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11 Most Endangered
Great Bowdoin Mill
Year Listed: 1998
Location: Topsham , Maine
Current Status: Favorable
Threat: Deterioration, Neglect
Significance
Clustered in a village-like setting on a scenic island in the Androscoggin River, this collection of brick and clapboard buildings is a symbol of the paper industry that dominated Maine's economy for decades and provided employment for thousands of area residents. Among the first in Maine to use wood pulp for paper production, the Great Bowdoin mill was successfully adapted to meet the changing needs of the paper industry for more than 120 years. But the once-bustling facility has been silent for years and its buildings had been battered by time, weather and the destructive acts of vandals. Without reinvestment, much of Topsham's rich past will be lost forever.
Updates
The status of this listing remains unchanged. A fire destroyed some parts of the historic mill complex while a visionary redevelopment was in the planning stages. Fortunately, the project went forward nonetheless, adapting the large main mill buildings that survived the fire into a vibrant, multi-use center of the community.
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