Set the time machine to the 1960s. Urban renewal was seeing the demolition of many older buildings in the name of revitalization. Iconic structures like Union Station in Portland fell to the wrecking ball and explosive charges. Cities were seeing pressure to allow modernization of historic buildings if not wholesale demolition.
Fortunately for Hallowell, a team of motivated women undertook a survey of homes and buildings in the city. Their work provided the foundation for the creation of a historic building ordinance which, in part, protected many of the architectural gems featured in the pictorial tour of Hallowell’s Federal-style homes. State historian Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. will be the tour guide. The program is part of a continuing series of programs celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Row House, Hallowell’s historical society. The program will feature two of the earliest images of Hallowell; an illustration from the early 19th century and a daguerreotype of the Kennebec Row building on Water Street, now home to Scrummy Afters Candy Shoppe, according to a news release from Row House.
Hallowell Federal-style home at 5 Chestnut St. Photo by Bob McIntire
The program will be presented free of charge at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the auditorium of Hallowell City Hall. The stately municipal structure at the corner of Second and Winthrop streets itself was the focus of the organization’s efforts to protect and preserve the city’s architectural heritage. It led the building’s renovation effort.
The falling bricks of Union Station were part of the motivating force that saw Shettleworth earning a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Colby College and an Master of Arts degree in Architectural History from Boston University. He has served on numerous boards and commissions and presently is a trustee of both the Hubbard Free Library and Row House, an organization that began by purchasing and restoring buildings on the verge of collapse to save the city’s architectural heritage, according to the release.
Lemonade and cookies will be served following the presentation.
The 50th anniversary program series will conclude with a presentation by Frank O’Hara on Oct. 30 focused on Hallowell’s “recent” history from about 1850 to the mid-1900s.
For more information, contact Bob McIntire, coordinator of the Row House program, at bobauvergne@gmail.com or 592-4718, or visit rowhouseinc.org.
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