NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine — History was on the move Thursday at picturesque Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village.
There, in the middle of the once-bustling rural community, workers from Preservation Timber Framing moved in, out, and under an herb house, which turns 200 years old this year.
The workers prepared multiple hydraulic lifts at the direction of Aaron Sturgis. His team is well-suited for the job. In January, they carefully lowered the village's massive 1830 hay barn back to Earth after lengthy work shoring up its foundation.
"It’s a little more challenging and lot more interesting to fix stuff," Sturgis smiled when we asked why he chose such high-stakes restoration work.
Back at the herb house, as the workers slowly ascended the building, Sturgis also played the role of educator and entertainer while a small crowd gathered to watch.
"Anybody have a guess at how much this thing weighs?" he asked the group sitting in the shade on the warm morning.
Accounting for the temporary steel I-beams added to the base of the structure for the lift, his hydraulic gauges measured just north of 200,000 pounds.
A woman gave a long "Ohhhhh," with wide eyes.
A middle-aged man stood about 20 feet away with arms crossed, wearing a black shirt with a hammer printed on the front and the words "This is not a drill" below it. He was standing among a trio of other middle-aged men, also standing with their arms crossed. It was a classic dad's day out.
"It’s just a fascinating process," the man in the funny shirt said, watching the workers stack blocks of lumber as if he were watching a football game.
Other onlookers were neighbors who village staff said came around regularly.
"They’ve saved bricks, and they’re gonna have three artificial chimneys, but they’re gonna be vents," one such woman educated another, as the pair lounged in lawn chairs.
Michael Graham is not a member but instead the village director. He smiled after glancing at the crowd of spectators.
"It feels really good that they identify that we are part of their understanding of what it means to be part of Maine and the importance of that fabric of Maine culture," Graham said. "It’s humbling; it’s very honoring."
That’s exactly the interest the Shakers plan to capture when the building reopens. The Christian sect remains mysterious to many. From 4,000 members in the 1800s, only two remain. They both live at Sabbathday Lake.
Brother Arnold is one of the two remaining members.
Arnold said the building would once again be used for herb processing, likely making it one of the longest running buildings in the country that is used for its original purpose.
But, he added, renovations would include a kitchen for cooking classes and spaces for other community events.
"As much space as possible to allow us to interact with the community," Arnold said. "We have classrooms. We have a commercial kitchen. We’re going to have a fully working elevator that’s going to allow all people access."
The work will take many months, but that’s something for which the Shakers are world famous.