The bones of a community show in its buildings, says Les Fossel, owner of Restoration Resources, a historic building restoration company. “Buildings are a visual expression of the community. Where there are good buildings, there tends to be a good community,” said Fossel. “Such is the case with Damariscotta.”

Fossel will present a slideshow and talk on the history of Damariscotta’s Main Street, at Schooner Cove on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. Anyone with an interest in old homes and the history of the area is invited to attend. While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited, so please call Karen Westhaver at 563-4001.

With 35 years’ experience restoring and inspecting homes in the Mid Coast area, Fossel has unique qualifications for teaching the subject. Having helped restore or inspect thousands of homes in the area, he can often answer questions about specific homes from first-hand knowledge.

He has also taught courses on the architectural details of historic homes to a wide range of groups - including for-credit courses for real estate professionals and adult education classes.

Fossel said he begins every class by asking participants what they want to learn, and using their answer to determine the focus of the class, whether that means an exploration of the history of Damariscotta’s Main Street or how to equip an older home with a new bathroom.

In general, Fossel says, the design of homes over the past few centuries has tended to follow technology. As heating systems became more efficient and less costly, for example, ceilings become higher. At the same time, a community’s buildings tend to say a lot about its history, including both specific events and historical trends.

Damariscotta, located on the lower falls of the Damariscotta River, was both a trading center and prosperous shipbuilding town in the mid-1800s when much of its Main Street was destroyed by fire.

Prior to that time most of the homes were of wood construction because when Damariscotta was first permanently settled in the mid-1700s, wood was both cheap and easily available, while lime mortar and bricks were expensive. By the second half of the 19th century, however, brick construction was much cheaper and the town was much more prosperous.

While some very important wooden structures survived the fire, including the Chapman-Hall House on the north side of Main Street and the Matthew Cottrill House, closer to the Newcastle-Damariscotta bridge, most of the new buildings were brick, and many of those remain today.

As the shipbuilding industry died and the town became less prosperous, Damariscotta’s Main Street became a sort of time capsule, retaining the beautiful old buildings constructed during its heyday.

The beauty of the town and the historical nature of its Main Street owe a lot to that lost prosperity, and that beauty is partly what makes the town a draw, said Fossel. But he said its real worth is in the people who value both the buildings and the roots that connect them to the community.

“This is a world class place and we forget that because we think it is normal,” he said.