Isaiah Ray, center, and his father, Mark, left, pull chalk lines into place Friday morning while preparing a new foundation for a 100-year-old house Mark bought next to the family home in New Gloucester. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
NEW GLOUCESTER — Preparations to pour a foundation for a century-old building on Upper Village Street went like clockwork for three generations of the Ray family Friday morning.
“That’s the way it’s done,” grandfather Robert Ray said as each task was completed.
Ray’s son Mark bought the two-story colonial that stands next to the family home.
“I was going to tear it down but started gutting it and discovered it was solid so I plan to turn it into apartments,” Mark said. “I am not sure but the top floor had no walls and with a 14-foot ceiling, I have a feeling it was a Centennial Hall at one time, but not positive.”
Centennial Halls were built in numerous Maine towns to commemorate their first 100 years as a municipality or the nation’s centennial year in 1876.
Mark’s son Isaiah is helping on the project. He was living in California when the pandemic forced his wife to work from home, so they decided to return to Maine to help renovate the building.
Out front next to the street sits a large stuffed tiger that had been inside.
“I found the stuffed tiger in the attic and put it in the window where it sat for a long time,” Mark said. After he took it down, friends and neighbors asked where it went so he put it outside until the building is settled on a new foundation.
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