource. Sean worked with the City to expand the historic district’s period of significance to 1960, capturing more of the downtown’s history and unlocking financial incentives for more property owners.  

 Other challenges stacked up. Residential use on the upper floors would require new window openings which would need to be strategically placed to meet National Park Service standards. The unusual layout would be hard to program and establishing means of egress would be difficult. Interior demolition required the removal of approximately 2,300 acoustical ceiling tiles, one mile of plumbing and pipes, eight miles of electric and wiring, thousands of pounds of cast iron pipes, and 180 trips to the dump with a small trailer to dispose of an estimated 80 tons of rubbish.

 The designed build-out of the Grant was led by Woodhull, and relied fully on local tradespeople, construction workers, and vendors. To honor the folks who were on the job site every day, photojournalist Joshua Langlais was hired to document the process from start to finish. Over the course of a year, Joshua captured more than 1,000 photos and interviewed 14 people involved with the project, including masons, plumbers, and the framing crew – all to tell the story of hard work, dedication to their trade, and a commitment to preserving an immovable piece of Bath’s history.

The development team tenaciously managed the project, assembling a diverse funding stack including Tax Increment Financing, federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits, and a USDA grant that made the installation of a 74-panel solar array possible.

A former department store is not easily filled by the average retail business, especially when your local Reny’s already has a storefront nearby. Union + Co, a private office, coworking and event space, now anchors The Grant from the former sales floor.

The reimagined W.T. Grant Building is a vibrant mixed-use project that repurposed 22,000 square feet of long-underused space, created four residential units and three commercial spaces, bringing essential activity to an important corner of downtown Bath.

Project Participants

• Aero Heating & Ventilating

• Bath Electrical Services

• Camoin Associates

• CEI

• Fogg Lighting

• Gorham Savings Bank

• Hammond Lumber

• Hemlock House Development

• Independence Floor Supply

• Jeff Patterson Demolition

• Jimmy’s Express

• Jung Restoration

• Larsen Masonry

• Maine Street Design Co.

• Mechanical Services

• Motivated Mechanical Solutions

• ReVision Energy

• Richardson Drywall

• Union + Co

• Windward Development

• Woodhull

Photo Credits: Joshua Langlais; James R. Salomon Photography; Sara Caron Photography; Mandy Reynolds; Wilder Nicholson; ReVision Energy

Tuttle Farmhouse, Freeport

Since purchasing the Desert of Maine property in 2018, Mela Jones and Doug Heestand have wanted to tell the full story of the site–from its origins as a working farm to a 20th century roadside attraction. Through intensive research, Mela learned that John and Abigail Tuttle were likely the first family to farm the land in 1821. Over the years, a combination of intensive logging, hay farming, and sheep grazing, by the Tuttle’s and others, led to the intense erosion that created the sandy “desert” landscape.

While Jones and Heestand revamped the tired attractions and campground, they also formed the Desert of Maine Center for Arts & Ecology, a nonprofit tasked with educating the public about the history and ecology of the land. With the help of Arron Sturgis from Preservation Timber Framing, a long-term plan to restore the 19th century barn was conceived. However, the Tuttle farmhouse had long been lost, so Jones and Heestand sought out a Cape-Style house that would match historic photos.

By chance or perhaps fate, Sturgis found the perfect likeness in Swansey, NH. Machinist, Ken Sevene, had rescued a c. 1770 timber frame house from the path of a new golf course by meticulously documenting and disassembling it. He safely stored it away from the elements for two decades.

With Ken’s blessing, the PTF crew moved the farmhouse parts to its workshop to prepare each piece for reassembly. The crew would replace any missing or damaged timbers with hand-hewn pieces, using the same methods and tools as their 18th century counterparts. Thanks to the masterful skills of the original craftspeople and tremendous care taken by Ken Sevene, the frame was in excellent condition. The frame components–best described as a jigsaw puzzle of 40-foot, 2,000-pound timbers--were transported to the Desert of Maine and reconstructed near the site of the former Tuttle farmstead. The newly erected cape house was sided and roofed in cedar shakes, and its doors and windows carefully recreated from historic documentation. Much of the house’s interior, including doors, trim, and wall paneling, was also rescued with 100% of the second floor made up of original materials!

Jones and Heestand realized the interpretation should not only highlight the site’s history, but the incredible craft of timber framing, evident in the original construction of the house and continuing in the skills of PTF’s crew. For example, most of the ceiling space was left open, allowing visitors a close-up view of the timber joinery and the marriage of old and new elements. In addition, the passion and hard work of everyone involved in the multi-year project, from Ken’s instinct to rescue the building to its reconstruction at the Desert of Maine, was captured by filmmaker Adam Bedient and his talented team. The documentary is not just a record in time but also an educational resource on the craft of timberframing.

