Maine Preservation held their annual honor awards ceremony last Thursday, to “recognize owners, developers, professionals and leaders responsible for transformative historic preservation efforts throughout the state.” We were proud to be part of the team honored for the restoration of The Mill at Freedom Falls. Read the full list of honorees, here.
Chris Glass, Tony Grassi, Carmen Bombeke, Jay Fischer and Arron Sturgis accept a Maine Preservation Honor Award
This project was a true collaboration between client, architect, architectural historian, general contractor and ourselves, the traditional timber framers. There are so many folks who should be proud of their participation, who gave their time, energy, intelligence and passion to completing a very challenging project. Thank you Ed Bell, Reese Crotteau, Shawn Perry, Lee Hoagland, Chuck Michalek, Tom Glynn, Scott Lewis, Jesse Turgeon and Rod Bishop. Read more about the finished project, here.
Since the start of Maine’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit in 2008, $135 million has been privately invested by developers rehabbing historic commercial buildings in the state of Maine . This $135 million comes in the middle of a recession and while new construction is at a virtual standstill. The study showed that the preservation rehab projects produced 2,700 jobs in Maine while unemployment in the building industry stands above 14%. Maine’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit, which is responsible for spurring this construction activity, is scheduled to sunset in 2013. The Legislature’s Committee on Taxation is currently considering recommending the removal of the sunset clause.
“Quietly, consistently and effectively, for the past 30 years, historic preservation has become the leading catalyst in the revival of communities throughout the state and the nation. This study proves that preservation is working here in Maine,” said Greg Paxton, Executive Director of Maine Preservation. “The rehab of these vacant mills, former schools, and re-purposed churches is a big boost for towns and the neighborhoods around them.”
Projects have occurred in larger cities such as Portland, Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn and Saco-Biddeford and also in smaller communities such as North Berwick, Farmington and Hallowell. Projects have occurred in areas with stronger real estate markets and in areas where there was barely a market at all. This is why preservation is such a successful revitalization strategy. It can occur in any community and it frequently stimulates other preservation investment around it.
On Thursday, June 9, Maine Preservation presented their Annual Honors Awards as part of the Vital Maine Communities Conference. Maine Preservation presented an award of Excellence in Craftsmanship to the craftspeople who restored the Brown-Pearl Hall at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. These included Robin Neely, Maker of leaded windows, Ben Coombs, Glass Blower, Norm Faucher, Welder and Arron Sturgis, Timber Framer. PTF was honored to be part of this project and work with these exceptional craftspeople. We look forward to more collaborations like this one.
