Eagle Scout Wyatt Henry DeGrasse, of Troop #417, in Waterville (contributed photo)
Eagle Scout Wyatt Henry DeGrasse, of Troop #417, in Waterville, Kennebec Valley District, received the great honor of Eagle Scout on June 15 at a ceremony attended by former Maine Governor Paul LePage, who had been a Cub Scout himself, in Waterville, years earlier. The ceremony was held at the Waterville Church of Latter Day Saints.
Randy Downer
Randy Downer and Judy Stone have over 14 acres of undeveloped property on the west side of China Lake. Randy took me on an amazing tour of the property, and I will share some of the experience with you in this article.
We started at the camp road where we saw a low area that in springtime pools water. It is home to 100 to 500 wood frog larvae and the water is called an “ephemeral pool”. Ephemeral means that the pool of water lasts only a short time. This undisturbed land is a bird sanctuary for local and migratory birds. While we were there, we could hear the songs of the American Kestrel, Wood duck and Spotted Sandpiper to name a few. I had never heard of a Veery Bird, but these birds breed here!
There are two streams that travel through this property. The land is heavily forested and has low areas to help slow down the flow heading to the lake. The tall, vegetated berm located at the waterfront is a good example of a natural barrier that can prevent any harmful pollutants from entering the lake. In the past 12 years, I have seen few properties that have such a berm.
The variety of natural plants on the property was amazing. It was truly uplifting just to walk among the trees, shrubs, understory, and the ground cover of various grasses. The red oaks and white oaks stood majestically.
This property is a good example of natural and wild. It welcomes wildlife. Sometimes it is good to just walk on such land to remember Mother Earth; natural and unbroken.
You too can help our land if you are willing. Feel free to contact China LakeSmart for some ideas and assistance at ChinaLakeSmart@gmail.com.
Peter Nelson
China Lake Association’s LakeSmart Volunteer Program has recently awarded Peter and Sandra Nelson the LakeSmart Award. On their property there is a wide row of flowers and shrubs lining one entire side of their lawn. This vegetation absorbs any sheet flow from heavy rainstorms that accumulate on the lawn. They also have low, uneven areas on the lawn that hold any rainwater headed to the lake. Their lakeside buffer is composed of shrubs, duff, ground cover that is framed with tall trees. The buffer vegetation prevents any pollutants from entering the lake during heavy rains without affecting their wonderful view of the lake!
If you are a lakeside property owner, would you like to invite our volunteers to offer ideas on how you can help our lake? We also have a Youth Conservation Program that can get any of the proposed ideas completed for you. They can plant shrubs, shade trees, and low growing vegetations. They also build infiltration steps, infiltration trenches, walkways, help with erosion issues at the waterfront like rip rap work and a host of other best management practices that you may be interested in adding to your lake buffer.
To contact LakeSmart you can call 207-242-0240 or email ChinaLakeSmart@gmail.com today! We are looking to accumulate work for the YCC’s 2022 season.
Palermo Community Foundation (photo by Connie Bellet)
Originally known as the Palermo Community Foundation, the organization was chartered in 1996 by a group of friends led by John Potter, Jim Osier, Dennis Sturgis, Ted Bigos, Mike McCarty, Eben Bradstreet, and Herb Flint. Their plan was to serve the needs of the community by providing a building for local groups to meet, learn, share ideas and talent, and to create a more sustainable community.
Mr. Potter had some land and a rudimentary building available, which he later donated to the new organization. Several ideas about uses for this asset were floated. These included a health clinic, a library, an art and technology teaching center, and an internet service provider. The health clinic and library didn’t work out, but Palermo Online, the area’s first ISP, moved in upstairs. The main floor became a meeting room, performance area, dining room, art studio, kitchenette, and now a weekly Food Pantry. Mr. Sturgis taught people how to use computers, while Jim Osier and others refurbished outdated and damaged computers. Eventually over 300 of these computers were donated to elderly shut-ins and low-income students in several counties.
