Next on our list of old Kezar Falls Village buildings is:

#21 Bridge Street, Porter

Located between the old millinery shop and the former Kezar Falls Market is this small building now owned by Michelle E. Petrin.   It has a long history.  The building had already been erected by the time this property was sold by Jordan Stacy to Edwin Merrifield on June 3, 1881.

We know it had many owners, but we don’t know much about how the building was used except that it sometimes housed a business and more often was a private residence. 

This picture, taken about 1920, shows the building on the far left and it appears to have a sign over the door for a business.  Goodwin’s Store (Kezar Falls Market) is to the right.

We do know that the “Ideal Restaurant” run by Ruth Doherty was located here in 1936/1937 before it was moved to Federal Road, Parsonsfield.  She probably leased the building as it was owned by Sarah & James Towle or their heirs until November 1937.

The Ideal Restaurant – #21 Bridge Street in 1936.

Today it appears to be a private residence once again.  It is well maintained and is still a part of the Kezar Falls Village scene.

Please join us for the first meeting of the year.

Sat. May 18 at 2:00 pm at History House – 92 Main Street, Porter.

Review of upcoming season, Election of Officers – (a quorum is needed), and program: “What’s It?” Bring an object or picture to stump the audience.

 The old Kezar Falls Village building featured today is

#17 Main Street at the corner of Bridge Street, Porter

Today this little building houses the Maine Guide Quilting shop owned by Mark and Mary Howland. It has a long history that goes back to 1884 when the lot was purchased from Jordan Stacy by Dr. E.R. Chellis along with the theater property featured last time.  Dr. Chellis had it built in 1886 for his medical office.  In 1892 he sold the building to Charles Wakefield, brother-in-law to Florence Perkins and it became the Florence Perkins’ Millinery shop.  In 1921 it was deeded to Miss Perkins.

Florence Perkins ran her millinery, dress and fancy goods store here for 58 years.  She passed away in 1950.  She bequeathed the property to her niece Madeline Wakefield.  The Town of Porter purchased the building from Miss Wakefield on 3/12/1964 and used it for Porter’s Town Office until 1986. 

Miss Perkins’ Millinery & Dress Shop 

L – R: Mary Palmer, Annie Weeks, Lizzie Weeks and Georgia Perkins 

Gone is the fancy Victorian trim on the Porter Town Office shown here with the front window as a background.

The Town of Porter sold the property to Melvin Clark in 1990 who sold it to Susan Pease in 1992.  It was passed to her heirs in 1994 and finally sold to the current owners in 1999.  After the town office moved out there was a succession of several different shops located in the building.

So, this little building continues to thrive and serve the Village of Kezar Falls today.

Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society’s

First event of the 2024 season.

Join us Sat. May 4 at 2:30pm at the Kezar Falls Bridge for a guided community walking tour – “KEZAR FALLS VILLAGE – A STEP BACK IN TIME”.   

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Today we go to #21 Main Street, Porter near the corner of Bridge Street.

                                           The Kezar Falls Theater

This building was built by Dr. Edwin R. Chellis in 1884 as a public hall called the “Meionaon”.  According to the Oxford County Record Newspaper, it opened in January 1885 and its large open hardwood floor made it one of the best halls in the vicinity for roller skating, dancing and general purposes.  By January 1887 a good stage was added with a drop curtain and scenery.  In 1910 the Town of Porter purchased it from Dr. Chellis for a town hall.  From the 1920’s Porter High School used it for school events, dances and basketball games until the Garner Gym was established in 1940/41.  Roland Stanley operated the first movie theater here starting with silent films and then “talkies”.   It served the community as a venue for many types of entertainment over the years.

                                                                The Playhouse Theater circa 1946.

The Town of Porter continued to use it as a town hall until 1946 when Harry Welch of Gorham bought it from the town for $5,000 and started the “Playhouse Theater”. He allowed the town to continue holding Town Meetings here until 1978. 

Welch’s Discount Store Warehouse

Phillip and Dottie Welch bought the theater in 1962, after his father died, and ran the movie theater until 1971.  Phil then continued to use the building as a warehouse for Welch’s Discount Store until his death in 2011.

This is an interior view of the restored Kezar Falls Theater – 2024.

In 2012 Silas Hagerty purchased the building, renovated it inside and out and has brought it back to its original purpose as a theater.  Silas is a filmmaker and founder of “Smooth Feather Youth, Porter, Maine” a 501(c) (3) non-profit with the mission to empower youth through filmmaking.  One of the organization’s programs is an immersive film school experience, where students choose a topic, create an outline, cast actors, produce and edit a film – all within one week.   

(To learn more about Smooth Feather Youth visit their website.)

This very old building is thriving today thanks to Silas Hagerty.

The Former Ridlon Drugstore Building in Kezar Falls

 Our focus this time is the former Ridlon Drugstore Building which has been at the center of Kezar Falls on the Porter side of the bridge since 1922.  

This building at #1 Bridge Street still stands between the former barber shop building that we featured last time and the bridge in Kezar Falls village.  Myron Ridlon purchased this property in 1922 and erected a two-story building with an apartment above.  In 1923 he relocated his pharmacy here after 13 years of business on nearby River Street and upgraded the store many times over the years. He not only dispensed prescriptions and over the counter medicines, but had a soda fountain counter, sold ice cream and had a few tables for the comfort of his patrons.  As drug stores do today, he also sold magazines, comic books, personal items, etc. and one could pick up a small gift if needed.  This was a popular drop-in spot for local residents, not just for medicines.  He carried on his business for 43 years.

