1915 – 2016

DRESDEN — William G. Waters died in his Dresden home on Thursday, May 5.

He was born in 1915, in Blakley, Ga., the son of Eleanor Smith Waters and Robert O. Waters. Bill attended High School in Frederick, Md., and graduated from Blakley High School. He won a scholarship and studied at the High Museum School of Art in Atlanta, Ga., and studied painting under Lamar Dodd at the University of Georgia in Athens. Bill moved to New York City and attended the Parsons School of Design while working as an art director for clothing designer Hattie Carnegie. In 1947, he moved to Maine to work with Margaret Pinkham Smith and Cyrus Pinkham and developed the Margaret Smith Handbag Co., which was a very successful business for more than 50 years.

While living in Maine, he became an ardent preservationist and contributed to the preservation of a number of historical Maine buildings. Among them is the 18th-century Chapman Hall House and the 19th-century Massassoit Fire Hall — both in Damariscotta. Other buildings include his 18th-century pre-Revolution home, Bowman House, and the mid-19th-century Dresden Town Hall, currently the home of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Bill also was one of the first proponents to challenge the Skidompha Library’s plan to move or dismantle the Clark House in Damariscotta, which still stands on its original foundation.

Bill is survived by his sister, Lucy Scofield of Atlanta, Ga.,; his longtime partner of 38 years, John Matzke of Dresden; and his 1991 Volvo 240 wagon.

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