NEW GLOUCESTER – The fourth annual Maine Preservation series on owning, maintaining and restoring older homes is set to begin Saturday, Feb. 7.

The three workshops are sponsored by Norway Savings Bank in conjunction with the preservation group, which is a statewide nonprofit organization whose goal is to “preserve and protect the irreplaceable architectural heritage, historical places and communities of Maine.”

The first workshop, Getting Started, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sabbathday Shaker Village Library, Route 26. Some of the topics will include: identifying historic architecture; insurance; contracting for repairs; and developing a sensitive, cost-effective restoration plan.

Leading the discussions will be Les Fossel, owner of Restoration Resources rehabilitation firm; Martha Frost, Horace Mann Insurance; and Andrea Strassner, preservation specialist with Barba Architecture and Preservation.

The next two sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Poland Spring Bottling Plant Conference Center.

, 115 Preservation Way, Poland. Paint, plaster and masonry will be covered.

Those attending will receive an illustrated plaster guidebook produced by Peter and Noelle Lord, who have restored a number of Maine’s historic properties, including the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house, a National Historic Landmark in Portland.

The third session on March 6 is titled, All About Windows & Wood.

The class will be led by carpenter Robert Dunning and John Leeke, a registered building assessor for the federal Heritage Preservation, Conservation Assessment Program.

Maine Preservation is encouraging early entries, because class sizes are limited.

Individual sessions are $60 for nonmembers and $50 for each member. Attendance at all three sessions costs $165 for nonmembers and $145 for members.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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