GRAY — The historic Dry Mills Schoolhouse was lifted 4 feet in the air this week and is on its way to getting a new floor.
The schoolhouse was built in 1857, held its last class in 1959 and in 1991 was moved to its current location near the Maine Wildlife Park. It was a museum until 2015, when damage caused by ground moisture seeping up into the building forced its closure for safety reasons.
The Dry Mills Schoolhouse Committee has been working since 2017 to raise the funds needed to raise the building to give it a new floor. The Town Council allocated $30,000 for the project in 2017, and an additional $35,000 will come from a bond package that was put together last year. The Dry Mills Schoolhouse Committee has raised another $9,000 for other projects and programs.
This week, Merry Movers of Scarborough lifted the building 4 feet into the air. The old sub-floor must be demolished before a new platform and sub-floor can be built. A professional vapor barrier will be installed and pressure-treated joists and additional ventilation will keep the space underneath the building dry. A deck will be installed beneath the floor to support the building, and the antique flooring will be reused.
Gray-New Gloucester High School’s ExCel program has been assisting with the renovations by packing up the school materials that are in the building to be put into storage, assisting with the floor repair and chronicling the repair itself through photographs.
Merry Movers of Scarborough lifted the Dry Mills Schoolhouse 4 feet into the air. Jane Vaughan / Lakes Region Weekly
Up next, the old sub-floor must be demolished. Jane Vaughan / Lakes Region Weekly
Moisture has damaged the historic building, which was built in 1857, and renovations will keep the space beneath it dry. Jane Vaughan / Lakes Region Weekly
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