FOR YOUR HEALTH: A Tool To Save Lives

(NAPSI)—Heart disease is a leading cause of death for all Americans, but the death rate is higher for African American men and African American women of all ages than for whites.

To help community health workers in African American communities teach others about heart disease prevention, The Heart Truth®, a program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, recently released a new resource, “With Every Heartbeat Is Life,” that provides culturally tailored information about heart health. It is a resource for community health workers to use when holding educational sessions on heart disease in their own communities. It has culturally relevant information, such as heart-healthy modifications of traditional recipes, to make the manual particularly useful and meaningful in African American communities.

Heart-health experts developed the toolkit to help community health workers teach the course and engage participants using idea starters and picture cards to generate conversations. The curriculum discusses heart disease risk factors and prevention, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, alcohol consumption, weight management, sleep, physical activity, stress, and not smoking. The resource provides practical tips, such as eating healthy even when money is tight, and how to act in time to respond to heart attack signs.

Learn More For more information go to hearttruth.gov.

POETRY CORNER: I am a veteran

I am a veteran

by Gary L. Haskell

I am a veteran,
let me tell you what that means to me.
It means I made sacrifices,
to keep my country free.

It means I did many things,
I really did not want to do.
But, when I was given orders,
I would follow through.

It means I spent many nights
away from those who I love.
Let me live to see them once again
was my prayer to God above.

Yes, I made sacrifices,
but mine were very small.
When compared to the thousands,
who sacrificed their all.

It means I joined a fraternity
that existed for many years.
Truly a brotherhood,
of blood, sweat and tears.

I am a veteran
for that I take great pride.
some for things I did, but much more
of the heroes who have died.

Protecting this way of life.
where choices can be made.
We kept this the land of the free,
and we made it the home of the brave.

I AM A VETERAN!

New signs at China School’s Forest

Susan Cottle, Maine Master Naturalist (contributed photo)

Susan Cottle, Maine Master Naturalist graduate 2020, recently installed interpretive signs at the China School’s Forest. The Tree Trail ID signs were created as her capstone project for the year-long course that began in Waterville and moved on-line during the COVID-19 pandemic. Susan surveyed and identified a variety of trees along the trail and then researched the different species. Each sign features identification marks and fun “did you know?” facts. The metal signs were made by Leighton Signworks in Oakland, ME. Susan plans to add more signs to the Tree Trail this spring and hopes to offer some tree ID programming for the general public in the future. Information provided by Anita Smith, MMN 2014, and steward for the China School’s Forest.

LEGAL NOTICES for Thursday, February 25, 2021

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice February 18, 2021. If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-C M.R.S.A. §3-80

2020-300 – Estate of LON COONE, late of The Forks Plantation, Me deceased. William J. Coone, PO Box 2078,m Sylva, NC 28779 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-010 – Estate of DOROTHY E. GRAEBER, late o f Palmyra, Me deceased. Laurie A. Stocker, 8 Karen Street, Palmyra, Me 04965 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-012 – Estate of MARION A. DICKEY, late of Canaan, Me 04924 deceased. David A. Dickey, PO Box 426, Canaan, ME 04924 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-014 – Estate of KATHARINE B. PHILBRICK, late of Madison, ME deceased. Peter LaFond, 240 Foreside Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-016 – Estate of ALICE D. HEALD, late of Solon, ME deceased. Betty H. Price, 3 Beane Street, Anson, Maine 04911 and David E. Heald, 1102 Perham Road, Perham, Maine 04766 appointed co-Personal Representatives.

2021 – 017 – Estate of CHARLES LIMBURG BELYEA JR., late of Starks, ME deceased. Brandon A. Hatfield, 122 Pine Street, Madison, Maine 04950 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-021 – Estate of RANDY J. MATHIEU, late of Fairfield, ME deceased. Gary L. Mathieu, 10 Marie Street, Winslow, ME 04901 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-023 – Estate of BEVERLY GAIL EDWARDS, late of Madison, ME deceased. Mark C. Broga, 18 Bowman Street, Farmingdale, ME 04344 appointed Personal Representative.

