STANDISH –

By John Balentine

jbalentine@keepmecurrent.com

Representatives from three local historical societies toured Standish’s original town hall last Saturday and got a rare glimpse into the architecture of the two-story Greek Revival building.

The tour was made possible by the building’s new owner, Bryan Leclerc, a dentist who bought the building earlier this year from the town at a cost of $60,000. Leclerc, who operates Sebago Dental in Raymond, plans to open an office on the first floor of the Standish building and convert the second floor into his living quarters.

The building, which is not listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, is nevertheless an important piece of Standish history, said Linda Griffin of the Windham Historical Society. Griffin, Pam Slattery-Thomas of the Standish Historical Society and Anne Dunbar, a member of the Windham and Limington historical societies, enjoyed learning more about the building and offered feedback to Leclerc regarding the building’s history.

“He was so appreciative of us being there because he was so excited to learn everything that he can about the history of the building and he wants to put it back the way it was,” Griffin said.

The gray and white building is adjacent to the route 35 and 25 intersection in what is the oldest part of Standish. Griffin said the large building will likely be repainted the original color of white, in accordance with historic record.

The three women took photographs and plan to compile a full report on the building to present to Leclerc and the Standish Historical Society. The exact date the building was constructed is likely in old Standish town reports, which Slattery-Thomas is combing through. Due to construction technique, Griffin dates the municipal building to about 1850.

“1880 was the estimated age but we’re finding signs of a much earlier building. We see up-and-down saw marks on sheathing board and long benches and they were prevalent before you had circular saw mills,” Griffin said. “We held onto the old ways of building out in the country so it might be 1840s or 1850s, but we saw a lot of Greek Revival aspects, which is 1830-1860. The heavy trim outside is Greek Revival so it’s much earlier than the 1880s.”

Leclerc said he is about a month away from finishing upgrades to the building. While the downstairs portion was converted years ago into a doctor’s office – with several rooms that will serve his dental practice, he said – the upstairs living space is proving a treasure trove of historic artifacts. Griffin said the open room that runs the length of the building served as a multi-purpose hall for townspeople.

“It was used probably as a community center with all types of functions for all kinds of things––variety shows, weddings, receptions, dances,” Griffin said. “Town halls like this were used all the time for public speaking, junior proms, plays, high school graduations, you name it.”

Lining the upstairs wall is a built-in bench, which Leclerc said he won’t disturb. The bench was probably used for wallflowers to observe dances or annual town meeting attendees to sit and listen to local lawmakers.

The dominating feature upstairs is a stage, which Leclerc plans to convert into a bedroom. The Standish Historical Society still owns the canvas stage curtain, which features advertising for local businesses, Griffin said.

While he aims to insulate and improve the entire building, Leclerc said his goal is to disturb as little as possible of the original architecture, inside and out. The rest of the upstairs will remain as an open-concept living space.

The upstairs ceiling is a notable feature, as well, Griffin said.

“It’s really an amazing room upstairs,” she said. “I had heard there was a stage but no one said anything about there being an arched ceiling like you see in dance halls.”

Much of the arched ceiling was moldy, so Leclerc said he and some helpers had to replace the old plaster-and-lathe ceiling with modern Sheetrock.

“I get to play dentist during the week and carpenter on the weekend,” Leclerc said. “But I’ve never done this before, and so far it’s been an amazing experience and I’ve learned so much.”

Leclerc said he hopes to have a public open house when the building is completed.

“It’s such a cool building, and I can’t get over the fact I get to work on this project,” he said.

Linda Griffin of the Windham Historical Society was one of three historians invited to tour the original town hall in Standish, The building is owned by Bryan Leclerc, who operates Sebago Dental in Raymond. He plans to put a dental office on the first floor and convert the second floor to a living space, while preserving as much of the building’s history as possible. Courtesy photos
The new owner of the original Standish town hall is maintaining the appearance of the arched ceiling in the second floor of the building, replacing moldy lathe and plaster with Sheetrock.
The exterior of the original Standish town hall has been repainted several times in its more than 160-year lifetime. The new owner, denstist Bran Leclerc, plans to repaint the building its original color, which was likely white historians say.
The upstairs level of the original town hall was the scene of many public events such as meetings and dances, complete with a stage.