What historic Maine venue, opened in 1901, holds the title of the longest continuously operating summer theater in the United States?

History Moved Through Augusta Last Sunday

Most people who live in Augusta have driven past that old house on Western Avenue more times than they could count. Three stories. Pale paint. Big porch. Right there near Memorial Circle, where the traffic backs up and you sit watching the light change. Most people probably never thought much about it. It was just there, like the river and the Capitol and Dysart's — part of the furniture of the city.

It almost wasn't there anymore.

Kennebec Savings Bank had plans to expand near Memorial Circle and the 1899 house at 15 Western Ave. was in the way. Designed by John Calvin Stevens — one of Maine's most celebrated architects — the 6,200-square-foot, three-story building was slated for demolition. Augusta's Historic Preservation Commission put a 90-day pause on the wrecking ball. And into that window stepped Augusta developer Richard Parkhurst with a pitch nobody expected: don't tear it down. Move it.

Last Sunday morning, that's exactly what happened.

Copp & Sons Building Movers of Cumberland split the 120,000-pound house in half, loaded it onto steel beams and a massive flatbed truck, and drove it right through the middle of Maine's capital city. Crowds gathered along the route. The house crept past Memorial Circle. There was one tense moment — a popped tire as the truck exited the rotary — and a collective gasp from onlookers. Then the truck kept going. By the time it was done, the house was sitting on a new foundation at 5 Chandler Street, about a third of a mile from where it started. Parkhurst will reconnect the two halves using a slotting system designed by Copp & Sons.

It's the kind of thing that doesn't happen often. Saving a building by moving it through a city. JF Scott Construction of Winthrop handled the prep work and new foundation. Kennebec Savings Bank, to its credit, funded the move rather than simply bulldozing something irreplaceable. And Parkhurst, who has spent years restoring historic properties in the Augusta area, made the call that it was worth saving.

Not every old thing in Maine gets saved. This one did.

My parents owned a charming old home in Waterville for many years — the kind of place with a real garden and enough history in the walls that you didn't want to think about it ever coming down. A few years ago they sold it to a local developer, and it'sbeen replaced by a commercial building now. I still think about working in that garden with my dad. So when I saw that 1899 house on Western Avenue get loaded onto a truck and driven through Augusta last Sunday — saved instead of bulldozed — I'll admit it hit me a little differently than just a good news story. Richard Parkhurst and Kennebec Savings Bank did something worth noticing. Not every old thing in Maine gets saved. This week, one did.

Watch: Augusta's Historic House Hits the Road

When they said they were going to move a 125-year-old house through downtown Augusta, a lot of people showed up to see if it was actually going to happen. It did. WABI TV5 was there Sunday morning as the 135,000-pound John Calvin Stevens home rolled off Western Avenue, around Memorial Circle, and onto its new foundation at 5 Chandler Street — all in about an hour. The popped tire on the way out of the rotary got a collective gasp from the crowd. Watch the full WABI report below.

👉 Watch on WABI TV5

The week starts mild and mostly sunny before Maine does what Maine does — keep a light jacket somewhere you can find it.

Tuesday, June 3 — Mostly sunny. High near 66°F. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday, June 4 — Scattered showers possible, mainly afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 50%.

Thursday, June 5 — Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning clearing by afternoon. High near 65°F. Chance of rain 30%.

Friday, June 6 — Mostly sunny. High near 71°F. West wind around 5 mph in the afternoon. A good night for the Jazz Band.

Saturday, June 7 — Mostly sunny. High near 76°F. Mostly clear overnight, low around 48°F. One of the better days of the week.

Sunday, June 8 — Sunny. High near 82°F. Mostly clear overnight, low around 53°F.

Monday, June 9 — Mostly sunny. High near 84°F. A warm start to the following week.

It's early June in Maine — the forecast looks promising but look out the window before you make firm plans. If you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes.

Source: National Weather Service — Gray/Portland, ME (weather.gov)

It's a big week in the Valley — families driving in from all over Kennebec County for graduation night, and one of the finest bands in American music stopping in Waterville. Here's what's worth putting on your calendar.

Messalonskee High School Class of 2026 Graduation What: Graduation ceremony for the Messalonskee High School Class of 2026. Where: Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta When: Thursday, June 4, 2026 · 7:00–8:00 PM Cost: Free to attend Family-friendly: Yes — family and community welcome Walk-in: Yes Why it matters: Messalonskee graduates cross the stage at the Civic Center. If you know one of these kids, this is the night to be there.