2020-345 – Estate of HELEN R. LYNCH, late of Madison, ME deceased. Nancy J. Lynch, 321 Hollin Waite Hill Road, Anson, ME 04911 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-024 – Estate of RITA A. GIROUX, late of Bingham, ME deceased. John H. Giroux Jr., PO Box 243, Solon, Maine 04979 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-028 – Estate of MARJORIE L. ARSENAULT, late of Skowhegan, ME deceased. Blaine D. Arsenault, 1716 W 250N, West Point, Utah 84015 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-029 – Estate of ALBERT W. STARBIRD, late of Solon, ME deceased. David Starbird, 98 Drury Road, Solon, ME 04979 and Alan D. Starbird, 240 Thorndike Street, Dunstable, MA 01827 appointed co-Personal Representatives.

2021-30 – Estate of ARTHUR E. LOWE, late of Madison, ME deceased. Betty Roy, 21 Pine Street, Skowhegan, ME 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2021-31 – Estate of CAROL WELCH, late of Fairfield, ME deceased. Richard M. York, 15 Summit Street, Fairfield, ME 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

CORRECTION NOTICE:

On January 21, 2021. an incorrect notice for the Estate of DIANNE G. SORENSEN with an incorrect address for the Personal Representative was published. The correct notice should have read:

2020-333 – Estate of DIANNE G. SORENSEN, late of New Portland, ME deceased. Diane A. Canby, 1033 Bennett Way, San Jose, CA 95125 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on February 18 and February 25, 2021.
Dated: February 12, 2021 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(2/25)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: A little fun with marital questions

by Debbie Walker

Yes, it’s another book I read this week! The title is Humor for a Woman’s Heart, and has 6-plus authors. When I read this one section, titled Fun Questions for Married Couples, I hoped you would enjoy it. This one section is authored by Bill and Pam Farrel. Enjoy the little quiz:

1. The recreational activity you most often do together is:

A. Bicycling; B. Bowling; C. Hunting for his keys

2. Choose a vacation spot! Which qualifications for a prime vacation spot would appeal to the husband, and which would appeal to the wife?

A. Quaint little shops; B. Golf, golf, golf ; C. Nice Restaurants; D. Big servings; E. Valet parking; F. Free parking; G. Room with a view; H. Room with a TV set; I. Elegant sunken tub; J. Reading matter in the bathroom.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: A vacuum cleaner makes an excellent anniversary gift?

TRUE: Provided you want this to be your last anniversary

4. STORY PROBLEM: John and Becky must leave their home by 6 p.m. in order to be on time for a dinner party. John starts to get ready at 5:55 p.m., so he can leave at 6 p.m. What time does Betty need to start getting ready in order to leave by 6 p.m.?

ANSWER: It makes no difference when Betty starts to get ready. She could start at 5 p.m., 4 p.m. or even 3 p.m… It doesn’t matter. She’s still going to be at least 20 minutes late.

5. (Husband Question): When your wife says, “Let’s not get each other Christmas presents this year,” it indicates:

A. Her desire to share with the less fortunate. B. Her thoughtful and realistic interest in the household budget. C. A test to see if you “love her enough” to forget the suggestion and “surprise” her with something you’ll be paying off until Columbus Day.

6. When a husband dons his almost-like-new coveralls and announces, “I’m going to work on the car,” you can almost bet that:

A. Soon, it will purr like a kitten. B. Soon, it will stop on a dime. C. Soon it will be towed to a nearby garage.

7. (Husband question): FILL IN THE BLANK: You can’t make an omelet without…:

A. Breaking some eggs. B. Reading a recipe. C. Hearing a lecture from your wife on the dangers of cholesterol.

8. Who is more likely to utter the following:

A. “What’s for supper?” Him or Her; B. “Have you seen my socks?” Him or Her; C. When are we leaving for church?” Him or Her; D. “Do you think I’ve gained weight?” Him or Her; E. “Where’s the television schedule?” Him or Her.

9. Before answering the question, “How do you like my new hairstyle?” what should a husband always remember?

A. His wife’s feelings are the most important thing. B. She may have spent hours in a salon to get it to look this way. C. The couch is lumpy, and when you sleep on it a spring pokes you in the back.

There are more questions, but I have run out of word space for this column.

I’m just curious if you would like to see the rest of the quiz. Let me know at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Hope this made you smile. Have a great, healthy week and thanks for reading.

P.S. Please take care of your outside animals. They can’t turn up the heat or put on a coat and gloves. They need you.