Phil White Hawk watering the garden. (photo by Connie Bellet)
In 2001, the PCF officially received its 501(c)3 designation as a nonprofit Charitable Foundation. All Board Members and Executives have always served as volunteers. The Chairman of the Board is Larry Grant, with Connie Bellet serving as President, Tom Thornton as Vice President, Melody Sherrick as Secretary, Ted Bigos as Treasurer, Phil White Hawk as CFO, Mike Dunn as Parliamentarian, and Dennis Sullivan as Building and Grounds Chairman.
By 2004, the PCF had outgrown its initial scope, and now serves at least five counties. So, it adopted a d.b.a., and is operating as the Living Communities Foundation. The organization sponsored events like the “Palermo World’s Fair,” several live multimedia concerts by Phil White Hawk and Connie Bellet, and now hosts the Great ThunderChicken Drum, a pan-tribal Native teaching Drum. There have been two weddings in the Palermo Community Center and the Grape Arbor in the Palermo Community Garden. For nine years, the LCF sponsored free monthly potluck “Dinner and a Movie” nights, featuring films about various aspects of sustainability. However, those were curtailed by the pandemic. But, as a sign of hope and abundance, Alex Bradstreet has installed a couple of colonies of honeybees in the Community Garden, and they have made a big difference in local fruit production.
Peter Nerber and other volunteers are setting up the Palermo Food Pantry. (photo by Connie Bellet)
In 2014, June Foshay approached the Foundation about opening a food pantry in the Community Center. The weekly Palermo Food Pantry is an agency of the Good Shepherd Food Bank. For the last seven years, Ms. Foshay, as Pantry Director, has kept the pantry open every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Although weekly attendance varies, approximately 40 households are signed up at the Pantry. Hannaford Supermarkets graciously supplies meats, vegetables, dairy, and canned goods, while local farmers, as well as the Palermo Community Garden, provide fresh, organic greens, vegetables, and fruits for the Pantry. For more information about the Pantry, please contact June Foshay at 993-2225.
The Living Communities Foundation is funded exclusively by private and business donations, as well as by sales of Vidalia onions in the spring and Florida citrus in the winter. Until the pandemic, peaches were also a big fundraiser, but are no longer available. There have also been bake sales, bottle drives, raffles, and wine tastings. Since the Foundation is not endowed at this time, grant writing will likely loom large in the future. In the meantime, donations are always appreciated to keep the freezers running and the utilities going. See below for more info!
Looking toward the future, the Living Communities Foundation foresees more responses to community needs as the age demographics inch upwards and social structures are reorganized. Now that Covid restrictions are being lifted, families are once again welcome to schedule visits to the Community Garden to learn gardening techniques from Master Gardener Connie Bellet and take home freshly-picked produce after doing a bit of weeding. Call Connie at 993-2294 to schedule a volunteer session or other event. Groups can meet in the Grape Arbor for afternoon iced tea, and the Community Center will once again be available for meetings, seminars, discussion groups, and small parties. Perhaps the “Dinner and a Movie” nights will be reinstated. Stay tuned for Open Garden Day!
Since both White Hawk and Bellet have a history of disaster response training, one future goal is to install a transfer switch and automatic generator at the Community Center so it can be used as a community water source and warming center case of power outage in the winter. This project will cost about $10,000. A 400 foot well was drilled in 2017, and donations plus partnership with Habitat for Humanity enabled the construction of a disability ramp in 2018. The Board of Directors is considering the use of the Community Center as a Senior Center as well. It can be a place to play cards, board games, quilting, or do craft projects. With proper funding, and with the right technology, establishing a WiFi hotspot may become a possibility. Mobile hotspots could be available to loan to people without internet service.
From left to right, Laura Sullivan, Cindy Keller, Katrina Cates, Orin Anderson and Pauline York gather around the fire pit at the annual volunteers’ BBQ. (photo by Connie Bellet)
Anyone can become a member of the LCF for $10.00 per person per year or $25.00 per family of any size. There are no restrictions and no discrimination. Membership applications can be obtained by calling 993-2294 or emailing pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net. The street address is 22 Veterans Way, Palermo, just off Turner Ridge Rd. across from the ball field. Donations are greatly appreciated and are the lifeblood of the Foundation. Please make out checks to LCF and send them to P.O. Box 151, Palermo, ME 04354.
