/

Save the Lodge: fundraising efforts underway for the Kemankeag Lodge in Rangeley

5 mins read
Kemankeag Lodge

RANGELEY – Perched above Haley Pond Stream and a stone’s throw from Rangeley Lake, the Kemankeag Lodge has served as the home for the Rangeley Masons for more than forty years. Now, however, the building is in need of critical repairs.

The lodge, which was originally built as a garage and repair shop for carriages in the early 1900s, sits on the original shallow fieldstone foundation. The foundation is deteriorating and the lodge is sinking into the ground, putting the whole structure at risk.

Originally the building was used by the Hamm Garage Company, but in 1923 it was deeded over to the Knights of Pythias. In 1981 the Rangeley Masons took ownership of the property, sharing the space with the Pythian Sisters and Oddfellows organizations. Currently, the Western Maine Shrine Club and the Widows Sons Mountain Chapter also occupy the building.

Community service and support is at the heart of the mission for these organizations. The Masons engage in fundraising and support of the community through programs such as Books for Bikes, and through direct support for families and individuals in need. In addition, when they are not using the Lodge, it is offered as a community center, hosting dances, craft fairs, public dinners, school events, fundraisers, and family celebrations for the Rangeley Region.

Now, the Masons are asking for community support to help save the lodge.

The uneven floor in the ground level community hall is a result of the deteriorating foundation.

The lodge sits within the watershed of Rangeley Lake and Haley Pond Stream. Inside the expansive, two-story building, ripples in the floor in the community room are visible to the eye as the sinking foundation has shifted, creating uneven rises and dips. In the large kitchen, which is available for community functions, the back door was recently reframed to allow it to open and close properly. This was a temporary fix to mitigate part of the impact of the crumbling foundation, but the overall issue remains untouched.

Upstairs in the Masons’ private meeting room, an intricate hand-laid wooden floor shows less damage; this unique floor, which the Masons installed themselves, is one of many features that would be lost if the building is not saved.

For the last several years the Masons have been in discussion over the best way to save the lodge. Small, short term fixes have been considered, but the Masons, working with local contractors and tradespeople, have determined that the long-term solution is to raise the lodge out of the ground entirely and install a full footing underneath.

The building itself is quite large, measuring approximately 85 feet by 35 feet. Due to the close proximity to Haley Pond Brook, which is less than twenty feet from the kitchen window, there are numerous environmental guidelines and restrictions which must be observed. These requirements, which include ‘breathable’ footings under the building and waterway protections to minimize the impact on the brook and nearby Rangeley Lake, are included in the estimated total of $175,000.

There are very limited grant opportunities available to the Rangeley Masons, so they are seeking help from the community and local businesses and organizations to preserve this piece of Rangeley. Thus far they have secured $25,000 towards the project, and additional fundraisers are underway.

For more information or to contribute to the project, reach out to any of the Rangeley Masons and/or send donations to the Kemankeag Building Association, PO Box 889, Rangeley Maine 04970.

 

A thank-you card from the Little Mountain School in Rangeley. (Date unknown)
Print Friendly, PDF & Email