Dear Editor:

Wiscasset’s red-brick, white-shuttered, cupola-crowned Old Academy on Warren Street, built 216 years ago, owned by the town, and leased since the 1950s by the non-profit Maine Art Gallery, is a gem that should stay in public hands. Like the library, the Old Jail, the courthouse, and the Powder House, the Old Academy is everyone’s treasure. It embodies local history. It’s also very much alive with art exhibitions and classes. A cultural force and a building with an endearing personality, it helps make Wiscasset an interesting place to live, do business, and visit.

Current Maine Art Gallery leaders are working hard to raise maintenance funds, including through some grants that require the town to provide match money, a reasonable price to pay for stewarding this asset. A “yes” vote on June 13 ballot question 52 is the way to go. Then vote “no” on non-binding referendum question 1 to assure that the town of Wiscasset maintains ownership. The whole community deserves to enjoy the Old Academy. If it slips into private hands, it’s likely to become something quite different and less welcoming to all.

Anne Leslie

Wiscasset