Kings’ award benefits Franco heritage center

LEWISTON – The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation has awarded $50,000 to the Franco-American Heritage Center, located in the former St. Mary’s Church. The grant will help in the repair and restoration of the granite building’s exterior mortar and stonework.

The historic, late Gothic revival structure is in Lewiston’s Enterprise Community and the “Little Canada” section of the city. About eight years ago, declining church attendance and the rapidly rising costs of maintaining the building had led the Portland Catholic Diocese to decide to close the church and have the building demolished.

Supporters persuaded the diocese in 2000 to sell St. Mary’s to them and they took on the responsibility of restoration and renovation. The center is now nearing the completion of a $4.5 million capital campaign to restore and renovate the building into a performance hall, heritage museum, library and learning center.