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Writer: George Meredith

George Meredith

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

George Meredith

The English poet/novelist George Meredith (1828-1909) composed the following tribute to Queen Victoria (1819-1901), At the Funeral; February 2, 1901 :

“Her sacred body bear – the tenement
Of that strong soul now ranked with God’s
Elect.
Her heart upon her people’s heart she spent;
Hence is she Royalty’s lodestar to direct.

The peace is hers, of whom all lands have praised
Majestic virtues ere her day unseen.
Aloft the name of Womanhood she raised,
And gave new readings to the Title, Queen.”

I have too little space to go into Victoria’s reign, of which libraries of materials exist elsewhere, but Meredith touched on a few of her qualities that sum up the simplicity of greatness.

‘Her sacred body bear –’; Victoria brought integrity to the throne in her world view and practice of a happy, righteous life in her marriage, parenting and compassion to others. Meredith’s use of a dash after the verb ‘bear’ had a dramatic effect in the rhythm of that first line; her physical body, ‘the tenement’, was the home of a morally strong woman who found inner peace in this world against the savage pressures of political intrigue at Buckingham Palace, the social problems on the home front, the Crimean War during the 1850s, the death at a young age of her husband Prince Albert, etcs.

Queen Victoria

Meredith eloquently articulated a sense that she was now with the angels in heavenly eternity – ‘that strong soul now ranked with God’s/Elect”; again the dramatic pause between ‘God’s’ and ‘Elect’ heightening a feeling that Victoria had achieved a mighty victory in passing from this world to the next.

Moving on, despite her faults, historians have generally agreed that she brought a quality of being to the British throne that has been rarely, if ever, seen before her ascent and since her death in 1901 (I do admire the present Queen Elizabeth but her own virtues are for another day); ‘Majestic virtues ere her day unseen./Aloft the name of Womanhood she raised,/And gave new readings to the Title, Queen.’

I also couldn’t emphasize more the power of great literature on its own terms than in this poem itself. George Meredith was one of a large number of great English writers to emerge during Victoria’s 64-year reign from 1837 to 1901, along with Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens, Christina Rossetti, A. Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson and others. The poet Richard Howard commented that English literature during the 1800s was one major explosion of talent, and I concur.

I have only read a few other works of Meredith – his exquisite poems A Lark Ascending and Modern Love, and his more than 500 page novel, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, which I joyfully plowed through in two days, 30 years ago, and remember fondly for its comedy, tragedy, realism, romanticism and other elements of the life experiences blended in a very memorable group of characters on a country estate. He had an individuality, and a style of writing that won renown during his lifetime, despite its sometimes thorny difficulty.

The novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) wrote her own tribute to Meredith and remembered vividly his loud hearty laughter.

China TIF members endorse $3,000 more to continue China Days, fishing derby

by Mary Grow

In their informal discussion Feb. 17 as they waited for a quorum to assemble, members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee agreed the Sunday, Feb. 14, fishing derby and the fireworks that followed were well attended and well received (see The Town Line, Feb. 18, 2021).

The fishing derby was sponsored jointly by the China Village volunteer fire department and the China Four Seasons Club. Funds for the fireworks came from the China Days fund, set aside for the annual August celebration, and the selectboard.

During the TIF Committee meeting, members unanimously agreed to recommend an additional $3,000 in TIF support for China Days in 2021-22, so that the winter celebration can continue if town officials so desire.

Otherwise, committee members again postponed their major decision, action to recommend an updated TIF Plan, to be titled the Second Amendment. China’s original 2015 TIF document was first amended in 2017.

Jamie Pitney, a member of both the TIF Committee and the China Broadband Committee (CBC), had drafted and distributed a 29-page document incorporating changes the committee has made. Not all committee members had received it, and only Town Manager Becky Hapgood and two others had had time to read it, so action was postponed.

“I’ve never signed a contract without reading it,” committee member Mickey Wing commented as he favored postponement.

Committee members were to submit any proposed changes, or a note of approval if they recommended no changes, by Feb. 21. They scheduled another meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. The CBC also needs to meet that evening, Pitney said, so Hapgood told TIF Committee members they would have 45 minutes, to allow a 7 p.m. CBC meeting.

The revised TIF document includes assistance with broadband service as a new category, now that state regulators allow it. However, Pitney said, uses are limited to expansion to unserved areas, so not much of China’s planned improvements will be eligible for TIF funds.

