WESTBROOK – The new owner of an historic Westbrook building, at 795 Main St., says renovation plans are up in the air, but the structure will remain intact.

The two-story building, which was most notably the longtime home of the Hay family and former Hay Funeral Home, has seen a range of commercial and residential uses in the last decade, and was sold to Steve Hilton of Scarborough in June for $325,000.

On Monday, Hilton said the details of his renovation plans are still being worked out, and declined to disclose specifics until his approval process with city officials is further along.

According to a June transaction release from the Boulos Co., the real estate company in charge of the sale, Hilton plans to renovate the building into apartments. Boulos lists the building as roughly 5,800 square feet.

Hilton, 63, has long operated as a residential painting contractor, and said as a relatively new, and small, developer, he is making sure to move ahead carefully.

Hilton’s painting service had completed work at 795 Main St. for the building’s previous owner, Steve Winter, and Hilton said when Winter looked to sell, he bought the property.

“I still have to jump through quite a few hoops in my view,” he said, referring to preparations for work on the building.

According to Westbrook Historical Society documents, the home was built in 1861, with the floor plan very similar to a historic home of President Ulysses S. Grant in Galena, Ill.

In 1903, local undertaker Harry F. G. Hay purchased the house and moved his family and business from Main and Church streets. In the 1930s, Hay turned the business over to his son, John Hay, who along with his wife, Effie, operated the funeral home for many years.

With the death of Effie Hay in 2001, and John Hay in 2003, the remaining family members sold the property to the Blais family, who merged the business into Blais & Hay Funeral Home on Church Street.

Since the initial sale, the Main Street building was converted into four commercial units and one residential unit.

Hilton said Monday that he is aware of the historic significance of the building.

“We’re not going to destroy that,” he said.

Deborah Hay Bird, the daughter of John Hay, said Tuesday that she’d like to see the building named to the National Register of Historic Places, much like Walker Memorial Library just across the street.

Bird, who turned 80 last week and is a member of the Westbrook Historical Society, said that while she is concerned for possible changes to the building’s historic structure, she sees apartments as most likely a better use of the property. She added that she believes most of the structure that served as her family’s home is still intact.

“I have a great deal of pride in it,” she said. “There were five generations of Hays in that home.”

Mike Sanphy, Westbrook city councilor and historical society president, said Tuesday that pursuing the placement of the building on the historic register would have to be spearheaded by the owner, which could also limit options for renovations.

“Urban renewal destroyed nearly everything downtown, so this is one of the few historic Main Street buildings left,” he said. “I hope they can renovate it into something that is historic and attractive downtown.”

According to Hilton, there are still a few tenants with leases in the building, including a one-bedroom unit and two small offices in the back.

The front, and most historic portion of the building contains a 2,500-square-foot commercial unit, and a middle unit of about 2,000 square feet that once served as a salon.

On Monday, Nate Stevens, the Boulos broker who arranged the sale, said he believes Hilton is “trying to come up with some creative ways to keep up with the market, in terms of residential demand.”

The former Hay Funeral Home building at 795 Main St., was recently sold to a Scarborough resident for $325,000. The historic Westbrook building may be renovated into apartments, but the original structure will remain intact. 

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