From Vacancy to Vibrancy- Breathing New Life into Religious, Fraternal and Grange Buildings

Description

Please join the Maine Downtown Center and our partner Maine Preservation for our Maine Downtown Institute. This is an in-person deep dive learning opportunity, on September 10, 2025, in Lisbon from 8:30am-12:15pm.  

Whether it’s an old church, fraternal building, or grange hall, so many of our downtowns are home to *that* building. Large and architecturally ornate, these beautiful and historic buildings often fall into disrepair due to declining enrollment or membership, aging infrastructure, and high cost of maintenance and repair. Despite the challenges these buildings present, they hold high potential for reuse or redevelopment. How can we make the most of this potential and reclaim these spaces as the community assets they are?  

Agenda:

• 8:30am: Networking with coffee, tea & light breakfast items 
• 9:00am: Welcome 
• 9:15am: Overview of Topic 
• 9:30am: Case Study presentations  
  • Nancy Barba, Barba Wheelock Architects 
  • Donna Dwyer, My Place Teen Center 
• 10:15am: Panel Discussion 
  • Cheryl Claiborne, Lamoine Community Arts 
  • Dan Black, CFO Quality Housing Coalition and Developer 
  • Joel Demers, Noble Grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, Woodfords Corner, Portland 
  • Representative from Maine Preservation 
• 11:15am: Wrap-up  
• 11:30-12:15pm: Building Tours 
  • Maine Art Glass and Butterfly and Insect Museum (former Saints Cyril Methodist Church built in 1924) 
  • 8 Oak Street, (formally the Ancient York #155 Masonic Hall)