PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Maysville Grange building, located at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and the Brewer Road, may soon have a new owner and a new purpose, if funding can be obtained.
“The Presque Isle Historical Society is looking into purchasing the facility to transform it into a museum,” said Kim Smith, treasurer and recording secretary for the Historical Society.
The building, owned by Travis Kearney, of Mars Hill, has been for sale for some time, with an asking price of $15,000. Smith said her organization knew the history behind the structure and its importance to the community and began discussing ways to come up with the money necessary to purchase it.
“When we discovered the Maysville Grange Hall was for sale, we knew it had historical significance. It once served as a gathering place — as town hall of Maysville, a school and later as the Grange Hall. It served as the cornerstone of Maysville,” said Smith, noting most people don’t realize the role grange halls have played over the years, serving as the focal point in many communities and as the hub for development.
“Grange halls serve as conservation sites, a place for rural health care, fire, police and the list goes on and on,” she said.
Smith said this particular hall has “been very important to rural America and especially rural Maine.
“It has a rich history, covering everything from war to peace-time activities,” said Smith.
It was the war connection that got Smith thinking about possible ways to raise funds in the beginning.
“This past summer, a gentleman from Arizona was trying to trace his relatives — some from Maysville who played an active role in the Aroostook War. We’ve since talked and he’s expressed interest in putting a monument in their honor somewhere in Maysville,” Smith said.
Smith told the man, identified as Ken Hayden, that there was no longer a place called ‘Maysville,’ since it was long ago incorporated into the city of Presque Isle.
“I suggested one possibility would be the Grange Hall property. He liked the idea. When I told him it was for sale and how much the owner was asking, Mr. Hayden sent the Historical Society a check for $1,200 and told us to use it as a downpayment. He said he’d already taken steps to have the property declared a national historical battlefield,” said Smith, adding, “This is an opportunity the Historical Society can’t overlook.”
With the deposit in hand, Smith approached Kearney about the purchase, inquiring if there was any wiggle room to the asking price.
“I spoke with Travis and when he found out what our plans were, he lowered the price to $10,000,” she said.
Plans for the site follow the Historical Society’s overall mission, according to Smith.
“The mission of our organization is to study, promote and preserve the heritage and artifacts of Presque Isle. This building is highly significant historically speaking. It’s made of wood and has sustained fire damage and rot and is deteriorating. If we don’t act now, who knows how much longer it will last,” she said.
Smith said there are funding options available for historical projects but unfortunately there are often strings attached. She wanted to address concerns the public might have with regard to the Historical Society taking on another project before they’ve completed the firehouse restoration that has been under way for the past several years.
“The fire station is made of brick and won’t fall down any time soon. The Grange Hall is wood and needs to be saved before it’s too late. To finish the fire station, we need about $1.7 million. That won’t happen any time soon. To bring the Grange Hall back to life, we wouldn’t have to do much. We could then use it as a museum, with tours. It would have a different donor base and supporters than the firehouse,” said Smith.
Smith said having an operational museum, with at least one full-time staff member, would enable the Historical Society to obtain funding needed to complete the firehouse.
“There are IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) aesthetic grants available — federal grants. But currently we don’t qualify, even though we have a museum with the Estey House and firehouse. We need a facility open a set number of hours with a full-time staffer. If we can get this little building and do a few repairs, we could be operational and, in turn, qualify for the grant to continue work at the firehouse,” explained Smith. “We could then be open the required 120 days a year or more. We’d have to work out the staff situation, but that’s a small part of the larger picture.”
Smith said a lot of work has already been completed at the fire station, including refurbishing windows and doors.
“We’ve raised about $300,000 and that’s already been put into the remodeling. We’ve refaced brick, put in energy-efficient windows that are back to the original size. We’ve fixed the roof, had the doors replicated and done some interior demolition,” Smith said. “We’ve made progress.”
Since her contact with Hayden, Smith said she’s had at least one other individual express support for the purchase of the Grange Hall.
“I received an e-mail recently from a high school classmate with whom I haven’t spoken to in over 30 years. His family lived close to and attended the Maysville Grange. I had not even contacted him directly, but he heard of the project and has sent a check for $1,000,” said Smith.
Smith said in addition to helping qualify for grants for the firehouse, the Grange Hall would also serve as a way for the Historical Society to generate revenue for the community.
“Once it’s restored and open to the public, it will serve as another reason for people to visit Presque Isle. And if Mr. Hayden’s wish comes true, we’ll also be on the national registry of historical places,” said Smith.
For more information on the Presque Isle Historical Society, , contact by mail: PO Box 285, Presque Isle, ME 04769, phone 762-1151, e-mail pihistoricalsociety@hotmail.com or visit online at www.pihistory.org.