The reassembly of the 18th century house at Desert of Maine is both a tangible way to tell the story of the Tuttle farmstead and a beautiful testament to a traditional craft. We hope it will inspire the next generation to appreciate Freeport’s agricultural past and the practice of preservation.

Project Participants

• Adam Bedient

• Desert of Maine

• Jeff Sousa

• Ken Sevene

• Noah Fishman

• Preservation Timber Framing

• Steve Jackson

Photo Credits: Desert of Maine; Adam Bedient; Preservation Timber Framing; Ken Sevene

Queen Mary, Bremen

Hog Island sits amidst the clam-rich waters of Muscongus Bay, once fished by the Abenaki. The island was subsequently logged by European settlers and its land repurposed for agricultural pursuits in the 17th century. The building that would later be named Queen Mary, after the great ocean liner, was believed to have been constructed by the 1880s as a ship chandlery. It later served as the primary meeting hall and casino for rusticators attracted by the island’s natural beauty, before falling into private hands.

In 1936, Millicent Todd Bingham donated the island to the National Audubon Society. It became Audubon’s first educational camp, offering learning opportunities for scientists, teachers, and conservationists from across the nation.

Project Puffin, a part of the National Audubon Society, assumed management of the camp as part of its larger research and conservation mission. An estimated 20,000 K-12 educators have had the opportunity to learn on the island and take their experience back to children across the country. The Queen Mary serves as the main base of operation, with the upper floors serving as a dormitory, while the lower floor is a laboratory and museum that houses the camp’s historic bird collection.

Facilities Manager, Eric Snyder, along with Friends of Hog Island, a nonprofit that supports the camp, shared growing concerns about the future of the Queen Mary. The building was listing upwards of seven inches and needed significant structural intervention. But even worse, increasing tides in the winter and rising sea levels due to climate change meant the lower floor was threatened by destructive flood waters. A seed grant from the Island Institute helped get things underway, but it was the overwhelming support from the Friends of Hog Island, from planning and fundraising to volunteering on site that made this intervention a reality.   

The plans to stabilize and reinforce the Queen Mary were developed by Carmen Bombeke of Gartley & Dorsky. They first called for the installation of cables and turnbuckles that were slowly tightened over several years, realigning the building. The structure was then substantially reinforced using new posts in all the walls, new center beams, and timber frame bracing. To protect against lateral movement, additional paneling was added, which also required relocating the entrance door.  

The project team, with significant guidance from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, successfully campaigned to rezone the northern end of the island to allow for the building to be raised.

Work on the island, particularly over tidal water, presented the next challenge. Fortunately, Jewett Builders brought their expertise in jacking and marine operations to get the job done. Limited primarily to the hours around low tide, Jewett Builders placed temporary stone footings and assembled cribbing in preparation for the lift. Using steel beams and hydraulic jacks, crews raised the building four feet and installed new posts and main support beams. Crews excavated down to bedrock to ensure the new posts were on solid ground. After bracing and anchor points were installed, the building was lowered back one foot to its new height over the water. The adjacent docks, stairs, and surrounding infrastructure were rebuilt.

This $250,000 project extended the life of the Queen Mary, as well as her ability to educate future conservationists. The effort has also brought much-needed attention to the impacts of climate change on our valuable historic resources.

Project Participants

• Chesterfield Associates

• Friends of Hog Island

• Fuller Marine Services

• Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying

• Island Institute

• Jewett Builders

• National Audubon Society

Photo Credits: National Audubon Society; Friends of Hog Island

Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark, Newcastle

Frances Perkins served as U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, becoming the nation’s first female cabinet secretary, and the driving force behind the New Deal. Among her many contributions to our society are Social Security, minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, banning child labor, and developing unemployment insurance and worker compensation systems. Her place of respite was her family homestead in Newcastle, where she summered her entire life.  

The 57-acre saltwater farm situated along the Damariscotta River features the 1837 Greek Revival, brick house, a connected house, and barn complex. This modest but dignified homestead was continuously owned and occupied by the Perkins family for over 280 years. It embodies the New England traditions of hard work, thrift, and community responsibility that guided Frances Perkins throughout her long life.

Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, Frances’ only grandchild, along with his husband Christopher Irvine Rice, were the last to live at the property and played an integral role in founding the Frances Perkins Center in 2009.

