NORWAY — The Gingerbread House (Evans-Cumming House) in Norway has received a $2,000 grant from the 1772 Foundation, The grant, which was matched with community fundraising, will allow the Friends of the Gingerbread House to begin work on finishing all the remaining window restorations and painting the newly constructed porch at the west entrance. With the completion of these two projects, the group will have nearly completed the preservation of the entire exterior of the 1851 building, a landmark on Norway’s Main St.

The only remaining project, restoring the long porch that once traversed the side of the building, will be the only task left to complete in the exterior renovation. The preservation and rehabilitation of the building has been a decade long community project, led by Norway Landmarks Preservation Society (aka Friends of the Gingerbread House).

Kevin Russell of Old Tyme Painting will begin work on these projects during the summer and fall. In celebration of these next steps, the Friends of the Gingerbread House will host an Open House on July 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to enter from the stairway of the new porch through the restored turret doors and tour the building. Gingerbread House merchandise will be available for purchase and Board members will be available to answer questions. Friends of the Norway Memorial Library will also be conducting a book sale on the property at the same time.