The TIF document makes recommendations for allocating funds to different purposes, like China Days and similar events that promote the town, recreational trails, assistance to businesses and other categories. If town meeting voters approve the document, selectmen disburse money in accordance with the plan, on request.

Committee member Robert MacFarland asked whether the plan was too restrictive, making it impossible to assist a worthwhile new venture. Pitney pointed to flexible areas, like money to help with engineers and consultants, and added that another review and update like the current one could make additions.

Committee members decided the Second Amendment should not include a schedule of updates. The TIF Committee will continue to meet, and members can make a future decision about timing an update.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS – Purpose: what is your purpose?

Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

“Corporate purpose is at the confluence of strategy and values. It expresses the company’s fundamental – the raison d’etre or overriding reason for existing. It is the end to which strategy is directed.” – Richard Ellsworth, From the new book, Red Goldfish, by Stan Phelps. Here is what Mr. Phelps says about Purpose

“Purpose is becoming the new black. It is emerging as a guiding light that can help businesses navigate and thrive in the 21st century. Purpose is an aspirational reason for being, that is grounded in humanity, is at the core of how many companies are responding to the business and societal challenges of today.”

Okay, here is my take on this. When you talk about purpose you are talking about the reason why you are in business, why your company is in business. Think back to when you started your business and try to remember why the business was started way back then?

Every single company was started to fill a need. Somebody at some time saw a need to provide something that would fill a need, whatever that need was. That is and has always been the basic reason for any business to start…to fill a need.

Now think back, what was that need? Why did your company start in the first place and what need did it fill then? Is it still filling that basic need today? Is your company still doing what it was founded to do in the first place?

Focusing on your company’s true and basic purpose is the very best way to find your direction if you have lost it. It is the perfect way to re-align your company if it has come out of alignment or keep it in alignment at all times.

  • Purpose instills clarity.
  • Purpose guides both short-term decisions and long-term strategy at every level of an organization, encouraging leaders to think about systems holistically.
  • Purpose guides choices about what not to do as well as what to do.
  • Purpose channels innovation.
  • Purpose is a force for and a response to transformation.
  • Purpose motivates people through meaning, not fear. It clarifies the long-term outcome, so people understand the need for change rather than feeling it is imposed upon them.
  • Purpose is also a response to societal pressures on business to transform, to address global challenges, and to take a long-term, more comprehensive approach for growth and value.
  • Purpose taps a universal need to contribute, to feel a part of society.
  • Purpose recognizes differences and diversity. Purpose builds bridges.
  • Purpose helps individuals/teams work across silos to pursue a single compelling aim.

Now let’s talk a minute about the differences between an organization’s Mission and its purpose. Mission is always talking about where we want to go, it focuses on where we want to be someday.

If your company has a clear and well-defined purpose it will help you not only attract the best people with the same passion for the same purpose, but it will keep them passionate and engaged for years to come.

Now ask yourself, what is your company’s purpose? Why are you in business in the first place? And probably the most important question: is the purpose for your company the same today as it was when the company was started years ago.

And one more question: is your company’s purpose obvious? Does everyone in your company, and I mean everyone, know why you are in business? What is the purpose of your very existence? Having a strong and clear purpose is the best way to grow your business.

NEWS FROM THE VA: Vaccines available at the VA; and some pet peeves

Veterans Affairs Regional Benefit Office Togus, ME

by Gary Kennedy

Greetings my fellow veterans and friends. After many years of service, on the positive side, I find myself smitten by the need to allow some of the negatives I have been made aware of by phone, text and face to face conversations. Most of what I take in from others I must share, “pet peeves”, as well as general information for all to hear and disseminate to others in need. Before I say things that some of you don’t want to hear, let me try and answer one of our associate writers of The Town Line’s questions from last week’s issue. As I have shared myself through The Town Line for many years, now most of you know much about me. For those of you who don’t, I am a 100 percent disabled, service-connected disabled American veteran who spends most of his time helping other veterans with their V.A. related problems. Also, I try very hard to stay up with current events and share what I research with others to whom it may apply.

