AUGUSTA — Norway and Lisbon were recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization at a statewide historic preservation conference in Augusta this week.

Lisbon was honored with the first Downtown Achievement Award for an Outstanding Maine Downtown Network Community. Lisbon, Norway and Farmington were three of  seven towns eligible for the award because they were named last year as the original Maine downtown network communities.

About 200 people from as far away as Presque Isle and the southern end of Maine came to Augusta on Thursday and Friday for the conference which was held in several downtown historic buildings such as Masonic Hall and and the Flatiron Building that have not been accessible to the public or have been closed for public use for many years.

Attendees, who ranged from historic preservationists to town officials and developers, had their choice of 23 workshops where they learned how to boost business on Main Street, how to “brand” a community, create display windows and finance historic rehabilitation projects. They also learned how rehabilitating historic buildings is critical to downtown revitalization and neighborhood improvement strategies, and about the new statewide building and energy codes that were adopted on June 1.

As part of the new program launched last year by Maine Development Foundation’s Downtown Center, Lisbon was recognized for using the Maine Downtown Network Community program to engage and organize community leaders into committees that surveyed local residents and businesses on a wide variety of issues such as housing, agriculture and economic development. The information was used to create work plans that have been presented to the Town Council for review and direction.

In presenting the award to Town Councilor Gina Mason and fellow Downtown Revitalization Committee members Brenda Rogers and Amy Cunningham and Rosie Bradley, economic and community development director, Jon Edgerton, co-chairman of the Main Downtown Center’s Advisory Council, said “Lisbon — and specifically Lisbon Falls — has strengthened their volunteer base to begin fundraising efforts and is forming a nonprofit to better position them to apply for full Main Street Maine designation in the future.”

The program works with towns to explore the Main Street approach to downtown revitalization.

In other awards, Norway Downtown President Andrea Burns and board member Brenda Melhus were honored with the Downtown Achievement Award for Outstanding Image Campaign for the creation of nine banners that were designed by Melhus and based on Norway’s map and directory. The design includes historic and current photographs. The banners welcome Main Street pedestrians and motorists to Norway’s downtown historic district. It was the second year the town has been honored with the award.

Aranka Matolcsy, director emeritus of Western Maine Art Group, won the Downtown Achievement Award for Outstanding Window Display for the monthly-themed exhibits in 12 large windows of the Norway Savings Bank Operation Center on Main Street. The display celebrates the work of artists and artisans and is lit up at night.

The village of Lisbon Falls earned the Downtown Achievement Award for Outstanding Public/Private Partnership, which went to Maurice Bonneau’s Sausage Kitchen on Main Street in Lisbon Falls. Bonneau took an empty Main Street building — the old post office — to create manufacturing jobs and retail space.

Lisbon Town Councilor Gina Mason won the Downtown Achievement Award for Outstanding Public Official for her support of the downtown revitalization efforts. As a member of the local Downtown Revitalization Committee, Mason “really gets it,” said Ruta Dzenis, senior planner for the State Planning Office, who presented Mason with the award.

Tripp Muldrow, principal in the firm of Arnett Muldrow & Associates of Greenville, S.C., and the second-day keynote speaker, told Friday’s attendees that “branding” a community is critical.

“Having a brand can serve up the history of a community,” Muldrow said as he displayed brands from several communities across the country, including Travelers Rest, S.C., where the community had adopted the logo TR and used it in advertising campaigns to describe the community such as TRaditional and TRees. The brand was picked up by local businesses and organizations in their advertising campaigns. All used the same font which helped tie the brand together, Muldrow said.

“If you don’t tell the story, you’ve missed one of the most important parts,” Muldrow said of the need to tell others what the community is about.

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