Adults who want to join the LCF and serve the needs of the community are welcome as volunteers or potential Board members. During warmer months, volunteers are needed for garden work, yard and building maintenance. Snow removal services will be needed for hire during the winter months, especially for the safety of Food Pantry clients. Interested plowers and shovelers should call Phil White Hawk at 993-2294. Thank you for your interest and involvement!
The Town Line will continue with a series on local nonprofit groups and their work in their respective communities. To include your group, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.
Vassalboro Historical Society
The Vassalboro Historical Society is requesting your original artwork for use as the Society’s thank you notes and to have available for sale at the Society. Entries must be received by August 31, 2021.
The artwork (drawn, painted, or photographed) must feature historical buildings and sites of Vassalboro (stop by the museum for ideas – we have lots of photographs) which are suitable for printing on 4 1⁄4” x 5 1⁄2” note cards.
Four entries will be selected and artists will receive: $100 for first place; $75 for second place; $50 for third place; and $25 for fourth place.
Send your artwork or photograph to ART CONTEST @ VHS, PO Box #13, North Vassalboro, ME 04962, or by email to: vhspresident@gmail.com.
If you would like your artwork returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
by Debbie WalkerHow open minded are you? Maybe you have done things one particular way for years, can you try something else at least once? Ooops, maybe twice. Foggy mirrors in your bathroom are a nuisance. I am offering you two ways to maybe prevent the problem.
Number 1 is to clean your mirror with regular shaving cream. Spray it on, wipe it off. Try that for a few days. Number 2, make sure you use a second mirror. Rub cucumber flesh over the mirror. This will leave a thin film that repels water droplets. The two mirrors allow you to compare the results.
Okay, you made it through two examples of difference, how about some oldies but goodies? Medicinal, that is. The information came from my June issue of First magazine, and I have no idea who the author is but the name of the article is The Best Oldie-Goodie Cures. I hope they don’t mind my sharing it with you. As always with anything medical, check with your doctor with any questions.
Remove warts with aspirin: Rub a crushed aspirin on a wart before bed and cover with duct tape: remove in the morning. Repeat daily until gone. (Or apply daily with nail polish. You could scrub well once a day and then apply more, etc).
Avoid poison ivy rash, use dish washing liquid like Palmolive if you brush up against poison ivy. When rinsed, rub a little Palmolive on your skin.
Nail fungus is no fun, even though the first three letters spell fun! According to this article you make a solution of equal parts mouthwash and white vinegar and soak for 15 minutes. Repeat three times a week.
Heal skin with lavender. To do mix 3 drops essential oil to 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil or another carrier oil. It treats minor injures kills germs, reduces swelling and speeds new collagen and skin cells to reduce healing time.
Relieve a minor burn with baking soda. Pour one teaspoon of baking soda into a small bowl, then add enough water to make a paste. Use your fingers to gently apply paste, let dry.
Eliminate dandruff with mouthwash. Pour 1/4 cup of thymol-containing mouthwash like Listerine Cool Mint onto damp hair and massage into scalp. Wait five minutes then shampoo as usual. Repeat daily until flaking disappears.
Soften calluses with castor oil. Dampen a few cotton balls with castor oil, place them on rough spots and cover with bandage before slipping socks on your feet. In the morning, wash feet, then gently buff with pumice stone and moisturize.
Treat canker sores. Dab the sores with aloe vera gel from the plant’s leaves or product three times daily.
Shrink varicose veins. Dabbing witch hazel on mild varicose veins twice a day can reduce their appearance – and soothe vein related pain in as little as seven days. Keep the witch hazel in the refrigerator if your varicose veins tend to itch, applying the liquid chilled provides immediate relief.
Long after I desperately needed relief from super glue I found what follows: Nail polish remover, either acetone or non-acetone, nail polish remover can be used to clean up messes around the house. Try it on coffee or tea stained mugs, stains on upholstery from ink or permanent marker (test first on fabric) or super glue that stuck on hands!