Debbie Walker, in last week’s I’m Just Curious article, spoke a lot about Covid-19 and the ever elusive vaccine that Moderna has introduced to the world and in this case, Maine. I can offer a few things that I am aware of, and you or Debbie can follow it up. For those of you who don’t live near the Togus V.A. facility or are not veterans, there are several things you may not be aware of. The first is the Veterans Administration has been giving out thousands of doses of the Covid vaccine to elderly veterans; those vets who are over 75 years of age. First in line were the veterans with serious comorbidities such as asthma and/or emphysema. In both of these cases the bronchi and /or air sacks in the lungs are damaged. This being said you can see the “why” of these cases being first on the list. Covid goes for the respiratory system in a big way. The health caregivers are at the top of the list as well for very obvious reasons. Without them remaining healthy the remainder of us wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

I hear that CVS Pharmacy and Walmart Pharmacy will be joining the team in the administration of the Moderna vaccine in the near future. Remember two injections must be given four weeks apart, to defeat this airborne virus. Travel is very complicated to anywhere in the world as the quarantine rules differ from one place to another. It’s much safer to have gotten both injections before planning any journey. In the case of veterans, you can call 623-8411 Ext. 4949 or 4947 for appointments. For general information on a day-by-day info search use the Website (Maine.VA.gov). Also you can call public information at 623-8411 Ext. 2969. By all means share this information with others. It actually helps not only veterans but others to connect for appointments. This in turn helps others and helps our state stay on top of the ladder.

Now for some “pet peeves” that I have been avoiding but find it necessary to share. I have been part of this research myself. Most information I receive I follow up by testing the data myself. It has been brought to the attention of business as well as individuals that some wonderful benefits are being abused. The number one item I hear about is pets being allowed into, grocery stores, hospitals, etc. There are places that animals should not be allowed; no matter how much an individual may love them. Animals can carry harmful things to places of food supplies. Also, it should be obvious to most of us; areas that have sterile and aseptic environments are breached by our pets. A few years back we began a caregiver program for the military which allowed “Service Dogs” which were trained and certified as companions for the veterans who were blind or nearly so as well as PTSD patients. It seems this has evolved in a ridiculous way. Some people carry French poodles, cats and various other animals. This is beginning to cause problems for those with a real medical/emotional need. There are even many people who are allergic to some animals. This has forced some businesses to post signs that state, “Service Dogs only.” If you think about it there are reasons why animals are being barred from planes and places where sanitary conditions must be strictly enforced. If you haven’t seen a picture of pet dander then perhaps you should research it. It’s not pleasant.

Last but certainly not least. There are those who illegally take handicapped parking spots. Also some doctors give out handicapped letters for state licensing use which allow some, not only close to destination parking but negates the legitimate parking of those with a real handicap. I have tested this on several occasions and I must admit some people really disgust me. Also, it’s illegal. (The handicapped person must be in the vehicle). Some handicap permits are used to avoid fees, taxes; again illegal and unfair. Because you’re fat and /or elderly it doesn’t mean you need to take advantage of handicap privilege. You are doing both yourself and those truly handicapped a disservice. Exercise will help keep the old ticker strong. Do yourself a favor and take a walk. Do the truly handicapped person a favor and allow them to shop. Their world is smaller than yours. There are many ways to show love and respect. If you think of each other as family our days will find so much fulfillment and satisfaction. A healthy glow on ones face is the best sleeping pill one can imagine. “Things are tough right now for all of us but doing the right thing is the right thing to do.” Remember someday you will be there as well. God bless and have a safe, thoughtful, considerate and wonderful day.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Historic listings, Augusta part 8

Hartford Fire Station.

by Mary Grow

Just south of the historic buildings at the north end of the west side of Augusta’s Water Street (described in last week’s article) is a much newer building that gained a place on the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1986. The D.V. Adams Co .- Bussell and Weston Building, at 190 Water Street, was built in 1909. Wikipedia calls it “one of the state’s best early examples of a department store building.”

D. V. Adams – Bussell and Weston Building.

Like its northern neighbors, it is built of brick and three stories tall, but the front has much more window space, particularly on the upper floors. The street level has five separate bays, the center one a recessed entrance.

Wikipedia says Boston architects Freeman, Funk and Wilcox designed the building for Bussell and Weston. Roger Reed, writing for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, calls the architectural firm Freeman, Frank and Wilcox – Web references do not resolve the discrepancy – and says Bussell and Weston was a dry goods company.

