Portland-based Barba + Wheelock Architecture received a 2023 Maine Preservation Honor Award for their contributions to the Lemont Block project. The firm was recognized for their leadership role in the three-year restoration project that brought the 153-year-old, largely vacant building back to its former glory in the heart of Brunswick.

Barba + Wheelock’s team revived the mixed-use property that includes retail space, residential units and an event venue in the former great hall. The skillful design improves accessibility and addresses modern code requirements without destroying the building’s 19th century character. Barba + Wheelock provided construction oversight and was also instrumental in making the project financially viable by bringing it through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, administered by the National Park Service.

“We’re extremely proud of our involvement in the restoration of the Lemont Block as a cornerstone of the Brunswick Commercial National Register Historic District,” said Nancy Barba, one of the firm’s principals.

Maine Preservation Honor Awards were founded in 1998 in order to recognize historic preservation successes across Maine and the people that make them happen. This is the second year in a row that Barba + Wheelock has won a Maine Preservation Honor Award, and the 11th time the firm has received the award overall.