New Gloucester’s Shaker Village receives $1.4M park service grant for renovations, preservation
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village Secures $1.4 Million in Federal Grants to Revitalize Historic Complex
The historic Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in Maine has received a combined $1.4 million in federal funding from the National Park Service, bringing the long‑awaited renovation of the village’s herb house and meetinghouse back on track. The grants, announced last week, include a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures award to transform the herb house into a community center and a $667,000 History of Equal Rights grant to preserve the village’s fourth‑oldest meetinghouse in the United States.
Restoration and Community Use
The Save America’s Treasures grant will fund structural repairs to the herb house, as well as the construction of arts and culinary classrooms on its lower level. Village director Michael Graham said the project will open the building to the public within the next two years, providing a versatile space for local events, workshops and community gatherings.
“This grant is crucial,” Graham said. “It allows us to complete the necessary repairs and build the classroom spaces that will make the herb house a true community hub.”
The village’s meetinghouse, a historic landmark dating back nearly 200 years, will receive the History of Equal Rights grant to protect its integrity. The grant is part of a federal effort to preserve sites tied to the development of equal rights in the country.
A Long‑Running Funding Saga
The herb house project first secured $750,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in 2022. The project was halted in 2025 when the Trump administration cut funding for the NEH grant, stalling progress. A federal judge later ruled in May that the mass cancellation of NEH grants was illegal, restoring the award to the village. The NEH grant has an undistributed balance of $148,000, and the village has until the end of February to raise an additional $600,000 to fully leverage the remaining award.
Graham noted that the Save America’s Treasures grant cannot be used to match the NEH funds, underscoring the importance of the new money for the herb house’s renovation.
Historic Preservation and Legislative Concerns
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is listed as a national historic landmark, with its buildings and surrounding landscape recognized for historical significance. The federal grants require a Section 106 review—an evaluation process that ensures federal or state actions do not adversely affect historic properties.
However, a pending congressional bill would significantly narrow the scope of Section 106 reviews. The National Trust for Historic Preservation warns that such changes could expose historic sites to “potentially destructive” alterations. “I hope that our leaders remember the importance of Section 106 for historic preservation and vote accordingly,” Graham said. “Sites like ours benefit immensely from the protective policies and standards that are in place.”
Looking Ahead
In addition to the herb house and meetinghouse projects, the village has previously received a $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant in 2022 to restore a nearly 200‑year‑old barn that houses the village’s sheep and cattle operation. The new funding will help ensure that Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village remains a vibrant cultural and community resource for years to come.
As the village moves forward with the renovations, the community watches closely, hopeful that the federal funding and protective legislation will safeguard this unique slice of Maine’s heritage.