The original building had what Wikipedia calls a stepped parapet. On-line photos show stepped parapets having more than one level, as the name suggests. Reed wrote that the present Italianate cornice, similar to but elevated slightly above its neighbors, replaced the original sometime between 1912 and 1920.

One on-line source calls the architectural style Classical Revival, and others mention the Chicago style windows on the upper floors. Reed says Bussell and Weston intended, and their architects achieved, a building that would stand out from its neighbors.

In 1920, department store founder and owner Delbert W. Adams bought the Bussell and Weston building and contents and moved from his 1910 store on the east side of Water Street. His store closed in 1982, according to Augusta’s on-line Museum in the Streets; Reed’s report says a department store used the building until 1985. The name change from D. W. Adams to D. V. Adams is nowhere explained.

In 1985, Reed listed the building owner as G. T. G. Association. His description commented on the unchanged interior space, “complete with iron columns, wooden staircase and pressed metal ceiling.”

While on Water Street, it seems appropriate to describe the Hartford Fire Station, although at 369 Water Street it is south of the boundary of the Water Street historic district that this series has covered beginning with the Feb. 4 The Town Line piece.

The station’s alternate address is 1 Hartford Square. It is southeast of the south end of Water Street, with Gage Street on the northeast and the backs of the buildings lining Swan Street on the southwest. Built in 1920, the Hartford Fire Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, as a $6 million addition and renovation project was under way.

The large two-story brick building was designed by local architects Bunker and Savage, established in 1916 and still in business. An on-line Maine Preservation article calls its style Classical Revival.

The same article says the name recognizes George Huntington Hartford, whose son donated the land for the building.

George Huntington Hartford (Sept. 5, 1833 – Aug. 29, 1917) was born on an Augusta farm. By the time he was 18, he was in Boston starting a career in retail businesses. In 1861 he was in Brooklyn, New York, where he was hired as a clerk in George Gilman’s Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company.

Wikipedia says Hartford moved up in the firm until he became a partner when Gilman retired in 1878 and effectively ran the company until Gilman died in 1901. After Gilman’s death, Hartford bought out his heirs and ran what was by then A & P until his own death, though two of his sons took over day-to-day management in 1907 or 1908. Hartford invented the idea of a chain of grocery stores, and before he died he and his sons made A & P the largest retailer in the United States.

The 1920 Hartford fire station was the first in Augusta to have a fire horn that could signal fire locations to everyone in the city, and the first to be designed to accommodate motorized as well as horse-drawn fire equipment.

As fire trucks became larger and heavier, the station ran out of space and the floors began to deteriorate. In 2016, work started on an addition, plus repairs and interior remodeling of the original building. The on-line Maine Preservation article lists many people responsible for the successful project, including Fire Chief Roger Audette and Sutherland Conservation and Consulting (SCC), of Augusta.

SCC was founded in 2007 by Amy Cole Ives, of Hallowell, who previously spent eight years working for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. In May 2008, the SCC website says, Maine Historic Preservation gave her a Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award for her role in promoting legislation that led to the state’s Tax Credit for the Rehabilitation of Historic Properties and the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC).

Ives’ specialty is analysis of historic paint and other finishes on buildings, vehicles and art works. In March 1917 she helped organize the sixth International Architectural Paint Research (APR) Conference at Columbia University in New York City. She also presented a paper there.

(The third APR conference was in January 2008, also at Columbia University. The fourth was in 2010, in Lincoln, in the United Kingdom. The fifth was in March 2014 in Stockholm, Sweden. The seventh was scheduled for Tel Aviv University, Israel, in October 2020, and was retitled, more broadly, the Architectural Finishes Research Conference. It was rescheduled to a January 2021 virtual conference.)

In October 2020, Ives announced that SCC was absorbed by MacRostie Historic Advisors (MHA), LLC, with at least one employee joining MacRostie’s Boston office. Ives planned to continue consulting on historic paint.

George Crosby House

The statement that Augusta has four designated historic districts that opened the Feb. 4 article was an error by this writer. The city has five designated districts: the Water Street commercial district that has been described; the Capital District around the State House on State Street, to be described in the next article; and three residential districts, Bond Street, Crosby Street and Winthrop Street.

The residential historic districts contain mostly private houses that are not open to the public. Should readers care to visit them, owners’ rights and privacy are to be respected.

