MECHANIC FALLS (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The fire at the Marcal Mill is hitting people who live in Mechanic Falls hard. Not only did the fire erase a piece of the town's history, but it also destroyed what was once the lifeblood of the community.
Many people came out to the mill Monday to see first-hand the destruction and what little remained of the mill.
The massive four-alarm fire started Sunday afternoon and destroyed four businesses and two apartments inside. The good news is everyone got out safely.
Dozens of departments helped fight the fire that was so big it seemed to swallow the Marcal Mill.
A century-old iconic landmark that was once the heartbeat of this community.
Gary Drinkwater is the rector at the nearby church which also serves as the town's historical society. Drinkwater worked at the mill 50 years ago when he was 18 years old.
He was a case-sealer at the paper mill packing and getting boxes ready to go on the train. He says the destruction of such an iconic landmark is a huge loss for the community.
Drinkwater says "it was the heartbeat of the community. This whole town, over the history of this area., all of the manufacturing was the heartbeat of mechanic falls."
The Marcal paper mill, which once stood so proudly on the banks of the Little Androscoggin River stirs up a lot of memories for generations of people.
Drinkwater says "Just the thought of the folks who were there at the time, Jake Piper, his sons, nephews. Helen, so many people and you just had so many good times."
Seeing the destruction of the mill makes the loss that more difficult. "When I drove by this morning I looked and turned the corner. I didn't want to see it. I said I will look later, I couldn't deal with it".
The Marcal Mill may be gone--- but thanks to the stories and a historical society filled with pictures, the history and the memories of the mill will live on.