NORWAY – Not every historic building can or should be saved, but when all the pieces come together there are success stories.

“It’s not easy. You need like-minded people working toward a common goal, a willing owner and a tax credit to help it along,” said Matt Tonello of the Consigli Construction Co. in Portland on Friday.

Tonello, Consigli’s area manager, is one of three historic preservation speakers who will discuss strategies for stimulating economic growth through preservation of Norway’s historic buildings at a community forum Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

The forum, entitled “Success Stories in Saving Threatened Buildings,” gets under way at the Norway Grange on Whitman Street at 7 p.m.

Also speaking will be Arron Sturgis of Preservation Timber Framing in Berwick, and Lock Kiermaier of Mattson Developers, who served in state government and spearheaded the historic building tax credit.

“Norway has limited resources. They must utilize as much as they can to keep the character of town. It can be done, but it has to be done in a community-wide effort,” said Sturgis, whose company specializes in timber-frame construction, particularly in barns and churches.

Their presentation will be the second of three talks aimed at generating enthusiasm and providing information about the downtown’s historical assets and how they can become economic assets.

In July, state preservationists met with local officials, businesspeople and residents to discuss the downtown historic district and the effect its buildings have on the town’s economy.

Roxanne Eflin, owner of Preservation Planning Associates and former director of Maine Preservation, will moderate the forum, said Andrea Burns, president of Downtown Norway. Eflin was in Norway last spring to talk about historic preservation.

Tonello, who spoke before a Maine legislative committee last year urging passage of Maine’s historic tax credit bill, said he will discuss several of Consigli’s historical renovation projects, including restoration of the vacant Grand Army of the Republic Building in Worcester, Mass.

Sturgis, whose company is restoring the 1828 Abyssinian Meeting House in Portland, will discuss the process of discovering historical resources and the economic challenges that face small congregations and communities.

While the speakers will focus on success stories and not specific buildings, such as the Opera House, they said they were familiar with the buildings.

“Ultimately it will come down to if someone can find a use in today’s economic environment,” said Tonello of rehabbing old buildings.