NORWAY — The historic Weary Club on Main Street is getting a face-lift.

Contractor Mike Smith of West Paris, along with John Ferry, are working this week to replace the porch decking and columns at the 1927 building that was constructed as a meeting place to discuss topics of interest.

Smith said Wednesday that his company was hired to replace the decking, which had begun to rot, and the four Greek Revival columns that hold up the front porch. The decking and columns are believed to be original to the building.

The decking is being replaced with a composite decking material that will last indefinitely. The four columns are being replaced with fiberglass columns that can hold 10,0000 pounds each, Smith said. The old columns were not rotted but had begun to crack, he said. The columns were made by gluing strips of wood together.

According to a downtown walking tour guide of the Norway Historic District, the Greek Revival two-room building was constructed in 1927 from wood salvaged from Beal’s Tavern, another Main Street business.

The club encouraged men and women to gather at the house to do anything from whittling wood to discussing serious topics of the day. Although local lore said it was built for a place for men to gather who became “weary” of their wives, in fact many women, including Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, dropped in or became members over the years.

[email protected]