CASTINE, Maine — A business considered to some as "the heart of Castine," will undergo some changes by the end of the year after receiving a preservation grant awarded to select small businesses across the country.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express selected The Pentagoet Inn & Pub to receive a "Backing Historic Small Restaurants" grant to help restore some of its original charm.
Owners George Trinovitch and Matt Powell met with the National Trust last week to finalize and earn approval for their plans to restore the inn, which has sat on Main St. since 1894.
The pair plans to replicate an original, outdoor grand staircase and create a Victorian outdoor patio area.
"I think that 'The Pentagoet' is so special because it does harken back to this older time, and that's what we're trying to do so much with our restoration work," Powell said. "Once you walk in the doors, you feel like you've stepped back in time."
After receiving the National Trust's approval for the restoration project, Trinovitch and Powell still need to get approval from Castine town leaders.
Powell said he's hoping the renovations will start in early October and be finished by Christmas.
The pair have owned the inn for almost a year and have already completely restored the lobby to its original 1894 state, uncovered original woodwork, and given the space a more maritime theme, they said.
"It's so great to be able to call 'The Pentagoet' our home now. We can make it our own and really make it feel like we're going back in time," Trinovitch said. "The first thing we want our guests to notice and feel when they walk through our front doors is 'wow, like, this feels historically accurate and feels like a dream' and truly feels like a step back in time to the 1800s'".
The Castine fixture is Maine's first establishment to receive this preservation grant since the program started three years ago and is one of 25 businesses selected this year.