Erskine Academy Class of 2026 Graduation What: Graduation ceremony for the Erskine Academy Class of 2026. Where: Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta When: Friday, June 5, 2026 · 6:30–8:00 PM Cost: Free to attend Family-friendly: Yes — family and community welcome Walk-in: Yes Why it matters: South China's Erskine Academy sends another class out into the world. A big night for a school that punches above its weight in this region.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band What: Live concert by the legendary New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band, carrying the torch of traditional New Orleans music for more than 65 years. Where: Waterville Opera House, 1 Common Street, Waterville When: Friday, June 5, 2026 · 8:00 PM Cost: $40–$57 (handling fee included) · Youth Arts Access Fund eligible Family-friendly: Yes Walk-in: Advance tickets required · watervillecreates.org Why it matters: This is a world-class ensemble in an intimate Maine venue. The Opera House is a great room for this kind of music and tickets won't last.

Oak Hill High School Class of 2026 Graduation What: Graduation ceremony for the Oak Hill High School Class of 2026. Where: Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta When: Saturday, June 6, 2026 · 7:00–9:00 PM Cost: Free to attend Family-friendly: Yes — family and community welcome Walk-in:

Yes Why it matters: Three KVV schools. Three ceremonies. Three nights at the Augusta Civic Center. Graduation week belongs to the Valley.

Beyond the big events, there's a full slate across the region this week. Here's what else is happening.

Waterville — Friday June 5 Pride First Friday — 5:00–8:00 PM · Paul J. Schupf Art Center, 93 Main Street and Greene Block + Studios, 18 Main Street, Waterville · Free and open to all. Craft vendors in Castonguay Square, free tacos and hot dogs, community resource tables, and Pride art making. Jazz trio with Kate Campbell Strauss, Jake Hickey, and Scott Kiefner performs 5:30–6:30 PM. Punk show with local band Random Ideas at Greene Block 7–8 PM. Half-price concessions at Maine Film Center all evening. Presented by Waterville Creates, Colby Arts Office, and Colby College Museum of Art.

Gardiner — Saturday June 6 Homegrown ft. Glassfish with Shelby Cobb — 7:30 PM · Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner · Tickets at johnsonhall.org or the Johnson Hall Box Office (no fees), open Tuesday–Friday 12–3 PM.

Windsor — Saturday & Sunday June 6–7 Maine Fiber Frolic — 9:00 AM–4:00 PM both days · Windsor Fairgrounds, Rt. 32, Windsor · Adults $5, 2-day pass $8, seniors $2, children under 12 free. Fiber arts, farming demonstrations, sheep dog demos, spinning, weaving, knitting, and a Make It With Fiber competition open to all skill levels. One of Maine's best-kept early-June traditions.

Waterville — Thursday June 4 & Thursday June 11 Extrud-inary Raku Vases — Clay workshop at Waterville Creates · Verify current times and registration at watervillecreates.org.

Waterville — Ongoing Through June 15 Painted Fiction: Curated by Barbara Sullivan — Art exhibition · Paul J. Schupf Art Center, 93 Main Street · Through June 15, 2026 · Free admission.

Art in the Lobby: Works by Claire Loon Baldwin — Paul J. Schupf Art Center · Through September 30, 2026 · Free admission.

Something happening in your community? We want to know about it.

Submit events, business news, community announcements, and local highlights for the Kennebec Valley Voice. We cover Augusta, Waterville, Gardiner, Hallowell, Winslow, Skowhegan, and the communities around them.

Email us at https://mainevalleyvoicesmedia.com/submit-news or visit kennebecvalleyvoice.com/submit

Deadline for the following Wednesday edition is Monday at noon. We read everything and do our best to include what we can verify.

Your local government is busy this week. Here's what's on the schedule across the Valley.

Wed June 3 · 3:00 PM — Waterville Rent Stabilization Board (Organizational Meeting) · Kennebec Conference Room, 46 Front Street, Waterville

Wed June 3 · — Gardiner City Council · 6 Church Street, Gardiner 

Wed June 3 · [TBD] — Hallowell Site Plan Review Site Visit, 21 Warren Street · 

Thu June 4 · 4:00 PM — Waterville Historic Preservation Commission · M.J. Roy Conference Room, 1 Common Street, Waterville

Thu June 4 · 7:00 PM — Augusta City Council Business Meeting · Augusta City Hall

Mon June 8 · 6:00 PM — Hallowell City Council · Hallowell City Hall

Mon June 8 · 6:00 PM — Winslow Town Council · Winslow Public Library, 136 Halifax Street, Winslow

Mon June 8 · — Hallowell Public Hearing hallowell.

