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Kezar Falls, Porter

9/15/2025 – Lost Buildings: Frank Holmes Dry Goods Store

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This month we move on to the intersection of Rt. 25 at the Porter end of the bridge as we look at another lost business building of Kezar Falls. There have been many changes over the years at this location but today we will focus on the former Frank Holmes Dry Goods Store at the edge of the Ossipee River in the turn toward New Hampshire.

This is what you will see at this location today. The traffic pattern was improved when the bridge was reconstructed in 2001 to replace the old cement bridge. There is no trace of any buildings left at this corner today.

The intersection of River Street, Bridge Street, School Street and Rt 25 just before the bridge going to the left past the parking lot

In the picture below the building to the far right was built here circa 1900 by Allen Garner, Sr. The ground floor first housed a harness shop operated by William Chapman and son, James. Herman Pike also had a blacksmith shop at this location. Part of the second floor was used as an office for George E. Davis and F. Albert Fox, attorneys. In later years a Kezar Falls Men’s Club had rooms in the building and Kathie (Lamphrey) Stacy had dressmaking rooms on the second floor. Notice the 1869 covered bridge in this picture that was replaced by a cement bridge in 1927.

Frank Holmes and his mother Nettie French relocated here from their original store on River Street, and ran a dry goods store here from 1923 – 1955; eventually adding a little gas station seen in the picture here and below.

Cecil and Delbert Gilpatrick purchased the gas station in 1954 and built a garage that was operated by various people until it was taken down to make way for the new bridge in 2001.

In 1961 the Gilpatricks purchased the store building and moved it to Durgintown in South Hiram to become the home of the Raymond Marley family who had lost their home to fire in February. It eventually burned at that site.

NOTICE

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The next meeting is at History House on September 27 th at 2:00 pm. Sylvia Wilson will present a program “The Jose Fenderson Story – Part 2. His story continues as World War II Begins.” (Based on audio taped interviews with Jose.)

Kezar Falls

8/15/2025 — Lost Buildings: Hotel Manawando

Our post this month features another of the original Kezar Falls business buildings that have been lost.  This one was located across from the Methodist Church at the corner of Bridge Street and River Street.  Located here at the center of the village, it played a very important role in the business of the village. 


This is what you will see at this location today – Porter’s Veterans’ Memorial Park that was established in 2011 by the late Adrian Durgin to honor all the veterans of  Parsonsfield, Porter, and South Hiram. 

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The site was originally occupied by the Hotel Manowando built by Dr. Edwin Chellis in 1885.  The large four story structure from this central location near the bridge afforded guests an excellent view of the Ossipee River.  It was first operated by C.E. Hubbard.  

The Hotel Manowando 1886

In 1897 John Quint bought the business and renamed it the Hotel Malvern.  A restaurant was located on the lower level.  Behind it was a “Livery and Feed” stable.  It served “Drummers” (traveling salesmen), lumbermen participating in local log drives, summer visitors, and traveling stock companies performing at local theaters.  Also, mill girls boarded here for $5 a week; meals cost $1.

Hotel Malvern – circa late 1940’s or 1950s

John Hadlock owned and ran the hotel from 1909 until it was sold in 1912 to Edgar Giles.  Edgar Giles ran it until 1946.  His daughter, Irma Giles ran an “Apparel Shop” on the ground floor for 10 years.  Mr. Albert Marston owned the hotel from 1946 to July 1954 at which time he sold it to Harold Jones.  Mr. Jones owned the hotel until 1973 and operated a restaurant in the basement.  By this time the hotel business was primarily a few permanent boarders and an office for Dr. Fineberg the optometrist.

In 1974 Mr. Jones died and it was sold to William and Margaret Stewart.  They sold it in December to Frank & Marianne Maxcy.   When it burned in January 1976, it was owned by Joseph Sedlak of Mass. who apparently was planning to renovate the building.  The fire totally destroyed the building, leaving a dangerous situation.  

