The nearly repaired foundation wall of the Pemaquid Mill. A matching grant from Maine Preservation and the 1772 Foundation made the work possible for the Old Bristol Historical Society to contract necessary repairs. (Photo courtesy Old Bristol Historical Society)
The Pemaquid Mill owes its existence to the Pemaquid River, which powered the machinery to grind grain, card wool, and saw lumber. But decade after decade of flowing river water had created a leak in the 200-year-old mill’s foundation wall. The melting snow in spring and frost and thaw cycles in winter further undermined the foundation that supports the mill.
Maine Preservation and the 1772 Foundation awarded Old Bristol Historical Society a historic preservation matching grant of $5,000 for foundation repairs. Thanks to generous donors, the historical society raised the $5,000 in matching funds enabling work to proceed.
The Old Bristol Historical Society, the steward of the Pemaquid Mill, hired Knowles Industrial Services, of Gorham, which specializes in repair and restoration work.
Over the course of three days, the contractors built a cofferdam in the river, dewatered the cofferdam, and applied pressurized concrete to the lower portion of the foundation wall, leaving portions above high water levels unaltered. Once the concrete cured, they removed the cofferdam.
While it was not expected that the work would completely eliminate the water flow through the wall, the construction has resulted in a substantive decrease in the water flow.
Old Bristol Historical Society’s ongoing restoration of the 19th-century mill dovetails with Maine Preservation’s mission to promote and preserve historic places, buildings, downtowns, and neighborhoods, strengthening the cultural and economic vitality of Maine communities.
It’s also an example of the 1772 Foundation’s goal of dynamic preservation, or challenging historic preservation to be a living, evolving practice that connects people to their heritage in meaningful and sustainable ways.”
Old Bristol Historical Society relies upon members, volunteers, and generous financial donors to support its mission to collect, preserve, and share the Bristol region’s rich history and prehistory for present and future generations.
For more information, go to oldbristolhistoricalsociety.org.
A worker from Knowles Industrial Services repairs the foundation wall of the Pemaquid Mill. (Photo courtesy Knowles Industrial Services)