Bond Street is a short street that connects State and Water streets, just south of Bond Brook. The historic district includes seven one-and-a-half story wooden residential buildings, numbers 8, 9, 12, 18, 21, 22 and 25. All were built between 1878 and 1884 by Edwards Manufacturing Company to house employees in its textile mill. The company sold them to private owners in 1946.

Wikipedia says there are two four-unit buildings and a single-family house on the north side of Bond Street and four duplexes on the south side. All are similar in style. In 1900, the census found 167 people in 20 families living in the buildings.

Although other Augusta mill owners provided employee housing, Wikipedia says the Bond Street buildings are the only ones still standing in the city. The historic district was listed on April 11, 2014.

Crosby Street is a dead-end street south of and uphill from Bond Street. It runs north off Bridge Street, parallel to State Street above it and roughly parallel to Water Street below it. Crosby Lane connects the middle of Bond Street to State Street.

The Crosby Street historic district, listed Sept. 11, 1986, encompasses eight houses: one on State Street, one on Crosby Lane and six on the south end of Crosby Street. These are elegant, stylish homes, the earlier ones Federal and the later Greek Revival style, and would have been built for business and professional men.

The large two-story Federal George Crosby House at 22 Crosby Lane, with a story-and-a-half ell almost as big, is the oldest of the seven, Wikipedia says. Built around 1802 for businessman George Crosby, it was followed about 1806 by a similar house next door built for John Hartwell, described as a carpenter and auctioneer.

A Maine Historic Preservation Commission piece quoted online says the two houses have doorways designed from the1797 “Country Builder’s Assistant”, by Asher Benjamin, one of many architectural plan books that helped builders in places like Maine follow national style trends.

The Crosby house was the home of Governor Samuel Smith from 1832 to 1834. His choice led to additional generously-sized houses built by Eben Fuller and William Hunt, among others.

George Crosby is listed in Captain Charles E. Nash’s chapters on Augusta in Kingbury’s Kennebec County history as the first cashier of the Augusta Bank, chartered Jan. 21, 1814.

John H. Hartwell was born in Lincoln, Massachusetts, Jan. 2, 1787. He married Eliza Brooks (1789-1864) on May 31, 1810, in Hallowell, and they had two sons and six daughters. He died March 6, 1859, in Augusta.

Nash wrote that Eben Fuller (Jan. 25, 1795 – Oct. 7, 1873) opened the Fuller drug store in 1819. The building burned in the September 1865 fire, and Eben and his only son, Henry Lucius Fuller (1827-1875), rebuilt it. Eben Fuller married Eliza Williams (1799-1883); they had one son and four daughters.

The Winthrop Street historic district is the largest of the three residential districts, covering about 100 acres. When the district was designated on Aug. 6, 2001, it included 192 buildings on Chapel, Chestnut, Court, Green, State and Winthrop streets. On Dec. 30, 2008, Wikipedia says, the district boundary was expanded to add the 1830s Federal house at 20 Spring Street.

Winthrop Street runs approximately west from Water Street to the Augusta airport. It separates Mount Hope Cemetery on the north from Forest Grove Cemetery on the south.

Some of the earliest houses in the historic district date from 1815 or before. Most were built between 1830 and 1850, after the state capital was moved to Augusta by law in 1827 and, in fact, in 1832. New houses continued to be built for residents involved in Augusta’s publishing (see The Town Line, Nov. 12, 2020) and manufacturing enterprises until around 1915.

Non-residential buildings include Lithgow Library, the Kennebec County Courthouse, at 95 State Street (see Jan. 7; the Lot Morrill house on Winthrop Street described there is also inside the historic district) and two churches. A variety of architectural styles are represented, with Federal, Victorian and Colonial Revival dominant, Wikipedia says. Some of the former residences now house professional offices.

NOTE ON SHURTLEFF HOUSE

Readers who planned to look at the Shurtleff House, on Route 201, in Winslow, (see The Town Line, Jan. 28, 2021) will not find it. Michael Fortin, owner of Fortin’s Home Furnishings, on the east side of Route 201, said when the property went up for sale, he bought it because he owned adjacent land. When he inspected the neglected house, he found it was “far beyond repair” and, with regret, had it demolished on Feb. 19, 2021.

Main sources

Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).

Websites, various

Next: Augusta’s Capitol Complex Historic District.