ISLAND FALLS, Maine — A century-old sandstone structure in Island Falls has become the third building in the tiny town to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town Manager Jutta Beyer announced May 1 that the former town office and jail had been designated as an historic building. Built as a replacement to the Town Office and Post Office which burned in February 1910, the structure was commissioned the following year by resident George Donham, who served as the town manager/clerk at the time.
“George wanted a building erected that would not burn,” explained Becky Drew of the Island Falls Historical Society. “For some reason, he chose a sandstone building. We believe it is cement block with a sandstone facade.”
The basement of the former Island Falls town office and jail still has two cells, once used to hold prisoners in the early 1900s.
(Joseph Cyr)
Located at 47 Burleigh St., the land was donated to the town by Bill Sewall and at one time housed the town office, a vault for town records, a printing press, and two iron jail cells in the basement since Donham also served as the town constable.
In the 1930s, the building was divided into the Island Falls Town Office and Town Library until the library moved to a new location in 1968. The town office followed suit in 1978, with the building sitting unused from 1978 until 1990.
Island Falls Historical Society acquired the building in 1990, and it became that group’s primary location for town history items. In 2000, the Historical Society relocated to the Tingley House and since 2015, the former town office has been used primarily for storage.
“We simply could not maintain two buildings, that is why we are no longer here,” Drew explained. “The intent and purpose going forward is to use the building for exhibit purposes and maybe some small classes.”
Drew said the building was of important historical significance because it is believed to be one of only two iron celled jails that exist today in the state.
The two other buildings listed on the National Registry for Island Falls are the Opera House and William Sewall House.
The Island Falls Opera House, an historic multipurpose building at the junction of Old Patten Road, Sewall Street and Bog Brook Road in the center of town, was added to the list in 1984, according to the National Register of Historical Places.
Built in 1894, the building included retail, performance, and residential spaces. It once served as a movie theater but is currently vacant, according to Drew.
A cot chained to the wall remains in the basement of the former Island Falls town office and jail.
(Joseph Cyr)
The William Sewall House is an historic house at 1027 Crystal Road. That home was built in 1865 and is notable as the longtime home of a second-generation resident of the community, William Wingate Sewall, who had a long and enduring friendship with Theodore Roosevelt, a regular guest until 1878. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is still in the hands of Sewall descendants, operated as a yoga retreat center during the summer months.
The former town office and jail is in need of a new roof and restoration to preserve the architecture of the facade. Drew said the town is seeking grants to help maintain the building for future generations.
Ornate decorations adorn the facade of the sandstone 1911 Island Falls town office and jail.
(Joseph Cyr)
