Meeting Hall Maine is a portrait of human endeavor expressed in the architectural typologies of Maine’s historic meeting halls. This once-thriving network of civic forums was built and maintained through the collaboration of local people.

This model for civic engagement resonates in this moment with a particular force as we look for safe, nonpartisan and secular environments to nurture common ground.

As memberships in fraternal and volunteer societies wane, hundreds of halls are standing empty most days of the year. Others are on the verge of going dark or have already done so, putting the halls at risk for being razed or otherwise lost for civic use.

My documentation of hundreds of halls tells the American story of resiliency, adaptation, obsolescence, and neglect. It also poses a question: What is the fate of our collective future and democratic systems?

The goals of this project are twofold.

First, to preserve the history and buildings by raising awareness of the precarious state of Maine’s vernacular architecture. We can inspire more people to become stakeholders in these democratic forums.

Second, to connect with audiences by setting up pop-up exhibitions held in endangered meeting halls in each of Maine’s sixteen counties. In this way, we help foster lasting adaptive reuse strategies for making these landmark buildings relevant today.

At two successful pop-up exhibitions last summer, the feedback was clear — the public wants to explore these buildings, learn the history, and share their stories. People are disheartened when a building falls into disrepair, goes dark, or is razed. They are uplifted to see the halls in use. Meeting Hall Maine resonates with the public and sounds an alarm that these structures are important, beloved, and in danger of being lost.

Through art and activism, my project honors our collective legacy by inviting more people in to recognize the dynamic of current and previous generations. Their spirit, time, and materials created these extraordinary and irreplaceable civic spaces for us to share.