ROCKLAND – The Rockland Historical Society has completed the purchase of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay's birthplace. A generous donation from the Roxanne Quimby Foundation enabled the society to close on the purchase Thursday, March 24.

The duplex called a "double house "because it is two separate houses built together that are mirror images of each other, is located at 198-200 Broadway in Rockland.

The structure is sound but in need of serious repair and restoration, according to the historical society. In December of 2015, the Historical Society appointed a Millay House Committee to investigate the possibility of saving and restoring the house as an important historical landmark for heritage tourism and a representation of Rockland's internationally famous poet. The Roxanne Quimby Foundation has offered to match all funds that the Committee can raise for restoration up to $100,000 and the Society has just learned that the Davis Family Foundation has granted $40,000 toward the rehabilitation of the house.

"The Davis Family foundation Grant and the Roxanne Quimby Foundation match will give us $80,000 to begin the first phase of our planned work on the Millay House, " said Brian Harden, president of the Rockland Historical Society, in the release. "We hope to begin this spring with exterior repairs, replacing the aged electrical system and upgrading the failing heating system."

Harden further explained that the Society does not want to own the Millay House long term, but hopes that after restoration, it can be turned over to a new foundation that will preserve the house and give it a continuing use in honor of Millay's life and talent. While plans are still in the early stage of discussion, the Society hopes that the north side of the house, where Millay was born can be shared with people wishing to visit it as an example of an 1890s double house famous for the time when the Millay family lived there and that the south side of the house can be rented out to tenants who are interested in living in Rockland while they pursue writing or artistic projects. Trying to create a full house museum on a busy street in a residential neighborhood may not be practical or affordable, Harden said but there are more flexible ways to share Millay's legacy and her family's residency at the house that is being explored by the Millay House Committee.

Wayne Gray, Chairman of the Millay House Committee said: "It is also important for the historical society to save this landmark because we have already lost so many great historical Rockland buildings: the homes of General Hiram Berry and General Davis Tillson of Civil War fame; our Post Office and Custom House downtown, and the Knox County Sheriff's house and the old Knox County Jail on Limerock Street."

Harden agreed, adding that appreciation of the past helps give Rockland residents a sense of community and place that so many American cities and towns are losing today. "Edna St.Vincent Millay was one of the twentieth century's most important poets. She is still popular today, and many people are interested in where she was born and where she grew up in the Midcoast coast area. We hope that the Rockland Historical Society can raise the funds to preserve her birthplace and show the pride we have that this Rockland native beat all the odds and gained an international reputation of which we can all be proud."