I am just curious what you will use and what you already use. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Thank you for reading and have a great week!
by Peter CatesVarious orchestras; RCA Camden CFL-103, six lps of reissues from Victor 78s.
This bargain priced mid-’50s set contained very good performances and, for their day, quite decently recorded sound. The list of orchestras on the record labels contain the actual names for some pieces, and pseudonyms, due to strange contractual considerations, for other orchestras. Information on each item will be provided as concisely as possible.
Pseudonyms with real names in parentheses:
Cromwell Symphony (Cincinatti Symphony conducted by Eugene Goosens) – Richard Strauss Rosenkavalier Waltzes and Grieg 1st Peer Gynt Suite.
Warwick Symphony (Philadelphia Orchestra with Leopold Stokowski for Sibelius Finlandia, Moussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain, Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Johann Strauss Tales from the Vienna Woods, R. Strauss Salome’s Dance of the Seven Veils and Saint-Saens Dance Macabre; and Eugene Ormandy conducting Liszt Les Preludes.).
Star Symphony (Hollywood Bowl Symphony with Stokowski) – Tchaikovsky Marche Slav.
Carlyle Symphony (Czech Philharmonic/Vaclav Talich) – Dvorak Opus 46 Slavonic Dances.
The other items:
Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops – Rossini William Tell Overture; Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture and Capriccio Italien; Bizet 2nd L’Arlesienne Suite; and Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol.
Hans Kindler, National Symphony of Washington, D.C, – Liszt 6rh Hungarian Rhapsody; Smetana Moldau; and Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel Dream Pantomine.
Fabien Sevitzky, Indianapolis Symphony- Grieg 2nd Peer Gynt Suite.T
Serge Koussevitzky, Boston Symphony- Liszt Mephisto Waltz.
Constant Lambert, London Philharmonic – Offenbach Orpheus in Hades Overture.
Tig Notaro
In summary, the album gave immense pleasure and some of these recordings may be on YouTube.
I highly recommend the Amazon Prime show, One Mississippi, a semi-autobiographical comedy starring Tig Notaro.
“The preachers and everybody else in Gardiner and Richmond, Hallowell and Dresden, went to bed that night praying for the snow to hold up and the red blood in the glass to stay down in the ball where it belonged. The river of Henry Hudson was still liquid as it went under the Catskills and down by the walls of the Palisades. God was in His heaven!”
More next week.
Many Americans are celebrating COVID receding with an alcohol-free day, season or longer.
(NAPSI)—As both vaccination levels and temperatures rise, Americans are shedding more than their masks and an extra layer of clothes. Many are also looking to shed unhealthy habits they developed during a year of lockdown. For these post-pandemic revelers, declaring independence this July takes on new meaning, as they seek freedom from behaviors that no longer serve them.
According to personal finance company WalletHub, the Fourth of July is one of the country’s top drinking holidays, with roughly $1.6 billion spent on beer and wine. This, however, is no average year: Alcohol consumption increased significantly during the height of the COVID pandemic. A survey published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health highlights just how prevalent stress-related drinking was during lockdown. Participants in the survey reported consuming both more drinks and a greater number of days drinking. A third of participants reported binge drinking, with 7 percent reporting extreme binge drinking.
That may be a reason the concept of Sober Summer has emerged as one of the hot trends for 2021. In recovery from the effects of the pandemic, many are “sober curious,” looking to realign their lifestyles with healthier habits. Interest in alcohol-free activities is booming—from sober travel companies, to bars that serve only virgin mocktails, to outdoor activities that don’t center around drinking.
This year, Lionrock, the leader in telehealth recovery and support services, is hosting a July 4th online marathon as an alternative to boozy celebrations. Open to everyone, Lionrock offers a safe and fun alternative for people who don’t want to center the holiday around drinking and who do want to find peer support and friendship. The event includes meditations, icebreakers, Lionrock’s popular CommUnity meetings for those in pursuit of peace in mind and body, and even a dance party. It’s not necessary to be “an alcoholic” or “in recovery” to join; everyone is welcome.
