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| Historical Lot Marker #1 will stay put |
Although the exact schedule and start date has yet to be
determined, the River Road reconstruction project, which has been awarded to
Shaw Brothers Construction, will begin soon. The area of River Road to receive
the update includes the Doles Bridge over the Colley Wright Brook as well as a
3 mile stretch of the road, beginning at the Westbrook line and extending north.
The entire project is scheduled to last two years with the completion date set at
June 19, 2021.
As the reconstruction and widening has been discussed over
the past four years, concerns regarding the many historical sites along that
portion of River Road have been expressed to representatives of both the Maine
Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Windham Delegation by members of
the Windham Historical Society (WHS).
In his
September 15, 2015 article in The Windham Eagle, reporter and WHS member,
Walter Lunt stated that historical sites such as Old Province Fort
archaeological dig and the cornerstone Lot 1 marker were among the greatest
concerns. “Local historians believe the [archaeological] site is located under
the roadway at the top of a hill near the intersection with Anderson Road,”
Lunt said in that article. “Society records, two previous archaeological
investigations and an educated historical hunch suggested that the middle of
the road might be the spot, according to WHS former president Linda Griffin.
One dig, in 1982, produced animal bones (possibly a midden, or mounded food
remains) and a foreign coin. Griffin said, ‘This road construction may be the
only chance we’ll ever have to find the exact location of the fort and learn
how the settlers lived during those troubling times.”’
An archeological dig at Old Province Fort is scheduled to
begin next month on July 29 and last eight to 10 weeks. In a recent email to
Rep. Mark Bryant by MDOT representative, Meghan Russo, stated that tree
clearing will begin soon, and temporary traffic signals will be installed along
with crash barriers and signage around the archaeological dig area.
“The Lot #1 Marker has been surveyed in its exact location
and will remain at this location when the project is completed,” Russo said. “A
design exception was granted for the Lot #1 marker to remain as it is just on
the edge of the clear zone. It is included on the design plans to not move the
Marker. The Marker is just north of the Doles Bridge (Colley Wright Brook). The
contractor also may do some of the drainage cross pipes that go under the road
this year.”
Preserving a piece of Windham’s history has been considered
throughout the entire discussion and process of the River Road construction
plans - and important historical sites of Windham are being preserved. “I have been impressed with the MDOT’s
thoughtful and thorough approach to listening and working with the community
when it comes to road reconstruction and maintenance projects,” stated Rep.
Mark Bryant
Walter Lunt is also
pleased with the outcome. “As a longtime advocate for keeping the Lot #1 Marker
in place, I am more than please to hear this news. Tradition has it that this
stone must never be moved.”
And thus, progress
and historical preservation work together for future generations.
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