Update: As it said it would in the original article below, Wawenock has gotten back to Wiscasset Newspaper with a timeframe for the repairs that have kept scaffolding in front of the Main Street, Wiscasset building. Doering family spokesman Mark Robinson on Friday, Aug. 11 sent Wiscasset Newspaper a same-day letter from Sandra Guay of Portland law firm Archipelago, representing Wawenock LLC, to Town Manager Dennis Simmons.

The letter restates and expands on Robinson’s points in this week’s web article and states the facade work should be finished this fall, barring more holdups: “Wawenock understands that the building is in public view and people are getting anxious to see the building façade look like it used to and to get full use of the sidewalk. Restoration of this significant and historically important building however takes time, and Wawenock is trying its best to get high quality work completed as quickly as reasonably possible in light of circumstances, such as weather and labor, that are simply beyond its control.

“In any event, restoration is in its final phase and barring any unexpected circumstances, the work on the front façade should be completed this fall. In the interim, should the Town wish, Wawenock would be happy to provide monthly updated progress reports so that the Town can see that the work is moving forward,” Guay tells Simmons in Friday’s letter. “The owners of the Wawenock Block will continue do what they can to see that the timetable moves forward as outlined above, and hope that this plan and general timeline are acceptable to and understandable for the Town and for those in Wiscasset who would like to see this historically important structure once again become a productive asset for Downtown Wiscasset.”

Wiscasset Newspaper received the email at 3:58 p.m. Friday and has asked Simmons for any comment on Guay’s letter. The full letter is attached to this article.

Hours earlier, Wiscasset Newspaper took new photos of the site, where the fencing around the work area was recently moved inward, freeing up more of the sidewalk. And Wiscasset Bay Gallery founder Keith Oehmig responded via email to a request for any comment he would like to add about the matter. The gallery has been open to the left of its usual spot while the Wawenock work is completed, as wiscassetbaygallery.com notes.

Oehmig shared in Friday’s email: “We are excited that things are moving forward. It was great to have the fencing pushed back earlier this summer so that the shops and galleries on our side of Route 1 are easier to see and pedestrians can enjoy the sidewalk. We are looking forward to the project being completed.”

Original post, Aug. 9: With Wiscasset still eying options to force the issue, and with the latest rainstorm sweeping through, a spokesman for the Ralph Doering family responded Aug. 8 to Wiscasset Newspaper’s email questions on the state of repair work on the Wawenock block. Bricks fell from the facade in April 2021 and scaffolding continues to block part of the Main Street sidewalk. 

All that rain that keeps coming has been part of the problem, according to spokesman Mark Robinson. “It was a wet spring and it’s certainly been one of the wettest summers in recent memory.” He noted the project on the pre-Civil War building involves a lot of brick work, and laying bricks in the rain ups the risk of leaching.

“That can lead to a poor finish to the front of facing bricks,” he said. “When laying bricks, the mortar and bricks have to work together to ensure that they bond but laying brick in the rain reduces the chances of this working correctly. When mortar becomes over-hydrated, a chemical process takes place that can lead to the mortar being unable to harden correctly and that could mean that it flushes out of the joints.”

Robinson said work on the building is “pretty far along,” and some electrical work is being finished inside. When it is, the masonry contractor can resume work on the front, Robinson said. He said the masonry contractor “is behind on multiple jobs due to labor and weather issues. It is understandable that casual passersby would have no grasp of how difficult the work can be, especially with a building this old. But as anyone doing construction at the present time can attest, it is a slow, frustrating process. Weather, materials, and especially labor are real issues that everyone is forced to contend with. They are having a big impact in the construction industry ...”

The Doerings understand everyone’s eagerness to see the job done, Robinson said. “And they share those feelings. But they are also committed to having the work done properly. The Wawenock Block is an important piece of Wiscasset’s history, and it needs to be restored correctly.”

Wiscasset Newspaper also asked for any new target date, and if the scaffolding has to stay in place to the end. 

Robinson responded, “Your two questions point to the core concerns, what people really care about. The Doerings certainly know that people’s concerns are essentially visual – they want to know when that scaffolding will be gone, and what the hard and fast timetable is for when that will be so. Totally understandable.

“The Doering family wants to complete the job, have the scaffolding removed, and return downtown Wiscasset to normal. There are no issues with funding the repairs and there are no intentional delays taking place. The Doerings are pressing the construction team for an answer on timing that is reliable, and pressing to get this job done as soon as possible. They are working with their contractor to firm up the timeline for completion. Once they are confident in the timeline it will be relayed to you and the Select Board. They expect to have that information soon.”

He added, they want to be very careful about giving a timetable, “just in case any more surprises lurk. However, as mentioned they’re working on a timeline to provide to Wiscasset officials ... and Ralph expects good news ... Bottom line, the building is a visual asset to downtown Wiscasset, and the Doerings are looking forward to having the work done, just like everybody else – and done properly.”

Aug. 1, Town Manager Dennis Simmons told selectmen and other board meeting attendees the town is sick of the excuses, and the matter will be one of interim Code Enforcement Officer Bruce Engert’s areas. Simmons added he had talked with legal counsel about options.

Asked via email for any update Aug. 8, Simmons responded: “At this point all I can say is I have an appointment with an attorney on Monday (Aug. 14) to discuss options.”