In March of 1977 the Town of Porter appropriated $6,000 to demolish the gutted building and to grade the lot which is now the small veterans’ park that is here today.

It is hard to believe a large structure like this hotel and livery stable ever fit on this small lot.  For those of us who remember this icon of Kezar Falls Village, it is sad to see it gone.  However, the veteran’s park is an attractive and meaningful replacement. 

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NOTICE

The next event for PPHS will be the annual open house at the Old Parsonsfield Town House and the Parsonsfield Union Church both located near the intersection of Merrill Hill Road and Middle Road on Sat., Aug 16th , 2025 at 1 – 3 pm.

Following that will be the annual open house at the Old Porter Meeting House 

on Meeting House Road in Porter on Sunday, Sept. 7th , 2025 from 1 – 3 pm.  Music will be provided by Clay Neidlinger who will sing and play his guitar.

History House will hold open house on Sunday, Sept. 14th , 2025 from 1 – 3 pm.  Come tour the house and see the latest exhibit.  Come especially to see Mary Cobb and Mary Burnell’s original paintings of Kezar Falls.



Porter

7/15/2025 — Lost Buildings: 71 Main Street Porter, the location of the old Porter High School Building.

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We have pretty well covered former business and public buildings that still exist in Kezar Falls Village. Let us now return to the Porter side of the village and take a look at buildings that no longer exist. Each were an important part of the community for many years and were either destroyed by fires or taken down to be replaced.

Let us start with 71 Main Street, the location of the old Porter High School Building. This is what you will see here today…. the new Porter Town Office building that was erected in 2019. The Town certainly needed a new building but it was a bitter sweet day for former PHS students when the old building was demolished.

This is the original building erected in 1919 for the new Porter High School. By that time there was a desperate need for a building for the high school grades separate from the elementary school classes. Porter High School served the students of Parsonsfield, Porter, South Hiram and an occasional student from Effingham, NH for many years. In 1952 a business course was offered and in 1955 an addition was built on the eastern side of the building to house shop classes (woodworking and
automotive).

Porter High School continued through June 1967 after which classes were moved to the new Sacopee Valley High School building in South Hiram – for all of MSAD #55.

After 1967 the building was converted to an elementary school which was used until the opening of South Hiram Elementary in Sept 1986. After that this building was used as the Porter Town Office as well as facilities for Early Head Start and Adult Education. until it was demolished to make way for the new building.

A small monument was placed near the driveway at the east end of the building commemorating Porter High School and all of the students who attended here . We miss seeing the old brown high school building, but appreciate the advantages of the new municipal building for Porter.

NOTICE

PPHS will be holding their annual Yard & Bake Sale on July 19 th from 9 am – 1 pm at History House. We welcome donations of goods to sell and invite you to come find your “treasure” on sale day.

The next Meeting of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society will be held on June 26 at History House, at 92 Main St., Porter. The meeting starts at 2:00 pm, and the program at about 2:30 pm. The program will be “Highways into History” presented by Mike Davis, local historian from Bridgton. He will talk about the history of transportation and the old stagecoach days of pre-Civil War Maine featuring stories of rival coachmen, mail drivers, thieves and highwaymen operating from Oxford Hills to the Saco River Valley.

Kezar Falls

6/15/2025 — Kezar Falls Village, #62 Federal Road

This month we are featuring the last of the historic public buildings in Kezar Falls Village that is not currently occupied. It is located at #62 Federal Road, Parsonsfield. The last occupant was the Parsonsfield Town Office. The current owner is Victor Newbury Limited but it remains empty at this time.

The former Milliken School building – 6/10/2025

The Milliken School building was built in 1925 to replace the old Milliken School building that stood just to the right of this one as shown in the following photo. The old school building was sold, moved back to Stewart Street and converted into an apartment building that still stands today. The new building was considered a modern school at the time and continued as a school until 1986, closing when the South Hiram
Elementary School was built for MSAD 55.


The Parsonsfield Municipal Offices took over the building in 1988 and occupied the building until May 2012 when the offices were moved to the former Fred Morrill School in North Parsonsfield. Since then the building has remained empty.

