AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A number of buildings in the downtown area of Maine's capital city have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Kennebec Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2jTduLT) the designation opens up access to state and federal historic preservation tax credits that could pay for as much as 45 percent of renovation costs for eligible projects.
Developers renovating any one of the 51 buildings designated as "contributing" will be eligible for tax credits.
The designated area, the Water Street Historic District, includes most buildings on both sides of Water Street. It was deemed significant in areas of commerce, industry, transportation, entertainment and recreation. The period of significance for the district's architecture is 1835 to 1957.
Mayor David Rollins says the designation effort has been going on for seven or eight years.