“The Fourth of July all-day marathon is modeled after our very successful New Year’s Eve event,” said Lionrock co-founder Ashley Loeb Blassingame. “Mental illness and despair thrive in isolation, which is why 2020 was so difficult for so many. For me, freedom from addiction is the best kind of independence. We want to provide a way for people to connect with others seeking a higher level of wellness so they can experience a better and healthier way of coping and living this Fourth, all summer, and beyond.”
People working toward a healthier summer that includes cutting back on alcohol consumption and not necessarily abstaining altogether may want deeper support than just a July 4th marathon. After turning to alcohol or other drugs as a way of coping with stress, anxiety, or depression during the past year, they are ready to reassess their relationship with substances and find a more balanced way of managing life’s challenges. Still others will decide that a sober summer won’t be enough. For those who cannot moderate their behaviors, intensive outpatient programs and higher levels of care offer long-term recovery options.
The good news for anyone struggling with unhealthy coping mechanisms and habits is that help is available and alcohol-free activities have become more prevalent. From the Lionrock meeting marathon on July 4th to wellness retreats, sober raves, and even a simple walk along the beach, this summer is an excellent time to realign your lifestyle post-pandemic and find a healthier path forward.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug dependency, you may care to visit www.lionrockrecovery.com or call 800-258-6550.
by Sasha FitzpatrickYou may have heard that it’s important to take the emotions out of investing. But is this true for all emotions?
Certainly, some emotions can potentially harm your investment success. Consider fear. If the financial markets are going through a down period – which is actually a normal part of the investment landscape – you might be so afraid of sustaining losses that you sell even the investments that have good prospects and are suitable for your needs.
Greed is another negative emotion. When the financial markets are rising, you might be so motivated to “cash in” on some big gains that you will keep purchasing investments that might already be overpriced – and since these investments are already expensive, your dollars will buy fewer shares.
In short, the combination of fear and greed could cause you trouble.
But other emotions may prove useful. For example, if you can channel the joy you’ll feel upon achieving your investment goals, you may be more motivated to stay on track toward achieving them. To illustrate: You may want to see your children graduate from college someday. Can you visualize them walking across the stage, diplomas in hand? If so, to help realize this goal, you might find yourself ready and willing to contribute to a college savings vehicle, such as a 529 plan. Or consider your own retirement: Can you see yourself traveling or pursuing your hobbies or taking part in whatever activities you’ve envisioned for your retirement lifestyle? If you can keep this happy picture in mind, you may find it easier to maintain the discipline needed to consistently invest in your IRA, 401(k) or other investment accounts.
Another motivating force is the most powerful emotion of all – love. If you have loved ones who depend on you, such as a spouse and children, you need to protect their future. One key element of this protection is the life insurance necessary to take care of your family’s needs – housing, education and so on – should something happen to you. Your employer may offer group life insurance coverage, but it might not be sufficient, so you may want to supplement it with your own policy.
Furthermore, you may need to protect your loved ones from another threat – your own vulnerability to the need for long-term care. Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70 percent chance of eventually needing some type of long-term care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This type of care, such as an extended nursing home stay or the help of a home health aide, is extremely expensive, and, for the most part, is outside the reach of Medicare. So, to pay for long-term care, you might have to drain a good part of your resources – or depend on your grown children for financial help.
To keep your financial independence and avoid possibly burdening your family, you may want to consult with a financial professional who can recommend a strategy and appropriate solutions to cover long-term care costs.
By drawing on positive emotions, you can empower yourself to make the right financial moves throughout your life.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC. Sasha Fitzpatrick can be contacted at EdwardJones Financial Advisor, 22 Common St., Waterville, ME 04901, or at sasha.fitzpatrick@edwardjones.com.
Submitted by Sasha Fitzpatrick
Edward Jones Financial Advisor
River Meeting House
Returning to the list of churches on the National Register of Historic Places, the next to be discussed is one that readers met briefly last week. The Sophia D. Bailey Chapel, at Oak Grove School, (the school had several names; Oak Grove School is simplest) was originally known as the River Meeting House. It was where China Quakers worshipped before the East Vassalboro meeting house and then China’s own Pond Meeting House were constructed.
