CRIBBING BENEATH the 1902 Winnegance General Store in Bath presages the historic structure’s move, eventually to a new foundation, Tuesday. A buyer with local ties purchased the building with plans to reopen it as a store. A statewide preservation group recently listed it as one of the state’s most “endangered” historic properties.
NEIGHBORS Paul Arnaut and Becky Harding watch the operation Tuesday.
The Winnegance General Store, built in 1902, was moved a total of 34 feet Tuesday so a new foundation can be poured.
The building was purchased by Jennifer Greene, who is planning to restore it historically, and to put a cafe and general store in the old building.
Even with threatening skies Tuesday, the moving day took on a party atmosphere as neighbors found their way to the site to watch the giant building inch to the south over four hours.
The building will remain where it is until the former foundation site is excavated, and the new foundation poured. The building will be returned to the original spot, then moved back about 9 feet from its historic location.
The building was moved over four hours by Tancrede Building Movers of Lewiston. The company’s new owner, Guy Pilote, said problems arose before the building was moved.
“We discovered a great deal of rot on the northwest corner of the building,” he said. “That had to be shored up before we moved it.”
The process was deceptively simple: A series of pipes lay under girders to roll the building along a set of cribbing. As the building was winched along, it rolled over the pipes. Every 2 feet, movers would stop and reposition the pipes, then start again.
As neighbors reminisced, others wanted to get into the action. Jerry Mitchell, of Mitchell’s Construction of Bath, added the weight of one of his excavators to provide a counterbalance for the weight of the building.
ghamilton@timesrecord.com
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