Brick Project WWI Housing Historic District
The wartime housing shortage began in 1917, it would take until August of 1918 before two publicly funded housing developments began construction. The Emergency Fleet Corporation built 109 two-story, multi-family brick houses (the Brick Project) in the north of the city. These houses, like Washington Park, were near the Texas Steamship Company yard at the northern edge of Bath, and were for their employees and their families.
The seventy-eight two-story wood frame single family houses known as the White Project were constructed by the Bureau of Industrial Housing in the center of the city near BIW for their workers and families.” (Source -Washington Park Historic District application. A copy of the on-line National Register entry is included as an example of how your Historic District may be described. The Washington Park Historic District was approved 3/19/2024.)
“This is a very intact subdivision worthy of further study, especially for its architecture. Overall, there is a great sense of continuity, and each street feels very much like an intact neighborhood.” Blythe Edwards & Theresa Mattor, Maine Preservation Commission Site Survey 6/25/96
After almost 30 years, the “further study” has been conducted. The results of this research have been submitted to the Maine Preservation Commission and have been accepted. Before the Commission prepares the application to the National Register, a survey must be taken of the current property owners to determine if the majority approve submission of the application.
Why register the Brick Project as an historic district? What if anything will change?
The National Register DOES:
o Identify historically significant buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts, according to the National Register criteria for evaluation.
o Encourage the preservation of historic properties by documenting the significance of historic properties and by lending support to local preservation activities.
o Enable federal, state, and local agencies to consider historic properties in the early stages of planning projects.
o Provide for review of federally funded, licensed, or sponsored projects which may affect historic properties.
o Make owners of historic properties eligible to apply for grants for preservation activities.
o Encourage the rehabilitation of income-producing historic properties which meet preservation standards through tax incentives.
The National Register DOES NOT:
o Restrict the rights of private property owners in the use, development, or sale of private historic property.
o Lead automatically to historic district zoning.
o Force federal, state, local, or private projects to be stopped.
o Provide for review of state, local, or privately funded projects which may affect historic properties.
o Guarantee that grant funds will be available for all significant historic properties.
o Provide tax benefits to owners of residential historic properties, unless those properties are rental and treated as income-producing by the IRS.
To learn more you can…
o Visit the National Register website to review some of the more frequently asked questions about the National Register program.
Make it stand out