YARMOUTH, Maine — Maine Preservation has announced its 18th Maine’s Most Endangered Historic Places List and one of Houlton’s historic buildings has made the list.
The Maine’s Most Endangered Historic Places List began in 1996 for the purpose of identifying and raising public awareness of the breadth and interest in preserving endangered and threatened historic properties and materials.
Maine Preservation is a statewide, nonprofit, membership organization that promotes and preserves historic places, buildings, downtowns and neighborhoods, strengthening the cultural and economic vitality of Maine communities.
Named to the list was Houlton’s J. M. Rice Block. Built in 1897, the block was a contributing building to the Market Square Historic District of Houlton. Market Square is officially listed in the National Register in 1980.
The district is significant for its collection of large commercial buildings built during the economic boom resulting from the construction of the railroads near Houlton.
The previous tenants were moved out of the J.M. Rice Block when the current owner identified a prominent commercial tenant and began efforts to rehabilitate the property. When the owner’s financing fell through, the rehabilitation efforts were put on hold and the building has now sat vacant for more than a year. New financing or a new property owner needs to be identified to move the project forward and to bring businesses to the J. M. Rice Block building and the Houlton downtown.
The Rice Block once served as the Masonic Hall for Houlton’s Masonic group from 1898 to 1919.
Since the list’s inception in 1996, Maine Preservation has listed 113 properties. A total of 53 of those properties have been saved; 26 are in the process of being restored; 16 are still threatened; and 18 have been demolished.
“Maine’s Most Endangered Historic Places List for 2015 illustrates the broad range of historic buildings and structures that are community assets across our state,” said Greg Paxton, executive director of Maine Preservation. “Preservation of these key structures can be a catalyst for, economic development, community revitalization and continued quality of life for the citizens of Maine’s towns and cities. Through historic preservation, our communities can wisely manage and adaptively use existing buildings, bolster our tax base and provide a firm foundation for future prosperity and a sense of place.”
For more information on each of the listings, please visit mainepreservation.org.
