Partnering for a seventh year with The 1772 Foundation, Maine Preservation awarded grants totaling nearly $131,000 to 20 nonprofit organizations in Maine. The grants ranged in amount from $1,700 to the grant maximum of $10,000.

“Maine Preservation is honored to partner with The 1772 Foundation to deliver support to nonprofit organizations that steward historic buildings integral to the fabric of communities across Maine,” said Tara Kelly, Executive Director of Maine Preservation, in a news release. “We are pleased to direct much-needed capital improvement funds for ongoing maintenance and large-scale rehabilitation projects, from structural repairs at a cultural center in Patten and theater in Dover-Foxcroft to exterior carpentry repairs at historic house museums in Portland, Blue Hill, and Hartland. 

The 2026 Maine grant recipients:  

• • Bell Hill Meetinghouse Association (Otisfield)

  • Center Theatre, Inc. (Dover-Foxcroft)

  • Farmington Historical Society  

  • Friends of Westport Island History  

  • Gayety Theatre (Van Buren) 

  • Hartland Historical Society  

  • Haystack Mountain School of Craft (Deer Isle) 

  • Hubbard Free Library (Hallowell) 

  • Jonathan Fisher Memorial, Inc. (Blue Hill) 

  • Lincoln County Community Theater & Orchestra (Damariscotta) 

  • McLaughlin Foundation (South Paris) 

  • Mechanics' Hall (Portland) 

  • Monhegan Museum of Art & History  

  • Patten Historical Society  

  • Phillips Children's Foundation  

  • Pittston Literary & Historical Society  

  • Scribners Mill Preservation, Inc. (Harrison)

  • Tate House Museum (Portland) 

  • Tides Institute & Museum of Art (Eastport)

  • Waterville Historical Society 

“Our founder, Stewart Barney Kean, fell in love with historic preservation through the act of restoration," said Ethiel Garlington, executive director of The 1772 Foundation, in a news release. "He appreciated the materials and workmanship of historic buildings. More importantly, he recognized the value of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to ensure historic places survive for the next stewards. These grants exemplify his spirit and love of historic preservation.”

Grants were provided for exterior repair and restoration including painting, surface restoration, chimneys, porches, roofs, windows, foundations and sills, masonry repointing, and installation of fire detection and suppression systems. Projects were evaluated by Maine Preservation staff, who also will administer the grants. Each grantee was required to have matching funds for its project. For more pictures and more information about grant recipients, click here.

About Maine Preservation

Founded in 1972, Maine Preservation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving historic places, buildings, downtowns, and neighborhoods–strengthening the cultural and economic vitality of Maine communities. For more information visit mainepreservation.org

About The 1772 Foundation 

The 1772 Foundation was named in honor of its first restoration project, Liberty Hall in Union, NJ, which was built in 1772 and is the ancestral home of the Livingston and Kean families. The late Stewart B. Kean was the original benefactor of The 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. For more information, visit 1772foundation.org