PHOTO: Maine DOT Landscape Architects Lawrence Johannesman (left) and Kent Cooper (right) pictured with the newly installed historical panel, set on the northern bank of the Kennebec River in Norridgewock. (Submitted photo)
NORRIDGEWOCK — The town has installed a new landmark, a historical panel that conveys Norridgewock’s early history.
The panel is set next to the Sophie May Library on the banks of the Kennebec River and marks the fulfillment of a project that dates back to the completion of the construction of the new bridge in 2011. Maine Department of Transportation funded the panel project and worked closely with a committee of residents dedicated to the fulfillment of the undertaking.
Maine DOT landscape architects Lawrence Johannesman and Kent Cooper worked with the town committee, which included Janice Malek (chair), Becky Ketchum (president, Norridgewock Historical Society), Fred Marshall, Sallie Wilder and Barbara Winslow. Town Manager Richard LaBelle helped to bring the long-awaited project to fruition. The granite for the project was donated by the Dodlin Hill quarry.
The installation also includes a panel that tells the story of Sophie May, a children’s book author. The building that houses the library was given to the town by Sophie May in 1901. Her intention was that the building be used both as a library and as a meeting place for the Village Improvement Society. The society also played a role in the installation by donating the plantings around the Elsie Stanley memorial bench, which is featured along the path to the panels.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a bicentennial parade was in the planning stages. This celebration was to include the unveiling of the historical panel. In concert with the Maine Bicentennial Commission, which now plans to celebrate Maine’s 200th birthday in 2021, the Norridgewock Historical Society plans to host an event that will include a gathering at the new landmark.