First, the nascent organization successfully nominated the property to the National Register of Historic Places, sought assessments of the buildings, and explored options for acquisition. Shortly thereafter, the National Park Service approved the site’s enhanced designation as a National Historic Landmark.

Although the homestead’s significance was now recognized, years of deferred maintenance and alterations needed to be addressed. The roofs had deteriorated, window and door openings were compromised, various elements of its structure were unstable, and all systems were antiquated. The concerted effort caught our attention landing the homestead on our 2018 list of Most Endangered Historic Places.   

Following an ambitious capital campaign to raise over $5 million, the Frances Perkins Center purchased the property in 2020 and launched the rehabilitation. Spencer Preservation oversaw the details of the meticulous work and E.J. Perry Construction Co. served as the primary contractor. The scope of work included a new roof, repairing windows and doors, replacing gutters, and completion of critical structural repairs to permit safe public use of the interior spaces of the house, barn, and ells. A later dormer addition had compromised the ell and was carefully removed to restore its integrity. Antiquated systems were upgraded for energy efficiency and a security system was installed to protect valuable collections.

The project also restored a porch that had been removed from the north side of the house in the mid-20th century. By piecing together glimpses of the porch in the family’s photograph collection, calculating proportions, and observing ghost lines on the existing brick, Spencer Preservation accurately re-designed the porch and skilled carpenters brought it to fruition. A lift was creatively integrated into the restored porch, which now serves as the primary entrance for visitors.

The project was supported financially by hundreds of individual donors and a Save America's Treasures grant from the National Park Service. The State of Maine provided grant funds as well as technical expertise and advice, and The 1772 Foundation in partnership with Maine Preservation awarded grant support. The project received great support from the Town of Newcastle and Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, which protects the land through a conservation easement.

Opening the Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark in 2023 was a major milestone in honoring the legacy of a remarkable woman whose work continues to improve the lives of ordinary Americans. Visitors and students of all ages can now appreciate the simple beauty of the preserved farm and come away inspired to emulate Frances Perkins, a great American whose character was shaped by this place and by her deep connections to Maine.

Project Participants

• Brown, Richardson & Rowe

• E.J. Perry Construction

• Frances Perkins Center

• Spencer Preservation

Photo Credits: Kari Herer; Doug Manley; Frances Perkins Center

Gingerbread House, Norway

The Gingerbread House was believed to have been constructed in 1855 by Richard Evans, integrating some elements from an earlier structure. The house eventually came under the ownership of Charles. B. Cummings who commissioned an extensive remodel in 1885. The elaborate millwork, or “gingerbread,” decorative brackets, window hoods, and turret were added during this time. The property’s decline began in the 1940's when the Cummings family sold the property, and it was divided into apartments. In the 1960's, the Advertiser Democrat newspaper acquired the house, using it variously as a darkroom, office, gift shop, and storage space. Despite its tired state and dull use, the Gingerbread House was an iconic element of Norway’s cultural landscape, often painted, photographed, and admired.

In the early 2000s, C’s Inc. bought the Advertiser Democrat and its properties. Aware of both its derelict state and historic significance, the company offered the house to the Town and the Norway Historical Society for free, under the condition that it be moved. A group of concerned citizens formed the Gingerbread House Task Force, partnering with the Historical Society to raise money, identify a new suitable site for relocation and rehabilitation, and serve as the nonprofit entity to receive donation of the building. As a plan coalesced, the task force formally incorporated as a nonprofit and renamed themselves, the Norway Landmarks Preservation Society (NLPS). In 2011, with a parcel pieced together from Town-owned land and MDOT right-of-way, and a new foundation prepared, Merry Building Movers relocated the Gingerbread House approximately 900 feet to the western edge of town.

 Barba + Wheelock was hired to develop a preservation plan. Their 2012 report summarized the significant deterioration of the envelope, loss of the porches, and poor condition of the interior. Thankfully, the framing and structure of the building were sound. Although the relocation undermined its contributing status within the National Register historic district, the group still chose to follow best practices in its preservation.

In 2012, work commenced on the house, first with installation of a new roof and restoration of the chimneys and turret. The asphalt shingles that had long clad the exterior were removed to reveal the original wood siding. Carpentry repairs to clapboard, trim, corbels, and other decorative features were made in preparation for the iconic four-color paint scheme. Window restoration was completed in phases by Bagala Windows Works and Ed Somers Woodworking. Setback requirements prevented reconstruction of the full wraparound porch, but NLPS was able construct a smaller iteration using original elements.