The new Milliken School –1925

As with all of these empty old historic buildings, it would be nice to see this building occupied and serving the community of Kezar Falls once again.


Next time we will start to look at some of the old historic buildings that have been lost to the Kezar Falls Village.

NOTICE
The next Meeting of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society will be held on June 21 at History House, at 92 Main St., Porter. A speaker from Maine Preservation will present a program. Learn more about their services and how they can assist with preserving our historic buildings. The meeting starts at 2:00 pm. and the program at about 2:30 pm.
PPHS will be holding their annual Yard & Bake Sale on July 19th from 9 am – 1 pm at History House. We welcome donations of goods to sell and invite you to come find your “treasure” on sale day.

Kezar Falls

5/15/2025 — Kezar Falls Village, #32 Federal Road

This month we are featuring #32 Federal Road, Parsonsfield in Kezar Falls Village, another business building with a long KF history that is not currently occupied. It most recently was occupied by Chalmers Insurance Company which has since moved to Cornish.

Chalmers Insurance Company building as it stands today

In the late 1800’s the building was the residence of Harry and Elsie Givens who rented a part of the building to mill workers. Later Mr. and Mrs. Gray lived in the back section. In 1961 the building was converted to “Ye Olde Wool Shoppe”, a new enterprise run by the Garner family after they sold the woolen mill. It was headquarters for the Kezar Sales Corp. that included the shop, real estate and the hydro-electric station. The main building was enlarged and two buildings were taken down on either side of the building to provide parking for the business. A road to the former mill office remains to the left of this building.

The “Ye Olde Wool Shoppe” building was purchased by Phil Lovejoy in 1971 and the Pike Lovejoy & Pike Insurance office was located on the side to the right. Over the years several small businesses have occupied the left half of the building; the last being the late Elmer Runyon’s law office until 2010. After that it was occupied entirely by the insurance company under the new name, Chalmers Insurance Company.

The current owner is listed as 32 Ossipee Trail, LLC. It is still an attractive building in the center of Kezar Falls so hopefully it will not remain empty much longer.

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NOTICE

The first 2025 Meeting of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society will be held on May 17 at History House, at 92 Main St., Porter. The meeting starts at 2:00 pm. There will be election of officers and a discussion of 2025 activities. Our program will be “WHAT’S IT?” — So bring an object or picture to stump the audience. Members please try to attend as a quorum is needed. Hope to see you there.

Kezar Falls

4/15/2025 — Kezar Falls Woolen Mill

Another business building that was part of the early history of Kezar Falls Village is the former Kezar Falls Woolen Mill. It is located at the end of the bridge on the Parsonsfield side of the river. Except for the 2 story brick building at the end of the canal, the buildings are mostly vacant. The brick building is now owned and occupied by Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, a hydroelectric company. The rest of the many
buildings that once comprised the woolen mill are now owned by Kezar Falls Millwork, LLC (the Mounce family).

The brick building at the end of the canal is at 10 Federal Road.
The driveway to the right is one entrance to the mill building complex behind the Stanley Building.

At the close of the Civil War, business in this area was depressed and many of the younger men found it necessary to move away to find employment. A few leading business men grasped the situation and saw the necessity for a united effort for the future benefit of the area.

A small saw mill was built here but was unsuccessful and abandoned. The site was purchased by a syndicate of local business men and a new mill was opened on Oct. 20, 1865. John Devereux purchased this mill and privilege and continued to operate it until the establishment of the Kezar Falls Woolen Company in 1880/81. He also built a new grist mill that operated until about 1906 and in 1878 Jerry Merrifield built a bobbin
factory next to the grist mill. Merrifield eventually purchased the grist mill and converted it into an addition for their bobbin factory.