The River Meeting House was built in 1786; Wikipedia says it was the first religious building in Vassalboro. When they nominated it for the National Register in early 1977, historians Robert L. Bradley and Frank A. Beard listed two reasons it deserved recognition:
— It is “an unusual architectural adaptation”; and
— It is a “link with the Quaker heritage” of the Oak Grove-Coburn School, of which it was a part in 1977, and of the Town of Vassalboro.
The chapel was listed on the National Register on Sept. 19, 1977.
According to Bradley and Beard, the 1786 River Meeting House was a T-shaped wooden building, clapboarded, with gable roofs and a single doorway. It faced south onto what is now Oak Grove Road (previously North Vassalboro Road), they wrote.
Betsy Palmer Eldridge wrote in 1975 that the original building was a typical Quaker chapel, “a very plain building of white clapboard with few and simple windows.” It had no steeple or bell tower.
The building had no cellar. Inside, congregants sat in straight-backed wooden pews facing the pews from which the elders led the meeting.
Kingsbury, in his Kennebec County history, wrote that in 1892, Vassalboro Friends “have a large burial place in rear of their church, near the seminary,” and had also used the Nichols Cemetery, on the north side of Oak Grove Road a few miles eastward.
Vassalboro resident Susan Briggs, one of the leaders of a group seeking to preserve the chapel, wrote in an email that “there is a cemetery East of the Chapel now.” Early Vassalboro maps show two cemeteries on opposite sides of the road, she said.
“You can see where a road used to be on the north side of the present cemetery,” she continued, leading her to assume the road was relocated years ago.
There might be other Quaker graves outside the present cemetery, Briggs added. Since Quakers commonly used small, simple grave markers, “lost” graves are certainly possible.
In their detailed and often entertaining history of the Oak Grove School’s first 70 years, published in 1965 by the Vassalboro Historical Society, Raymond Manson and Elsia Holway Burleigh explained that the River Meeting House and the nearby Quaker school were separate entities until September 1895. By then, the Vassalboro Friends were too few to maintain the building, which needed major repairs.
On Sept. 19, 1895, the Vassalboro Monthly Meeting of Friends gave the chapel to what was then Oak Grove Seminary. Sophia D. Bailey, wife of Charles M. Bailey, offered to pay to have the building repaired and remodeled.
According to an undated copy of Harrie B. Coe’s Maine Biographies found on-line, Charles M. Bailey (1820-1917) established in 1844 Charles M. Bailey’s Sons & Company in Winthrop. The company manufactured floor coverings; Coe wrote that it produced some 30,000 rolls annually and had on average 65 employees. Bailey was a Quaker; his wife, also born in Winthrop, was Sophia D. (Jones) Bailey.
Kingsbury’s version is that Charles Bailey was one of two sons who, with his brother Moses (1817-1882) took over the oilcloth business his father Ezekiel started. Oilcloth, invented in Scotland in the mid-1800s, was used as an inexpensive floor covering into the 20th century, before more durable linoleum supplanted it.
A 2017 newspaper article about the effort to preserve the chapel identified Charles M. Bailey, husband of Sophia Bailey, as one of the headmasters of Oak Grove School. Manson and Burleigh’s list of Oak Grove Seminary Principals from 1850 to 1918 does not include a Bailey. (It does include eight different Joneses.)
Bradley and Beard described in some detail the 1895 “architectural adaptation.”
It resulted in a Shingle-style building with all the windows changed and relocated, two entrances and a square tower in the southeast angle of the original T. The tower was designed as a bell-tower, but no bell was provided.
The building they described in 1977 had the main doorway in the base of the tower with a partly enclosed porch with columns and arches. A second doorway at the far end of the south side had a flat arched window above it. A four-section south-facing window in the main building and a larger one in the base of the tower were also topped by arches.
Manson and Burleigh added that the work included adding a cellar to house a heating plant. The bricks for the cellar walls had been chimneys in wealthy manufacturer (and Quaker) John D. Lang’s Vassalboro mansion, donated by Hall Burleigh after he tore down the building.
Bradley and Beard wrote that there were two cellar windows on the west side, none on the east side.
The two-story tower is square, with four large arched openings in the second story above what the historians called bowed balconies. In the south side below the window and balcony is a small rose window.
