SACO – Earlier this year, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) earned a $22,000 grant from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to provide new public educational resources for the community.

The Certified Local Government Grant will help fund the Saco Community History Project, a self-guided walking tour that highlights landmarks on Saco Island and downtown. Nearly two dozen signs will be installed, each exploring the rich history of Saco through stories about significant buildings, people, and events.

Saco’s HPC is asking residents to get involved and share their stories. Saco believes that to truly tell the full history of the city, community members with special connections to its past should have the opportunity to contribute. If a resident has a historic home, knows about the location of a significant business, or knows the story of a great person of the past, they can send an email to planning@sacomaine.org.

The Dyer Library will offer resources to assist the Saco HPC in weaving together the tales of Saco, and Saco Public Works will install the signs around the Downtown and Island. We’re proud of Shannon Chisholm, Saco’s Assistant Planner and HPC Staff Liaison, for authoring the grant application.

The City of Saco has produced a video to accompany this announcement: https://youtu.be/qpegLuRhI1w.

For more information about the Historic Preservation Commission, such as the recent Camp Ellis Architectural Study and Resiliency Report, visit https://sacomaine.org/hpc .