A few years ago, we raised $160,000 in contributions from fellow islanders— year-round and seasonal— to restore one of the historic structures on Vinalhaven’s Main Street: the Old Engine House. We presented the beautifully restored structure to the town at a memorable 4th of July, dedicating it to Bodine Ames, who had selflessly looked after this structure and other town properties. Restoration of the Old Engine House is one example—beyond only restoration— of what we hope to accomplish.

It’s never been more important to preserve what we have left while acknowledging and memorializing what we’ve lost, and now, after much consideration, Historic Downstreet is pursuing the creation of a nationally recognized historic district. It recognizes the historic and cultural significance of an area, what was there once but is no longer, and what remains. A historic district, and attendant promotion, will raise awareness—among islanders and visitors alike—of Vinalhaven’s rich, unique history and encourage further preservation of the area.

We’ve been at this for a while and along the way have incurred some modest expenses, but now, as the long pursuit of designation gets rolling, we will probably need to secure legal counsel now and then; we may need to retain engineers on occasion to complete structural analysis of one or another of the buildings within the district; we will certainly need to consult with others who have done this kind of work before and we will certainly need more money. We hope that those of you who appreciate what we hope to do and what we have already done will find this appeal a reasonable and worthy one and make a contribution to Historic Downstreet Inc.