BETHEL — The Northern Forest Center invites the public to see historic restoration in action at its Gehring House redevelopment project in Bethel on June 26.

“There is so much skill and intricacy involved in restoring an old building,” said Amy Scott, program manager for the Northern Forest Center. “It’s important to hire craftspeople who have the skills to do this precise work. We’re grateful to Maine Preservation and The 1772 Foundation for a grant to help repair and restore the sills of the Gehring House and happy to help publicize both the need for this work and the career opportunities it offers.”

The event will run from 9:30 – 11 am on Wed., June 26. Mark Sturgeon, project manager from Woodhull Construction will lead the demonstration, explaining how the building’s sill has deteriorated, what’s involved in restoring it to provide a stable foundation, and how that’s done. Derek McConologue from On The Level is the contractor replacing the sills.

After the demonstration, Sturgeon will give an overview of the major historic preservation work happening at the Gehring House, including windows, exterior features, and interior woodwork. The event will finish with a walk around the outside of the building and through the foyer and grand living room and will include time for questions and answers.

“We are pleased to direct capital improvement funds to support the Northern Forest Center’s adaptive reuse of the Gehring House into year-round, workforce housing,” said Brad Miller, preservation manager at Preservation Maine. “The rehabilitation of vacant and underused historic buildings to fulfill the needs of a community like Bethel is sustainable development that importantly maintains a sense of place. We also hope that the Gehring House project and the specialized tradespeople responsible for its careful rehabilitation will encourage similar projects in the region and inspire younger generations to explore the historic trades as a potential career path.”

Maine Preservation, in collaboration with the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, Preservation League of New York State, and Preservation Trust of Vermont, released a study showing that while demand for historic renovation is growing, the number of craftspeople with specialized knowledge of restoration techniques are declining.

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension conducted the study, “Understanding & Advancing the Historic Trades”, which was funded by the Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The 1772 Foundation. The study found high satisfaction rates with careers in historic preservation alongside severe workforce shortages in plastering, masonry, carpentry, materials conservation, decorative finishes, windows, and ironwork. A third of the tradespeople surveyed reported that their clients must wait a year or more for their services.

The Northern Forest Center purchased the historic Gehring House on Broad Street to create high-quality apartments with rents geared toward Bethel’s median-income earners. Plans call for six 1-bedroom and two 2-bedroom apartments, and one studio unit. The redevelopment is expected to cost $3.4 million. The project will restore the historic character of the building, which was constructed in 1896 and is one of the most architecturally and historically significant buildings in Bethel, according to William F. Chapman, executive director of Museums of the Bethel Historical Society.

The Center, which purchased the property in December 2022, has applied for historic tax credits to help restore the building and reposition it as vital housing for the community. The Gehring House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the renovation will comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation.

Further interior renovations include shoring up or removing exterior porches and decks, replacing the oil boilers with wood pellet boilers, which will serve as the primary heat source, and conducting lead abatement throughout the building. The exterior will be painted “oxblood” deep red, similar to its original color.

The Center uses a mix of funding sources to achieve its goal of creating high-quality apartments that can be rented at middle-market rates. Sources include the Center’s Northern Forest Fund – which integrates private impact investments, philanthropic donations, and grants from public sources – as well as tax credits, grants, and donations for this specific project.

Scott said that community support is needed to help raise $250,000 to unlock a $250,000 challenge from a generous donor. The Center welcomes donations of any amount, which can be made online at https://nfcenter.org/Gehring or by sending a check to the Center at 18 N. Main St., Concord, NH, 03301.

“Our aim is to create middle-market housing that will be attractive and financially within reach for people and families who contribute to the community through their work as teachers, health care providers, entrepreneurs, hospitality professionals, and other roles,” said Scott.

The Northern Forest Center is an innovation and investment partner serving the Northern Forest of northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In 2017, the Center expanded its programming to include redeveloping underused properties to enable young professionals and families to find homes and contribute to rural communities.

The Center previously completed the redevelopment of Lancaster, NH’s historic Parker J. Noyes building, creating 6 middle-market apartments and commercial space for a local nonprofit and food marketplace. The Center also completed the Millinocket (Maine) Housing Initiative, which invested more than $1 million to renovate six homes, creating 11 quality rental units from properties that had been severely neglected.

The Gehring House redevelopment project complements the Center’s ongoing work in the western Maine region, including projects that improve recreation access and resources, provide workforce training, assist wood products and tourism-related businesses, advance sustainable tourism, develop Community Forests, expand broadband service, and build non-profit capacity.

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