This view of Ridlon’s Drug Store shows it as it looked circa 1925. The fountain on the left was removed when the triangle park was created in 1927.  On the right, the mill can be seen across the river. In this photo taken by George French circa. 1940, the drug store is on the right looking up Bridge St. from the bridge.

In this photo taken by George French circa. 1940, the drug store is on the right looking up Bridge St. from the bridge.

This interior view of the pharmacy with Myron Ridlon - druggist and Iva Cutting - clerk, is exactly as I remember it growing up here in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

The pharmacy never reopened after Myron’s passing November 29, 1966, but his nephew, Myron Locke, ran a variety store, soda fountain and snack bar here from 1967 to 1977.   Since then, there have been several small stores including a bakery and fabric shop. An addition was built with large windows facing the river for a beauty shop and there continued to be apartments on the second floor.  Most recently the building has had major renovations top to bottom making it entirely into what appears to be six apartments. 

This building is not quite as old as the previous buildings we have featured, but nevertheless, we are pleased to see it continues in the center of our little town.

Repurposed #3: Old Buildings in Kezar Falls

 #3 BRIDGE STREET, PORTER 

THE FORMER DAVIS BARBER SHOP

This building at #3 Bridge Street is next to the Ridlon Brothers Store featured in our last post.  It is currently an apartment building owned by John T. O’Donnell who has made renovations to improve the apartments for his tenants. It is a very old building in the center of Kezar Falls and has changed owners many times.

Joshua Elliott purchased the lot located on the east side of Bridge Street, between the Ridlon Brothers store and the bridge, from Samuel Ridlon for $150 in 1885.  He started the building in July.  On 7/18/1885 The Oxford County Record newspaper published the following: “Joshua Elliott has got the frame for his new building nearly up.  It will be 3 stories with a Mansard roof.”  See the building on the far right below.

Bridge Street showing, from left to right, the Malvern Hotel (now gone),

Ridlon Brothers Store and the Elliott Building.

The 1/15/1887 issue of The Oxford County Record newspaper stated “F.B. Davis has moved into the Elliott rent and opened a barber shop in the room formerly occupied by Rendall the jeweler.”

Fulton B. Davis – barber, circa 1910.

The Davis Barber Shop continued here for many years, carried on by his grandson Harry “Chick” Davis shown here in 1937.

This following view is of the Elliott Building taken circa 1934 with the Davis Barber Shop on the 1st floor, left side.  The third floor burned in 1984 and was rebuilt without it. It continued as an apartment building.  By the time that this picture was taken the Ridlon Drug Store had been built to the south between the Elliott Building and the bridge.

It is good to know that we still have quite a few of these original old buildings that form the center of Kezar Falls Village which are still in use today. 

RIDLON BROTHERS’ STORE

 The earliest information we have about this building, located on the corner of Bridge and River Street on the Porter side of the river, is shown on the 1880 map as E.T. Edgecomb’s store.  In 1904 this general store was purchased by brothers, Walter and Benjamin Ridlon, and they started a family business that would remain for nearly 58 years.  Walter’s son, Joe joined the business in 1929.  After Ben died in 1935 his widow, Josie, continued it until her death in 1943.  Walter’s wife Bertha died in 1953 and Walter died in 1954 leaving Joe to carry on the business.  

                                             Ridlon Bros. Store – Circa 1907.  L – R: Benjamin Ridlon, Walter’s wife Bertha (Gilpatrick) Ridlon – seated, Benjamin’s daughter Bernice Ridlon (later Mrs. Bertrand Huber), Benjamin’s wife Josephine (Mason) Ridlon, 3 unknown customers, Benjamin’s daughter Iva Ridlon (later Mrs. Chauncey Cutting) and Walter S. Ridlon.

It was an IGA grocery chain store for many years but eventually became a Nation Wide Store.  This interior view was taken by George French circa 1950.

The second story of the store burned in the 1950’s, but the ground floor was rebuilt and business continued.  Joe Ridlon retired and sold the business to Norman Ray in 1962.  

Norman Ray and Joseph Ridlon.

When Mr. Ray’s wife died shortly thereafter, the business was closed, and Joseph Ridlon sold the building in 1969 to John Burbank.  John converted the building and started a public laundry business.  It was next owned by Vieira LLC who remodeled the building in 2003 as the Village Laundry.  

The laundry continues to this day.  The current owners FSH of Porter, LLC remodeled it again recently and it operates as the Riverside Wash.

This is another success story where an old village business building continues to serve our community in the 21st century. 

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIRST VILLAGE SCHOOL?

Did last week’s post make you wonder about the 1st Village School?

The original K.F. Village Schoolhouse is one of the oldest buildings in Porter. It is said

to have been built and used as a schoolhouse on the Daniel Towle farm in Porter from

1829 – 1841. In 1842 the town of Porter moved it to its present location on the corner

of Chapel and School Street. It was the school for District #4 until 1889 when the new

Village School building was built on Main Street.

Village School Dist. #4 prior to 1889.

In December 1889 the building was purchased by the newly organized Advent

Christian Church (1887) and they remodeled it as a church.

Advent Christian Church - 1923

During the ministry of Rev. Lee Judkins (1969 – 1972) they left the Advent Church

Conference and changed the name to the Calvary Bible Church. By 1996 the church

membership had outgrown the building and, under the Rev. Barry Judd, made plans to

build a new church in So. Hiram. The first service in the new South Hiram church was

held on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005.

The old school/church building was sold and was renovated as a private residence and

is still located at #5 Chapel Street. The exterior looks much the same as this picture,

taken about 2004.