When an excavator crushed Buxton’s old town hall Monday, it could have been a blow for the future of the community’s food cupboard. But with town support, there is a sense of optimism that a new home will be found for the service, which helps some 245 local families.

The Buxton Food Cupboard and the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society both had been housed in the old town hall for more than a decade, but were forced out when a ceiling collapsed in a storm last fall. Selectmen ruled the old town hall in Buxton Center unsafe. A new town hall on Portland Road had replaced the old in 1993.

The historical society moved to West Buxton, and the food cupboard has temporarily relocated to a former doctor’s office in the Bonny Eagle Plaza, at the intersection of routes 22 and 112. Plummer’s Supermarket is donating use of the space and even pays for the food cupboard’s electricity.

“We were lucky they let us use it,” said Gwen Hatch, president of the food cupboard. “We’ve got good quarters there.”

But the space is for lease, so the food bank is without a permanent home.

In June, Buxton voters rejected a proposal to repair the old town hall, which was built in 1871, and earmarked money to raze it. Tuesday, an excavator sat on the debris, squashing the rubble. The town hall was sandwiched on a small lot between the Buxton Center Baptist Church and the S.D. Hanson School on Route 22.

From his truck, Selectman Dan Collomy eyed the old town hall rubble Tuesday. “It was some rickety,” he said.

Collomy said the site would be leveled and blacktopped, and then would be available to the church for added parking.

Now, with the old town hall now history, Hatch hopes the town can find a permanent home for the cupboard.

Voters authorized spending $20,000 to demolish the old town hall. BBI of Old Orchard submitted the lowest bid of $14,000 and was awarded the demolition contract. Collomy said he would like the $6,000 leftover to go toward a new building. But, erecting a new structure would require voter approval.

Collomy said an idea of building a structure at the vacant site has been discussed. “We’d eventually like to put up a building for the food pantry,” said Collomy.

Pat VanBetuw, a food cupboard volunteer for 15 years, doesn’t know where the food cupboard could go, but is optimistic. “Something will work out,” she said.

Meanwhile, the needy aren’t going without in Buxton. The food cupboard is located between the Yummy Restaurant and Just Your Style, a beauty salon. The cupboard is open 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Fridays. It served 871 people from Jan. 1 through July 20. Clients at the cupboard are required to be Buxton residents and must have a yellow card issued at town hall.

Each family is allowed to shop at the cupboard once a month. The largest is a family of seven.

The community has supported the cupboard, which depends on donations and 15 volunteers. The Narragansett Number 1 Foundation gave the cupboard three freezers and a refrigerator. Local farmers have contributed, too. The refrigerator Tuesday contained locally produced squash and eggs.

The cupboard is allocated government-surplus fruits and vegetables, which are picked up at a warehouse in Sanford. Spending about $400 a month, the cupboard pays 16 cents per pound for meats and canned goods at the Good Shepard Food Bank in Auburn.

Now, it’s the cupboard that faces a need. “The Lord will take care of us. He’ll find us a new place,” VanBetuw said.

The food cupboard can be reached by calling Hatch at 642-2396.

Cutline (BUX pantry 1) (BUX pantry 5)