Heritage center nears completion St. Croix cultural exhibits expected to be installed, unveiled in spring

CALAIS – Locals call it the crown jewel of the St. Croix River and they hope the sparkling gem will pay off by attracting much-needed tourists to the area.

Next year, the $6.6 million Downeast Heritage Center is expected to open and draw attention to the 1604 settlement of St. Croix Island, and showcase the natural wonders and historical and cultural history of Washington County.

The building is nearly completed and the administrative staff recently moved into the spacious third floor. The exhibits will be installed in April and a grand opening is planned for May.

Located between Hog Alley and the St. Croix River, the tall glass entry connects the former Calais Press building with a new building that invites the curious to explore beyond the glass doors.

Before its renovation, the former Calais Press building was an eyesore on the river with dilapidated walls and peeling paint. A new steel frame was installed and the exterior walls were repaired. A new roof was added.

Built in 1875, the building for years served as the city’s railroad station, where passengers on their way to and from Bangor and points south made their connections.

Above the entrance and across from the main doors of the center are large archways that soon will hold stained-glass windows created by Mark Wren of Robbinston. The center’s executive director Marc Edwards was enthusiastic as he toured the facility last week. He said the window design was a secret. “It will be unveiled when they are installed, so it’s under lock and key right now,” he said with a chuckle.

More than 90,000 tourists a year are expected to visit the center.

The third-floor gallery is dedicated to the settlement of St. Croix Island. “The great thing about this exhibit,” Edwards said, “as you come up the stairs or elevator to this gallery, there is a statue of a French nobleman waving his hat.” The statue will be a replica of the one now at the St. Croix Island Park on Route 1. “We’ve gotten permission to do a resin cast of that figure … [and] he will be right here with his hat inviting you into the gallery.”

Located on the St. Croix River off the village of Red Beach, just south of the city, a sign now beckons tourists to the island. The National Park Service, which oversees the island, recently built a wonderful trail on the mainland portion that includes life-size statues of the French explorers who sailed the St. Croix River to the island, where they built North America’s first French settlement. Also included as part of the park exhibit are life-size statues of the French and the Passamaquoddy Indians who helped them.

Two other galleries are dedicated to living with the sea and living with the land. The living-with-the-sea gallery will have a touch tank. Edwards said the gallery will include models of seabirds hanging in flight and a fabricated rock cliff with an osprey nest.

A fourth gallery will focus on the history and culture of the “People of the Dawn,” the Passamaquoddy Tribe who have lived in the area for more than 10,000 years.

Edwards said they’ve worked closely with former tribal state Rep. Donald Soctomah and other Passamaquoddys “to make sure that this exhibit represents their views and the story they want told.”

The center also has a small theater. Last year, before the first shovel of dirt was turned, the theater was dedicated to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins who was instrumental in seeking federal funds for the heritage center. “This is where we can have storytellers, craft demonstrations, talks and presentations,” he said.

The theater is designed to hold 50 people.