NLPS championed the project from the start through fundraising, sweat equity, coordination with state and local officials, and managing the skilled craftspeople and contractors who worked on site. Countless members of the community volunteered their time. Several groups such as the Middle School Art Club, Junior Kiwanis, and a high school drafting class have all participated in efforts to keep the project going. 

Most of the funding came from individual donations and successful grants from the Davis Family Foundation and The 1772 Foundation in partnership with Maine Preservation. Norway Savings Bank likewise helped with financial contributions to the hometown project. Additionally, Aubuchon Hardware and Benjamin Moore Paints made substantial donations in what else, paint!

With the exterior rehabilitation complete, NLPS intends to market the property for sale and the next steward will be tasked with finishing the remarkably intact interior. The group is donating a preservation easement on the property to Maine Preservation so the landmark house will be protected forever at the western gateway to downtown Norway.

Project Participants

• Above & Beyond Roofing

• Bagala Window Works

• Barba + Wheelock

• Ed Somers Woodworking

• Mark Grover

• Merry Building Movers

• Norway Historical Society

• Norway Landmarks Preservation Society

• Old Tyme Painters

• Scott Roberts

Photo Credits: Norway Landmarks Preservation Society; Brewster Burns

Andrea Burns, Norway

Andrea “Andy” Burns is a true champion of preservation. She has demonstrated a decades-long commitment to showing others why the historic fabric of our towns and cities should be loved and preserved, and how that in turn enhances the vitality of our communities. In addition, Andrea’s pure tenacity and relentless ability to hold people to account has fostered a self-sustaining preservation ethic and changed the landscape of downtown Norway for the better.

Raised in Danvers, Massachusetts, Andrea graduated from Wheaton College in 1959 with a degree in European history. While her husband Hank served in the U.S. Navy, they lived in Charleston, South Carolina, where she became enchanted by the city’s architecture.

By the mid-1960s, Hank and Andrea, with young sons Brewster and Jay, were live-in caretakers of the National Historic Landmark Peirce-Nichols House in Salem, Massachusetts. The historic house museum was owned by the Essex Institute, now the Peabody Essex Museum, where Andrea was employed.

In 1971, the family moved to a Federal-style farmhouse atop Plummer Hill in Waterford, Maine, whose wildly overgrown gardens Andrea would tame and transform. [Andrea 4] Hank and Andrea taught in the Oxford Hills school district, and Andrea was an award-winning first-grade teacher at South Paris’ Mildred M. Fox Elementary School. She would later support the adaptive reuse of the historic school for affordable senior housing.

With her retirement in 1996, Andrea redirected her uncanny strategic visioning skills and laser-like attention to detail on her community. Her love of horticulture and old buildings collided, presenting Andrea with one of her first challenges. In the face of sprawl in South Paris, she worked to establish the McLaughlin Foundation, which saved and now stewards the historic farmstead and famed garden of Bernard McLaughlin.

Andrea’s talents and beliefs truly coalesced through her work with Norway Downtown. After joining the board in 2006, she became the powerhouse behind the organization serving as its president from 2011 to 2016. Under her leadership, the organization achieved its Maine Downtown Affiliate status, planned innumerable community festivals and events, and fiercely advocated for historic preservation with elected officials, stakeholders, and peers. In 2017, a Downtown Visionary Award from the Maine Development Foundation said that “Andrea Burns galvanizes volunteers around community causes.  She is the unabashed voice in the room reiterating why quality of place matters.”

Andrea shared her passion and experience statewide by counseling peers and other main street organizations, and through 12 years of service as a Maine Preservation Trustee–never sacrificing her commitment to Norway. In 2003, Andrea successfully advocated for including the Norway Opera House on our Most Endangered Historic Places List–earning the attention it needed for initial stabilization and partial rehabilitation. When the Town of Norway was tasked with liquidating a trust that held three historic downtown buildings, she ensured they ended up in the right hands, including perpetual protection of the Greek-Revival Crooker House via a preservation easement held by our organization. 

 Andrea was also a founding member and later President of the Norway Landmarks Preservation Society, which emerged as an initiative to relocate and save the iconic Gingerbread House. The colorful, restored Victorian now sits at the western gateway to downtown Norway, primed for its next chapter.   

For more than 5o years now, Andrea has often been spotted walking downtown Norway, ostensibly to pull weeds or pick up litter. But mostly, she was connecting with merchants, citizens, selectboard members, and potential investors, all to one end: preserving Norway’s historic character to support the needs of the community, today and tomorrow.

Photo Credits: Brewster Burns; Norway Downtown