Our Mission
Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation of buildings possessing architectural and historic merit in Sagadahoc County, Maine; to educating the public about those historic buildings; to maintaining the Winter Street Center for community use.
Sagadahoc Preservation Inc.
Annual Meeting Summary 2025
Outgoing Trustees:
Meg Barker, Rick Bisson, Kara Zech-Thelen, and Katie Winglass
New Trustees:
Mary Anne Ballard, Peter Blachly, Kim Heithoff, and Paul Seaman (See biographies below)
2025 Officers: President – Alicia Romac, Vice President – Irene Drago, Treasurer – Kirsti Huotari Secretary – Geniene Marco
Continuing Trustees:
Judy Barrington, Preservation Chair, Morgan Decker, Education Chair
Jeff Assenza, Chair, Winter Street Oversight Committee
Annie Parker, Curtis Henderson, Kelli Pallito, Suzi Ring, Jeff Robinson, and Jackie Berry
President’s Report
I am deeply grateful for the dedication and hard work of our Board of Directors over the past year. Together, we have:
• Hosted our annual House & Garden Tour and added the Maine Author’s Expo
• Continued our Fourth Grade Architectural Program with area schools
• Rebuilt the chimney and painted the north sanctuary wall
• Replaced the front tiered windows with custom mahogany frames, original glass, and added reproduction louvers
• Completed the kitchen renovation at the Winter Street Center
• Launched The Maine Songwriters and Musicians Concert Series
• Sponsored the Washington Park Historic District project
• Served as the fiscal sponsor of the Kennebec Riverview, Inc. project to preserve waterfrontage in downtown Bath
We also completed a detailed assessment of the Winter Street Center and are developing a three-phase renovation plan focusing on accessibility, structural stabilization, and essential upgrades to fully open the buildings for expanded community use.
To strengthen our capacity and vision, we have engaged Bridget Alexander and Tali Pieper of Mighty Oaks Consulting, whose expertise in grant development, program-based budgeting, and strategic planning will help us take SPI to the next level. Together, we are laying the groundwork to expand programming and public access at the Winter Street Center.
Looking ahead, 2026 will be a pivotal year of planning and implementation for Phase I of our restoration efforts. We invite you—our members, friends, and community partners—to take part through your ideas, volunteer time, or professional expertise.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or suggestions on how we can work together and effectively to achieve these goals.
With gratitude for your continued support and involvement,
Alicia Romac
President, Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc.
Biographies of Trustee Nominees in alphabetical order
Mary Anne Ballard is a resident of Indiana, New York City, and Bath. She is a musician who plays the viola da gamba, a string instrument dating back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods. She’s also a teacher and a director of early music. She recently retired from the faculty of Oberlin’s summer Baroque Performance Institute. From 1997 to 2005, Mary Anne served on the board of Early Music America, a national board which she re-joined in 2011 for two more terms. Mary Anne has a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.A. from University of Pennsylvania. She grew up in Louisville, KY and lived in Philadelphia for almost thirty years. She has been coming to the Bath area with Alexander Blachly, her husband, every summer since 1986. Recently, she and Alexander purchased a house on Trufant Street so they could spend more time in Bath and enjoy their retirement.
Peter MacDonald Blachly is a resident of Bath. In recent years he has been a towing captain for Sea Tow and an operations and fundraising manager for International Pharmaceutical Quality. He is also a writer, author, and concert promoter. He attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. and St. Johns College in Annapolis, MD. In 2002, he received a degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. He was the Board President of Maine Songwriters Association, Portland, Maine, from 2009 to 2013, and he was a member of Kennedy Center’s National Leadership Council for Arts Education in 2104. From 2013 to 2017, he was a concert promoter for the Chocolate Church Arts Center here in Bath.
Kim Heithoff is the Director of Epidemiology and Real-World Evidence for Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (US Affiliate). Kim earned his B.S. degree from Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI. He also has a M.Ed. from the University of Missouri, an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, and a SC.D. from Johns Hopkins University. As a scientist, he has worked at Biogen in Cambridge, MA, at Monument Analytics in Baltimore, MD, at Merck & Co. in Kenilworth, NJ, and at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in East Hanover, NJ. A few years ago, he purchased the former Cosmopolitan Club, a Greek Revival home one door north of the Winter Street Church on Washington Street. Today, he’s a close neighbor of SPI.
Paul Seaman is a Licensed Architect and Principal at the Seaman Design Group, LLC. He studied product design and architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI. After working in the profession for several years, he continued his study abroad, traveling extensively and studying both Classical and Modern Architecture. He earned his master’s in architecture from Syracuse University in Florence, Italy. Included in his background is work with Polo Ralph Lauren, LLP in NY. Starting with freelance work creating presentation quality hand-drawn renderings of cabinetry and store fixtures for product display, he was then offered the opportunity to design furniture, fabric, and tabletop accessories introducing new products seasonally for The Ralph Lauren Home Collection. Following years of practice as a licensed architect in the State of Maine and The Commonwealth of MA, Paul continues as a sole practitioner and maintains his dedication to working as a Licensed Architect in the Greater Cape Ann region. Paul now resides in Bath.
We are thankful for in-kind and financial donations from:
Anonymous Donation(s)
1772 Foundation through Maine Preservation
Bath Printing
Bath Rotary
Bath Savings Trust
Morse Technical School – Electrical Program
Morse High School – Freshman Community Service Program
Gnome Landscaping
Jorgensen Landscaping
Judy Barrington
Ned Baxter
Pat Dutton, Electrician
Judi Mansfield
Joanne Marco
Steve Marois
David Matero Architecture, Inc.
Judy Metcalf, Attorney
Joseph Minott
William Racine, CPA
Maureen Renner & Dan Moore
Senecal Construction
White Chapel Joinery
Every smile, every kind gesture, every effort to make a positive impact is beneficial and appreciated, apologies for any omissions.
Board Members
2024-2025 Officers
President: Alicia Romac
Vice President: Irene Drago
Secretary: Geniene Marco
Treasurer: Kirsti Huotari
Four Committees
Preservation
Education
Development
Winter Street Oversight
Board of Trustees Jeff Assenza, Winter Street Oversight* Meg Barker, Social Media/Marketing* Judy Barrington, Preservation* Jacqueline Berry Rick Bisson, Education Morgan Decker Curtis Henderson Kelly Pallitto Annie Parker Suzi Ring Jeff Robinson Kara Thelen Kate Winglass, Development* *Committee Chairs
Contact us
We look forward to hearing from you. Please email or call, or use the form at right.
Queries may be related to the following:
-Renting the Event Hall at the Winter Street Center
-Volunteering to be a docent for the House and Garden Tour
-Inquiring about a House Plaque
-Membership, Sponsorship or Major Gifts Opportunities
-Any other matter of interest
office@sagadahocpreservation.org
(207) 443-2174 (messages retrieved Wednesday mornings)
880 Washington Street, Bath, Maine
Mail: PO Box 322, Bath, ME 04530
Learn about all of the 2023 Honor Award winners; the segment about Judy Barrington begins at 48:43.
SPI’s Judy Harrington was received one of Maine Preservation’s 2023 Honor Awards, honoring excellence in historic preservation. Judy, her husband Tom, and current SPI president Alicia Romac and several board members and community members were on hand to celebrate this award with Judy.