Manson and Burleigh said the inside was changed dramatically, although several newer sources mention that the original ceiling survives. The traditional double row of pews that seated the group of elders facing the rest of the congregation was removed and a pulpit built.
Cane-seated chairs replaced the other pews (contemporary interior photos show that the pews are black). A carpet was laid and an organ purchased. Space was provided for a “combined Sunday school and lunch room.”
By 1895, the Quakers had given the chapel to the Oak Grove School. The renovations were designed by William H. Douglas (or Douglass), of Lisbon Falls; after Sophia Bailey funded the work, the name was changed to Sophia D. Bailey Memorial Chapel, dedicated Dec. 8, 1895.
For almost a century after 1895, the fate of the chapel was intertwined with the school’s rising or falling fortunes, which will be summarized in next week’s article in this series. Eldridge mentioned one change: in 1949, the entrance was again relocated, the driveway eliminated, and the inside repainted.
In 1970, Oak Grove School merged with Coburn Classical Institute, in Waterville, to create a high school called Oak Grove-Coburn. In 1989, the school closed for good.
In 1990 the school buildings, but not the chapel, were sold to the State of Maine and became the site of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Proceeds from the sale created the Oak Grove School Foundation, which assumed ownership of the chapel.
Preserving a building was low on the Foundation’s priority list. Its purposes are support of education and educational innovation, especially at the high school level, and aid to charitable and religious groups.
The chapel was used for religious gatherings, graduations and other school-associated events, and after the school closed hosted weddings, reunions and other celebrations.
By 2015, the Sophia D. Bailey Chapel was on Maine Preservation’s list of critically endangered historic buildings. The Yarmouth-based nonprofit organization’s explanation for the listing said that “The Chapel is underutilized with deferred maintenance, and is falling into disrepair.”
The report cited water entering the building through both the roof and the cellar, and said that the Foundation had considered demolishing the building. In response, the Maine Preservation report said, an alumni group organized the Friends of the River Meeting House and Oak Grove Chapel to try to preserve it.
Current leaders of the effort include Vassalboro residents and Oak Grove-Coburn alumnae Susan Briggs, Jennifer Day and Jody Welch (mentioned as East Vassalboro Grange Master in the April 29 issue of The Town Line; she and her husband Bernard, who wrote part of the April 29 story, were married in the chapel in 1981).
In 2017, the Maine Community Foundation’s Belvedere Historic Preservation Grant Program provided a $7,500 grant to repair the foundation and stop further water inflow.
By 2020, the alumnae group was planning to remedy the chapel’s major deficiency, no running water and no toilet facilities. Their proposed remedy, as they explained it to Morning Sentinel reporter Greg Levinsky in November, is to build a nearby caretaker’s cottage that will provide these amenities to any group using the chapel.
They foresee renting the cottage, so it will support itself financially. In addition to providing restrooms, they plan a small kitchen available for events at the chapel and probably additional space for meetings.
Cost of the project was estimated at around $160,000 pre-pandemic. It has increased since. Last fall, Levinsky reported, an anonymous donor offered $80,000 if the Friends group could raise a matching amount.
Day said in an email that the pandemic suspended active fundraising. She now looks forward to getting a more firm estimate of construction costs and resuming activities, including small-group chapel tours.
Day pledges to “keep reinforcing the historic value of the chapel and the future relevance of the building for community events, private celebrations and cultural gatherings.”
Restoration fund information
People who would like to help fund restoration of the historic Sophia D. Bailey Chapel may make donations through Paypal to oakgrovechapel@gmail.com or send checks, made out to Friends of the Rivermeetinghouse, to Sue Briggs, 593 Main Street, Vassalboro ME 04989.
More information is available from Briggs, whose email is briggsusan@gmail.com.
Eldridge, Betsy Palmer, Owen Hall Pamphlet June 1975.
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Manson, Raymond R., and Elsia Holway Burleigh, First Seventy Years of Oak Grove Seminary ((1965).BOX
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971).
Personal correspondence, Susan Briggs and Jennifer Day.
Websites, miscellaneous.