ARUNDEL — On Route 111 in Arundel, two time-worn farmhouses stand about a mile apart, some of the last remaining architectural links to a past that is slowly coming into focus. The Arundel Historical Society, formed in 2008, is slowly coaxing that history from obscurity, researching documents, collecting photographs and pulling oral histories from the ether; the society knows, for example, that one of the farmhouses, known as the Burnham House, can be traced back to 1795, and that the other, the Lunt House, dates back to circa 1798.

What perfect buildings, say society members, to house the historical society’s headquarters, to serve as a central link to the town’s past, and to provide a gathering place for townsfolk to engender a sense of community.

That dream ”“ of moving, renovating and repurposing the Burnham and Lunt houses ”“ is tantalizingly close to becoming a reality. In possession of both properties, as well as the nearby plot of land close to where the Lunt family is buried, the historical society now needs to physically move the buildings to their new home. The plot lies ready across the road, about halfway in between both of the homes’ current locations.

But therein lies the rub: Moving the buildings will require money. As a non-profit entity, the historical society has been reliant on fundraising and donations, and will need an influx of cash to make the move.

“In both cases,” reads a passage from an informational document provided by the society, “the buildings cannot stay on their existing sites due to constraints created by planned changes in the use of their current locations.”

In other words, they need to be moved soon.

Donna der Kinderen, treasurer for the Arundel Historical Society, said the group has just sent out a 13-piece mailing to society members, and has contacted local businesses and corporations to explain their need for funds. Now her goal is to reach out to the broader community in hopes of obtaining the remaining donations necessary.

“We are closer than we were a little while ago,” said der Kinderen, “but we still have a ways to go.”

The total cost for Phase One of the project is estimated to cost more than $210,000, and will entail not just moving the buildings, but building new foundations, hooking up electricity and plumbing, and installing a heating system and water supply. For now, the society is focusing on raising the $50-60,000 to fund the initial move of the Burnham and Lunt houses, which is the more pressing need.

“They’ll technically be moved two times,” said der Kinderen, “which is not the ideal way to do it. But that’s what we’re left with.”

Once situated on the new plots, fundraising will continue, and the society will seek services from volunteers and contractors at either reduced rates or as a donation.

“Once we get (the buildings) moved, we’re going to try to get some people to help,” said Historical Society Vice President Suzanne Madore.

Arundel Historical Society President Jake Hawkins said he plans to be there when the houses are moved, with the hope that the transition goes smoothly, as much of the buildings’ insides are effectively portals back to the end of the 18th century.

“It has a lot of features inside the home that are original features,” said Hawkins of the Burnham house, including a smoke-weathered fireplace with the original bricks still intact. From 1833 until 1870, the home was owned by Edmund Currier, who was Arundel’s postmaster. During that time, the house served as the town’s post office as well as the family’s home. Though the surname changed due to marriage over the years ”“ first to McIntire, and then to Burnham ”“ the home stayed within the same family for more than 200 years.

The Lunt home is another that remained in the same family’s ownership for more than two centuries. That house was built by Samuel Lunt, who married Elizabeth McIntire, of the Burnham house McIntires. That provides a unique link between the two homes, and while the inside of the Lunt home has been renovated more thoroughly than that of its counterpart, the frame and integrity of the building is still intact.

To raise the necessary funds to move the structures, the historical society has hosted a series of bean suppers, two per year, and craft fairs that draw tourists and members of the community. The bean suppers, said der Kinderen, are particularly successful, not only for raising money for the society, but serving as a local event that brings the community together ”“ something the society feels is a need that should be met.

“Part of our original mission for the town is community-building,” said Hawkins.

The Arundel Historical Society meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Mildred L. Day School, and encourages community members who are interested to drop by. Donations can be made by calling Hawkins at 283-9699, or through the society’s website at www.arundelhistoricalsociety.org.

“This (project) could fall flat on its face if we don’t have sufficient funds,” said der Kinderen, “but it won’t happen at all if we don’t try. We all have disagreements about the future, but we can all agree on the past.”

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 319, or at jlagasse@journaltribune.com.