The first woolen mill building in 1880

In 1880 George W. Towle, Elijah Fox and John Devereux saw the manufacturing possibilities of the Ossipee River here and organized the Kezar Falls Manufacturing Company and built the original woolen mill building. After a difficult start, Allen Garner, of Lewiston, was engaged as agent to superintend the setting up of machinery and to
run production of the new mill operation. He had a great deal of experience in the woolen mill business, learning it from an early age in England. The success of the mill was due largely to his shrewd judgement, excellent leadership and untiring efforts. The first yard of cloth was woven in July 1881. The first operation was powered by a
large waterwheel. It was converted to steam in 1893.

The woolen mill prospered and provided employment for many men and women from the surrounding area. Local citizens who had made their living from farming left the farms to work here. The mill became a critical part of the growth of the village and surrounding area.

The mill expansion under construction in 1886.

The mill expanded and added other buildings several times over the years. In 1886 an addition was built the width of the original building, three stories high and 40 feet long extending toward the saw mill. A brick wall was built at the west end for fire protection. In 1887 an Edison dynamo for incandescent lighting was added to light the mill, Towle’s store, the Garner and Devereux residences, and the covered bridge. A 60 foot addition was built in 1902. The mill was enlarged again in 1923 and further modernized and improved.

In 1905 Allen Garner, William Garner and Dr. Frank Devereux purchased all of the outstanding stock of the old company, reorganized it, and incorporated the Kezar Falls Woolen Company.

In 1923 a large extension with steel girders and concrete construction was added. Low cost housing was also built nearby for mill employees. Erection of new buildings continued, from time to time, and extra equipment installed. In 1931 the plant was up to date in every detail with sixty looms and modern equipment. When running fulltime about 175 men and women were employed. The mill played an important part during both World War I and World War II weaving material for military uniforms both here and abroad. Employment reached a peak during WW II with 240 employees.

The mill at the height of its operations in the 1950’s.

The company was sold to Robinson Manufacturing Company in 1961. It was sold to Stafford Company in 1965 and when they went bankrupt it was repurchased by the Robinson family in 1972. It remained in operation until 2000 when the Kezar Falls Division was closed down and its work moved to the Oxford plant. The Robinson mills were closed in 2003 and the town of Parsonsfield foreclosed on the property for delinquent taxes.

The town continued to own the property until about 2023 when it was purchased by the Mounce family who want to repurpose and develop it to make it a viable part of the community once again.

Kezar Falls

3/15/2025 — Kezar Falls – The Stanley Block

Several of the original business buildings on the Parsonsfield side of Kezar Falls Village still exist but are currently unoccupied.  Today we are looking at the most prominent building located at 18 Federal Road called the Stanley Block.  The current owners are Mark and Scott Mounce under the name of The Stanley Building LLC.  It has been in disrepair and mostly vacant for some time but was recently painted and looks more presentable.

The recently painted Stanley Building – 3/10/2025

In the mid-1860s the village of Kezar Falls was starting to grow and develop on both sides of the Ossipee River.  In 1886 George W. Towle built this large store located here at the south end of the bridge.  On the ground floor they sold dry goods, clothes, furniture and crockery and on the second floor there were offices and other businesses. In 1887 the third floor was finished for a public hall and Allen Garner bought the building from Towle.

In 1896 Preston J. Stanley and son, Orman, bought the Towle building and it became known as the Stanley Block.  At that time it housed the post office as well as a general store, jewelry store and a national chain store and the public library.

In 1910 George Towle and Allen Garner started the Kezar Falls National Bank in this building.

In 1930 the banking quarters were enlarged and modernized and the exterior façade was changed to look more like the building we see today.  A modern vault was constructed to provide adequate protection and safe deposit boxes.  The bank occupied half of the first floor and two stores occupied the far end toward the bridge.  10 offices were located on the second floor and various fraternal orders were located on the third floor.  

The Stanley Block about 1930 after the modernizing was complete

In Jan. 17, 1937 a massive fire broke out in the basement and spread throughout the building causing major damage.  The third floor was destroyed beyond repair.  As a result the building was rebuilt without the third floor making it look much like it does today.  The bank interior was completely remodeled.  In 1957 the bank counters and teller windows were again remodeled and modern machines and accounting equipment were installed.  Fire struck again in 1958 but damage was limited.

