Sagadahoc Preservation Incorporated (SPI) owns the Winter Street Center. It is comprised of two buildings: one an 1843 Gothic Revival
style church the other an attached parish hall. It is located directly across from the
Patten Free Library, Library Park, and the Zorach Spirit of the Sea Fountain. The
church has not been utilized for nearly 60 years and it was last renovated in
1890 by John Calvin Stevens. The buildings were at risk of being demolished in the late 1960’s; Sagadahoc Preservation Incorporated (SPI) was formed in 1971
to save them. Both are on the National Register, both as a stand-alone building
as well as a contributing building to the national and local historic districts. SPI
Trustees (all volunteers) have maintained these buildings with membership dues,
grants, and fundraising events for the last 53 years.
The Winter Street Church was designed to accommodate 300
people on the main floor and an additional 100 people on the balcony. It is
connected to the Annex by a hallway. The Annex has three floors, a full
basement, a large meeting room (Diane Francis Hall), and three office rooms on
the third floor with an open meeting area. The Annex has a certificate of
occupancy for 270 people on the main floor. The Annex basement is used as
office space for SPI, volunteer researchers, and as a kitchen; the second floor is
rented to community groups and Sagadahoc Preservation members for private
events; the third floor’s office space is not used due to a missing fire
escape.
Your input is needed to guide SPI’s future decisions. Please answer the following
survey questions before April 30, 2024, to be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the 2024 Historic House & Garden Tour.