NORRIDGEWOCK — Mark Evans has brought back to town what it has been missing for several years — a barbershop.

Mark Evans is shown Wednesday at his newly opened Hometown Barbershop in Norridgewock. The business features a vintage barber pole.

Evans opened Hometown Barber Shop last month at the Oosoola Country Store.

Evans moved to Maine about 12 years ago to start a family after owning a roofing company in Massachusetts. He previously worked at a shop in Waterville, but wanted an opportunity to expand and become his own boss.

“I’ve done hair for a while, and I love the artistic side of it,” Evans said. “I really want to be a productive member of the community that my kids will be growing up in. That’s what it’s all about for me, making a living for them.”

Mark Evans has opened the Hometown Barbershop in Norridgewock, which has been without a barbershop since 2011. The business features a vintage barber pole.

Shortly after Evans set up shop, Harold Brown, a lifelong resident, visited him. Brown was excited about having a new barbershop in town. He has been driving to Madison to get his hair cut since the previous shop, owned by Stanley “Stan” Cates, closed in 2011.

From 1995 to 2011, Stan’s Barber Shop was the place to go in town, a staple in the community. Cates, who was 54 when he made his career shift to cutting hair, closed the shop’s doors in 2011. He had lung cancer and died in July 2011.

“(Stan) worked until he couldn’t do it any longer,” said Diane Cates, Stan’s wife. “He was such a contented man. He loved working with the kids and being their first barber. The kids called him ‘Stan Stan the Barber Man,’ and he loved it. He didn’t take vacations because he didn’t want to leave his clients.”

Diane Cates sold the equipment from Stan’s shop after he died. Harold Brown, who had recently acquired the barber pole from Stan’s shop, decided to give it to Evans.

“Everybody that I have talked to is excited about having a new barber in town,” Evans said. “A lot of Stan’s clients are coming in. Everybody knew who he was and that’s what I want to do: work under the same pole like he did.

“They are wicked good people and I feel privileged to have (the pole). Being out here is so much different (than Waterville), and I can’t believe how amazing the community is.”

While Evans loves his craft, he is more excited about the opportunity that he has to be closer to his family.

Tools of the trade are shown at Hometown Barbershop in Norridgewock. The business, owned by Mark Evans, features a vintage barber pole.

Evans and his wife, Chelsay, have three children, ages 3, 8 and 9. The older two attend public school in Norridgewock, just down the road from the shop.

“Two or three times a week, I walk over and pick my kids up from school and bring them back to the shop to do their homework until closing time,” Evans said.

“This is what I wanted for them. A lot of people jump in their car and go to work every day and don’t get to see their kids, and I thought being my own boss could help with that.”

Open to what customers want, Evans is working on creating haircut specials and is hoping to become more well-acquainted with the community through the winter months.

“I have the back of the community already, and I want to try to branch out to the school-aged kids because I do hair designs as well,” he said. “The people out here are truly good people, and I love that I am able to express myself through my work.”

“If there’s a breath left in my body,” Evans said, “I want to make this shop work.”

The stores hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Evans accepts walk-in customers at the moment, and will start scheduling appointments as demand increases.

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