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

Remodeled bank interior

In 1962 the bank took up most of the first floor with one shop located at the far end of the building.  Erma Giles Apparel Shop was located there.  It later became a barber shop.  Robert Batchelder’s law office and several apartments were located on the second floor.  

Kezar Falls National Bank located in the center here in 1962


The Kezar Falls National Bank merged with Maine National Bank in 1972, merged again with Fleet Bank and then Bank of America.  Bangor Savings Bank took over in 1998 but relocated to Cornish in 2002 leaving the building empty except for a couple of apartments on the second floor.

The Stanley Block as it looked in 2000 when it was Bangor Savings Bank

Bangor Savings Bank sold the building to Peter Collins who owned the building for several years with apartments on the second floor that were occupied from time to time and occasionally the first floor store, as well.  It was during this period that the building began to deteriorate.

At this time it is unclear what the fate of the Stanley Block will be.   We hope the new owners have plans for its future and this Kezar Falls icon will continue to exist and thrive in the center of our community.

Kezar Falls

2/15/2025 – Kezar Falls 31 Federal Road

We continue our series looking at the original Kezar Falls Village businesses and
public buildings still in existence by looking down Federal Road to the building at 31 Federal Road next to the library. It is now an apartment building owned by Leslie Croteau.

This old building has been part of the Kezar Falls Village scene on the Parsonsfield side since the 1880’s. At that time it was the “Corporation Store”. By 1903 it was Net Cotton’s boarding house. From 1908 – 1911 it was the “White Mountain Calendar Company” where the “Ossipee Valley Weekly Newspaper” was printed before it moved to Cornish. There were apartments on the second floor for the families of the manager and foreman. It later became an apartment house.

This picture of the dining room in Net Cotton’s boarding house was taken in 1903.

In 1971 the building was purchased from the Kezar Falls Woolen Company by Fred and Carol Leavitt who had a grocery store on the first floor for a short time.  Denise Day then had a gift shop here.  In 1986 it was followed by the “Peppermint Stick Restaurant” owned and run by Sandra and Wayne Mills for six years.   In 1989 it was purchased by Chester Munro who ran “The Country Falls Restaurant” here until 2009.   Today it is an apartment building owned by Leslie Croteau since 2015.  The “Country Falls Restaurant” sign still hangs on the front of the building but no longer exists.  A new roof and other improvements have been made. We hope the building will continue to serve a useful purpose in the village for years to come.

Kezar Falls

1/15/2025 – Kezar Falls Library

Welcome to the new location for our BLOG Local History Matters. We have discontinued using the blogspot.com site where we have been posting local history information since 2012. Thank you Patricia Turner for managing the site for so long. However it will remain for the near future so that you can look back at archived articles. We will now continue on with posting here on our website once or twice a month.


We are currently doing a series looking at the old original Kezar Falls Village businesses and public buildings that still exist and are looking at the Parsonsfield side of the village. This time we are featuring the library building located at #2 Wadleigh Street at the corner of Federal Road. Although this building is not quite as old as some of the other buildings in the village, it will be 100 years old this year.

This picture was taken about the time it was built. The building looks much the same today with the exception of landscaping, sign, painted trim and handicap ramp. The library itself was established in 1896 by the Ladies Magazine Reading Club in one room on the second floor of the Stanley Building across the street. In 1919 it moved to a small building next to the Norton Hardware Store. In 1925 the above building, designed by the architectural firm of John Calvin Stevens, was erected on land donated by the Kezar Falls Woolen Mill and with much help from the Garner family. All the years since the dedicated volunteer directors of the library have done a wonderful job of maintaining the building and keeping it up to date and the library itself relevant to the times. We are fortunate to have such a library to serve our community today in this
special little building that is still used for the purpose for which it was built. With continued dedication of the staff and the board of directors and support from the community it should remain well into the future.