A bowling alley in Ellsworth, a theater in Van Buren and a historic home in Pittston are among the properties that made this year’s list of Maine’s Most Endangered Historic Places.
Maine Preservation, the group that puts out the annual list, said on its website that the effort is meant to focus attention on the sites “with an aim to preserve threatened places throughout the state.”
Among the places on this year’s list is the Colburn House State Historic Site in Pittston, a 1765 home built by Maj. Reuben Colburn. Colburn helped plan and supply an attempt to seize control of Quebec from the British in the early part of the Revolutionary War, according to Maine Preservation.
Colburn, Gen. George Washington and Col. Benedict Arnold scouted the route with colonists and the Wabanaki people. He then coordinated the building of 200 small boats and secured provisions for 1,100 troops.
Arnold’s expedition failed and Colburn was never paid for his efforts to outfit the expedition, sending his family into debt.
Today, the state-owned site is described as being in “a dire situation” because of an unstable foundation, mold, flaking lead paint and other significant problems. The interior has been closed to the public since 2019.
Other sites on the endangered list:
- D’Amanda’s, a candlepin bowling alley in Ellsworth, that dates to the 1970s. The building’s roof leaks, the pinsetters and lane equipment pose a safety hazard to employees, and the outdoor sign needs to be replaced.
- Swan Island, in the Kennebec River off Richmond, needs restoration of ferry access, funding for building maintenance and programming to keep the buildings in use.
- Bowdoinham Town Hall, which dates to 1823 and was closed to the public this spring, needs $1.5 million in repairs that include a new roof and foundation work.
- Jonathan Fisher House in Blue Hill, finished in 1818, which needs to have original timbers replaced, walls rebuilt and a new roof.
- Gayety Theatre Building in Van Buren, a 1921 Main Street landmark, needs significant repairs after years of water damage that led to buckling wood floors, failing plaster and a wet basement.
- Winter Harbor Historical Society and Museum, an 1877 schoolhouse where the exterior walls are pulling away from floor joists and the fieldstone foundation is contributing to structural problems.
