NORWAY - The town has until the end of the year to move the historic Gingerbread House on Main Street or it will be demolished, selectmen were told Thursday night.

In a letter dated April 29, Ed Snook, chief financial officer of C's Inc., told Town Manager David Holt and Larry Glatz of the Norway Historical Society that the house is being offered to the town or the society with conditions.

The decaying two-story building built in 1855 must be moved off the property, and by the end of 2008 "significant progress" must be shown that necessary steps are being taken to acquire, move and reconstruct the building, or it will be demolished early in 2009, the letter stated.

C's. Inc. is a holding company. Its properties include the house and the adjacent Advertiser-Democrat newspaper for which Snook is publisher.

While the offer is not new, having it in writing with attached conditions is a first for the town and society.

"It's going to be hard for the town to be the one with the deep pockets to rescue the building," Holt said.

Selectmen have long maintained that while they hope to retain the historical integrity of downtown Main Street, it cannot be savior for all its buildings, including the Opera House and the Odd Fellows Building, which are threatened by vacancies.

Holt has recommended that a series of community meetings take place to begin planning for the future of the buildings. He said the town must look at lessons learned in previous attempts to save historic buildings.

"To me, we need a strategy that, at least for the foreseeable future, is aimed at preserving all these buildings. Things are going to be tough," said Holt, referring to the overall budget constraints the town faces.

In his letter, Snook acknowledged the "long and important place in the history of Norway" that the Gingerbread House has played, but said because of its deteriorating condition it will take significant money and planning to restore it. The house was remodeled between 1885 and 1892 into its present "Gingerbread" style.

Snook said his company is not in a position to finance the house's restoration. However, it has spent nearly $10,000 to clean up the inside and have asbestos removed by a state-approved contractor, money that he said the company would look to recover, if possible.

"We owe it to the community to facilitate some meetings and get some people together who are interested in saving the building," selectmen's Chairman Russ Newcomb said.

"It would be too bad to see them turn into a pile of rubble."

The board agreed to set up a meeting with representatives of Downtown Norway and the Norway Historical Society and others.