HOLLIS, Maine — People and businesses in the Hollis-Buxton area are stepping up to help save a historic tea house from demolition.
Nestled along the Saco River, the Indian Cellar Tea House was built over 80 years ago but has sat empty for decades.
Thanks to a slew of donations, including $ 1,000 from Norway Savings Bank last month, the beloved structure will be moved to a new location and serve a new role in the community.
It's hard to make out the wooden structure covered in vines and weeds from the road. Wooden beams, hardwood floors, original windows, and a stone fireplace are all intact.
"It is amazing what good shape it is in," Dana Packard, the executive director of Saco River Theatre, remarked.
"The last 15 years or so, we have been looking for a building," Packard added.
The Indian Cellar Tea House has been abandoned since the 1990s and is next to the Indian Cellar Preserve, a popular hiking trail.
The structure has a history of serving as a store, restaurant, and canoe retail facility.
Margaret Hammel Shea's classic book Tavern in the Town also focused on the red structure.
It was a place to gather for tea and watch the rapids before the Saco River was dammed.
"People would come across the bridge, which used to be right here, and sit on the banks of the gorge because the river hadn't filled in yet, and it was a bit of a destination spot," Packard explained.
The town of Hollis saved it from being torn down by giving it to the theatre. Now, it will have a new purpose.
"It will have a scene shop in the basement where we will build our sets and costumes and a proper storage place where we are standing right now," Packard said.
Relocating the structure is urgent. Plans to tear down and build a new Salmon Falls bridge is the only viable route to the tea house's new location.
Volunteers raised $25,000 to move the tea house about a mile away and will place it on a new foundation on property across the street from the theatre in Buxton. They hope to move the structure by the end of this year.
Constructed in 1890 as a Universalist Chapel, the Saco River Theatre is a playhouse and performing arts center that hosts productions, concerts, and other programs.
Once the tea house reaches its new destination, volunteers will focus on replacing the roof and other areas needing repair.
If you want to donate or volunteer to help save the Indian Cellar Tea House, contact Dana Packard at info@sacorivertheatre.org.