The boyhood home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, which now serves as a community hub. Rory Sweeting / Lakes Region Weekly

The childhood home of Nathaniel Hawthorne is in the final stages of being renovated into a community center.

The famed author of American classics such as “The Scarlet Letter” and “The House of the Seven Gables” spent much of his childhood in Maine, which was then an exclave of Massachusetts, living in Raymond from 1813 to 1825. According to Thomas Ewig, a member of the Hawthorne Community Association, the house was converted into a meeting hall after the Hawthornes sold it, leading to the interior being converted into a single large room. Today, although there are some documents and posters hanging on the wall, there is not much theming inside, with the building serving more as a community center for the town of Raymond.

The space that will eventually serve as the Hawthorne House’s kitchen. Rory Sweeting / Lakes Region Weekly

In 2022, the Hawthorne Community Association began work on upgrading the whole building, collecting $100,000 as part of a capital campaign, according to Ewig. These renovations saw the whole house lifted off of its foundation and put back down with new clapboards, the installation of a new roof and the interior being painted and re-sanded. Now, renovations are mostly complete, with the notable exception of a small kitchen area in the corner, and is available for community events.

Ewig noted that the group saved the kitchen for after the rest of the renovation was complete, describing it as “a project unto itself.”

The association began a separate campaign to raise $12,000 for the kitchen. Ahead of the full-scale renovation, Ewig said that the association cleared the kitchen of its outdated furnishings and purchased a new refrigerator, stove and microwaves. While work is currently on hold due to the person in charge of renovations being on vacation, Ewig said that it will resume by the beginning of April and he hoped to have the kitchen up and running by May.

Fundraising for the kitchen led to the inception of the “Buy a Brick, Build the Kitchen” initiative. This campaign will see individuals buying bricks for $300, which would be engraved with anything the donor desires, whether it be the name of the donor, a tribute to a deceased relative or just a thoughtful quotation. Ewig explained that the association has received around 20 bricks thus far, and is hoping to get more as time goes on. He noted that the installation of the bricks, which will surround a stone containing a quote from Hawthorne, will not cost more than $80, a fraction of the total cost of the kitchen.

A stone with a quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne engraved: “Time flies over us but leaves its shadow behind.” The patio surrounding this stone will contain the bricks donated as part of the current fundraiser. Rory Sweeting / Lakes Region Weekly

Ewig also spoke at length about some of the events happening at the Hawthorne House, noting that the association hosts lectures on a wide variety of subjects from the life of Hawthorne to broader local topics, such as loon migration and photography. Other events include a cabaret night featuring singer and troubadour Gordon Ward and a performance by a musical group from South Africa. In addition, the Hawthorne Community Association is building links with museums and historical associations throughout the state, including the local Raymond-Casco Historical Society, and hopes to become part of a historic trail tour, in which people travel from one location to another listening to lectures on the significance of each location.