DIXFIELD — Over a half-century from the 1880s when village halls held variety shows or school performances, and towns were visited by traveling players, opera companies and vaudeville singers, painted scenery (primarily roll drops, with a few “fly” scenes) was especially popular in northern New England.

But, as tastes changed and as many theaters became movie houses, these beautiful curtains were often bundled up with baling twine, stashed in ceiling crawl spaces or shoved under the stage, forgotten or destroyed in the process.

The Dixfield Historical Society has one of these curtains and has begun a fundraising campaign to restore it to its former glory.

The curtain was the main topic of discussion during the historical society’s annual meeting Oct. 9 at its museum on Main Street.

President Donna Towle said the former Mystic Grange 313 of East Dixfield donated its curtain and many other items to the historical society, including the handwritten secretarial records kept about the Grange from the late 1940s and 1950s, when it is believed the curtain was created.

Towle asked members to take a book or two to see if they could find any reference to this curtain to learn when it might have been created and who may have done the work, because it was not signed. She said technically the curtain is called a grand drape with advertising.

There’s a similar grand drape on display at the Andover Town Hall. In each case, the display is actually painted onto the curtain. The historical society’s drape is larger than Andover’s at 8½ by 18 feet. Andover’s drape is believed to be circa 1930.

The historical society has decided it wants to restore the drape before eventually displaying it at Dirigo High School’s community room, along the back wall of the stage.

“It will fit in there pretty well. We’ve been in there and measured. The school is very happy to take it,” Towle said.

She said the restoration work would be conducted by Christine Hadsel of Vermont, a conservator, who made the initial assessment of the grand drape in September and said the work will take three days.

Her company is Curtains Without Borders, which is dedicated to documenting and preserving historic painted scenery. The focus is on painted stage scenery found in town halls, grange halls, theaters and opera houses. The time frame is roughly 1890 and 1940, although on rare occasions, pieces painted after 1940 are also included in its inventory.

Towle said Hadsel indicated that if the drape was commissioned by the Grange there would be a Grange insignia on it, but there isn’t one. She thinks it came from a town somewhere, or some theater and the Grange purchased it.

It’s believed the drape was used as a fundraiser because of all the businesses that were featured on it. In this case, businesses are from the Dixfield area.

One mystery regarding the drape is what lake is seen on the drape. Members agreed it’s not Weld, but believe it may be Wilson Lake in Wilton.

“The curtain itself is in pretty good shape,” Towle said. “It has a little water damage and one small tear that can be repaired. And there needs to be a border put on the top as it had been cut off.”

She said the historical society is looking to raise at least $7,000 for the project, which could include about $1,000 in funds they currently have.

Donations by check can be sent to the Dixfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 182, Dixfield, ME 04224. The historical society has set the fundraising deadline of April 2026.