ELLSWORTH, Maine — Bowling has been one of the country's favorite pastimes for years, with candlepin bowling being unique to New England.
But with lanes closing shop and being far and few between, 20-year-old Autumn Mowery of Ellsworth recognized the sport can't go just yet.
Despite being a part-time college student at Eastern Maine Community College, Mowery doesn't head to the library or quad after class but to the lanes at Ellsworth Bowling Alley.
Previously known as D'Amanda's, the alley has been her project for the past year. Owned by her mother on paper, Mowery considers herself the owner, running and restoring the antique lanes all herself.
"So, the lanes are actually prototype lanes from 1949," Mowery said. "They actually had these lanes taken out of Massachusetts. These were like test lines, so they weren't really made for open play like this, but they are still running."
But restoring the lanes isn't always easy, with options for repairs being limited, according to Mowery.
"There's only one business, or sorry, two businesses that I've looked into that are left that actually produce these parts," Mowery said. "With ten-pin, you've got so many different businesses that are producing the pins, the machines."
Mowery has even gained some traction for her efforts on TikTok, amassing over 800,000 views on videos where she documents both the history and process of restoring the spot.
Because Mowery is 20 and legally can't run the attached bar and lounge, her fiancée and owner of the building, Ryan Lounder, has been by her side to operate. He said sharing the sport with customers has been a highlight.
"It's been rewarding. We meet a lot of tourists especially, so meeting a lot of tourists is really cool, just to meet people from points in life that are coming from all over the world," Lounder said.
Mowery said she hopes to use this as an opportunity to not only bring candlepin back to Maine but also share the sport with the rest of the country.
"I think if we can get it past New England and actually bring it out there, that it would be a really great sport, and people would love it," Mowery said.