Tue June 9 · 6:00 PM — Waterville Planning Board · City Council Chambers, 46 Front Street, Waterville

CIVIC NOTE — AUGUSTA MUNICIPAL ELECTION: Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Augusta voters will fill a vacant three-year City Council seat at the polls. 

Chamber & BNI This Week

Mid-Maine Chamber Golf Classic — Waterville Monday, June 8 · Waterville Country Club, Country Club Road, Waterville Area businesses sponsor a team of four to play 18 holes for fun and prizes — whether you're a golfer or not, there are sponsorship opportunities too. A great way to connect with the regional business community. Registration through midmainechamber.com.

If you're looking to grow your business through referrals, BNI has chapters serving the Valley. Visitor-friendly — reach out before you show up.

Elm City Referral Source BNI — Waterville area Thursday · 8:30–10:00 AM 

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce

50 Elm St
Waterville

KV Chamber Business After Hours — Augusta Wednesday, June 24 · Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta · 5:00–7:00 PM Free for Chamber members — non-members may attend once to explore joining. Monthly networking in a casual setting — one of the better rooms in the Valley for meeting new people. Register at kennebecvalleychamber.com

Kennebec Networkers BNI — Augusta/Hallowell 

Wednesday 8:00 AM In-Person

Thomas College Ice Vault

203 Whitten Road
Hallowell

BNI is open to one member per professional category. If your category is open, a visit is worth your time.

The Kennebec Valley had a busy week on the business and development front — and at least one story that involved a very large truck.

The most talked-about development story in Augusta right now didn't involve a groundbreaking or a ribbon cutting. It involved a moving truck. The 1899 John Calvin Stevens house at 15 Western Ave. was successfully relocated to 5 Chandler Street on Sunday, May 31 — a feat that required splitting the 6,200-square-foot, three-story structure in half, loading it onto steel beams, and driving it through downtown Augusta. Developer Richard Parkhurst organized the move with support from Kennebec Savings Bank, which had planned to demolish the building as part of its expansion near Memorial Circle. JF Scott Construction of Winthrop handled prep and the new foundation. The house will be reconnected in the coming days, and Kennebec Savings Bank's new office building project moves forward with the lot cleared.

· Construction is underway on a new Rusty Lantern Market and Irving gas station at 222 Main Street in Waterville — a 24-hour market with a kitchen preparing fresh food for takeout or dining in, plus a fireplace seating area and three fuel pumps serving up to six vehicles at a time. Based in Brunswick, Rusty Lantern operates 35 markets across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island — Waterville's will be the 36th, and the company donates roughly $100,000 to charities annually. Opening expected late summer 2026. 

· The former Staples building at 40 Waterville Commons Drive is being converted into a ConvenientMD primary care clinic and a separate urgent care clinic — the first ConvenientMD location in the country to combine both services under one roof. The urgent care clinic will run seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the primary care clinic expected on a standard weekday schedule. Construction started in May with an opening targeted for late 2026. For a city still feeling the loss of Inland Hospital, this one matters. 

· Capital Bar and Grille opened earlier this spring at 228 Water Street in downtown Augusta, owned by Andy Chapman, Sotirios Gudis, and Mike Akanji — three longtime friends who describe their goal as blending upscale flavors with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Worth a visit if you haven't been in yet.

Early June is the right time to feed your lawn — and the wrong time to do it wrong. If you're putting down fertilizer now, match the product to what your lawn actually needs. A soil test from your local cooperative extension tells you exactly what's missing so you're not just guessing. Going heavy on nitrogen right before a hot stretch can burn grass rather than green it up. Water deeply a day or two before and after any application, and skip the granules if rain is coming hard — you'll just be washing money down the storm drain. When in doubt, less is more. Your lawn will catch up.

If you haven't had a wellness visit in the last year, this week is a good time to make the call. A routine annual exam catches things early — before they become the kind of news nobody wants. Most insurance covers it at no cost to you. It takes an hour. It's worth it.

There are people in this Valley who show up when it counts. A few ways to do the same this week.

