The archaeological dig at the Province Fort in front of the Parson Smith House has stimulated interest in the history of Windham’s oldest neighborhoods.

Now, members of the Windham Historical Society want to encourage more interest in the town’s history by designating the area of River Road a historic section.

The historical society presented the idea for a historic designation for the area at a special Town Council meeting Aug. 30.

The proposed historic area will not meet the requirements for a historic preservation district as laid out in the town code. An official historic district would have restricted property owners in the neighborhood from making changes and improvements to their home that do not align with period-appropriate architecture.

Instead, the society is focusing on recognizing historic landmarks in the area.

The stretch of River Road from the Westbrook line to the Maine Correctional Center is home to Windham’s oldest homes, and was first settled in the late 1730s.

Linda Griffin, president of the historical society, said last week that the society plans to put up signs on either end of this stretch of River Road to mark the historic area.

They also want to put up signs designating the neighborhood’s important landmarks, including the fort and the first schoolhouse, now a home.

For the oldest homes, the society hopes to hang small plaques with the year of construction on the exterior of the house.

The next step in the project, Griffin said, is to compile dates for the construction of the area’s buildings. Most of the information is available in the society’s archives, she said.

Once the dates (or approximate dates) are known, the society will send letters to residents in the area, introducing them to the project and asking if they would be willing to have a sign or plaque on their property. The letter will include depictions of the proposed signage, she said.

Bruce Elder, member of the historical society, said the society’s members hope the project will foster even more “respect for the history of the area.”

Elder is a resident of Windham’s earliest settlement, and is the seventh generation to have lived in his family’s Windham home. His son and granddaughter now live in the home on River Road, which he believes to be among the oldest in town.

Councilor David Nadeau said he is happy with the results of the Aug. 30 meeting and the movement on the project, which he said will “make people more aware of where Windham started, and where it grew.”

The project could be a learning opportunity about the history of houses residents drive by, but don’t know the origins of, he said.

The town plans to pay for the costs of the signs, Nadeau said.

From left, Bruce Elder and Linda Griffin, members of the Windham Historical Society, archaeologist with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission Leif Smith, and owner of the Parson-Smith House Elaine Dickinson stand outside the landmark Parson-Smith House.