KVCAP Needs Volunteer Drivers Kennebec Valley Community Action Program is actively looking for volunteer drivers to provide medical transportation for low-income and elderly residents across Kennebec and Somerset counties. KVCAP coordinates tens of thousands of trips a year — getting neighbors to doctor appointments, work programs, and essential services when they have no other way to get there. Drivers are reimbursed for mileage and KVCAP builds the schedule. If you have a reliable vehicle and want to make a real difference in someone's week, this is it. Learn more and sign up at kvcap.org.

If you're finding the Kennebec Valley Voice useful, the best thing you can do is pass it along. Forward it to a neighbor, a friend from work, someone who just moved to the area — anyone who'd like to know what's happening around them without having to dig for it.

New readers can sign up at kennebecvalleyvoice.com/signup  — it's free, it's local, and it arrives in your inbox twice a week.

We're building something here, one reader at a time. Thank you for being part of it.

Two Dogs Ready for Their Next Chapter

Morado — Kennebec Valley Humane Society, Augusta Morado is a big, white Husky mix — just arrived at the shelter this week and already looking for the right home. Huskies are smart, energetic, and loyal to the people they choose. If you've got an active household and space to run, this one is worth a visit. (207) 626-3491)

Marley — Kennebec Valley Humane Society, Augusta Marley is a 17-month-old yellow Lab mix, 79 pounds of friendly dog who has been at Pet Haven Lane for over a year waiting for the right family to find him. Labs don't hold grudges. He's still there, still wagging. Kennebec Valley Humane Society · 10 Pet Haven Lane, Augusta · (207) 626-3491 · pethavenlane.org

Summer markets are in full swing across the Valley. Here's where to find fresh local food this week.

Augusta Farmers Market Tuesdays and Fridays · 7:00 AM-1:00 PM Greenway parking lot, near Arsenal Street, Augusta Fresh produce, baked goods, plants, and local vendors through October.

Waterville Farmers Market Thursdays · 2:00-6:00 PM Head of Falls, Riverwalk area, Waterville One of the better mid-week markets in central Maine. Great spot to grab dinner ingredients on your way home

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Gardiner Farmers Market Fridays · 3:00-6:00 PM Johnson Hall parking lot, 280 Water St, Gardiner Local produce, crafts, and food. Right downtown — easy stop after work.

Skowhegan Farmers Market Saturdays · 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Skowhegan Fairgrounds, Madison Ave, Skowhegan One of the larger regional markets. Worth the drive if you're stocking up for the week.

Early June means peas, greens, radishes, and the first of the strawberries. Get there early on the good stuff.

Capital Bar and Grille — Augusta

There's a new energy on Water Street in Augusta, and it has a lot to do with what Andy Chapman, Sotirios Gudis, and Mike Akanji opened earlier this spring at 228 Water Street.

Capital Bar and Grille isn't trying to be something Augusta already has. Three longtime friends with a shared idea: bring upscale flavors to a room where people actually feel comfortable walking in. No stiff dress code. No pretense. Just good food, well-made drinks, and a space that takes itself seriously without taking itself too seriously.

Augusta's downtown has been through a lot of changes over the years — some things have come and gone, some have stuck. Capital Bar and Grille has the ingredients to stick. A locally owned place with real investment behind it, right in the heart of the city.

If you haven't been in yet, it's worth the visit. 228 Water Street, Augusta.

I've lived in Maine long enough to know that we don't make a big fuss over things unless they've genuinely earned it.

Sunday's house move in Augusta earned it.

I wasn't there in person, but I watched the WABI footage, and I'll admit — when that truck came around Memorial Circle with half a 125-year-old house on its back, I got a little something in my throat. Not because of the engineering feat, impressive as it was. Because of what it represented.

Someone looked at a building that was scheduled to be torn down and said: not this one. Richard Parkhurst didn't have to do that. Kennebec Savings Bank didn't have to cooperate. JF Scott Construction didn't have to take on a job that requires blocking off a state capital rotary at seven in the morning. But they did. All of them.

Maine has a lot of old things. Old buildings, old barns, old mills — most of them go quiet over time and eventually come down. Nobody marks the day. Nobody gathers on the sidewalk. They just disappear, and eventually people forget they were there.

This one didn't disappear. And a hundred people showed up to make sure they saw it move.

That's a Valley thing. That's a Maine thing. And this week, it happened in Augusta.

— Sandy

The Lakewood Theater (located in Madison, Maine).