News Release

National Park Service Seeks Proposals to Lease the Historic McGlashan-Nickerson House

Historic two-story house with peeling yellow paint

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News Release Date: October 10, 2019

Contact: Meg Scheid, 207-454-3871

CALAIS, ME - The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking proposals from interested parties to lease the historic McGlashan-Nickerson House within Saint Croix Island International Historic Site.

The NPS has declared the house excess to the needs of the bureau and conducted an Environmental Assessment (EA) to determine its disposition. Based on feedback received during a public comment period for the EA, the NPS selected the new alternative, which is to preserve the McGlashan-Nickerson House through a lease.

“We see this as an opportunity to repurpose an historic home and an even greater opportunity to preserve an important historical building that was connected to the nineteenth century Maine Red Granite Company,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider.

Through a Request for Proposals (RFP), the McGlashan-Nickerson House is available for a long-term lease of up to 60 years on favorable terms. The lease will require that the lessee rehabilitate and preserve the building.

“Leasing the McGlashan-Nickerson House will improve resource stewardship and visitor experiences at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site by focusing limited NPS resources on protecting the site’s fundamental resources and values,” said Site Manager Meg Scheid.

The McGlashan-Nickerson House is located in the village of Red Beach in Calais, Maine. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Constructed about 1883, the McGlashan-Nickerson House is an Italianate-style, two-story frame dwelling with a long ell that extends to a carriage barn. It was built for Scottish immigrant George G. McGlashan, a shareholder in the Maine Red Granite Company. The property was later sold to Justice Samuel H. Nickerson in 1887.

During the nineteenth century, the village of Red Beach was a thriving community whose existence revolved around two important industrial enterprises: the Maine Red Granite company and the Red Beach Plaster Company. Both enterprises occupied a group of buildings that were concentrated along the banks of Red Beach Cove.

The house is one of the two or three most architecturally significant houses in the small village of Red Beach, and the only one that displays such wide use of Italianate-style details.

For those wishing a site visit to the McGlashan-Nickerson House prior to submitting a proposal, the building will be open on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 10 am to 2 pm. NPS representatives will be on site. If you would like to make a site visit on another day, NPS staff will do their best to accommodate your needs. Please contact Meg Scheid, Site Manager at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, by email or by telephone at 207-454-3871 to arrange an appointment. Please submit all other questions to Gail Gladstone, Cultural Resources Program Manager, by email.

NPS staff will compile a list of questions asked via email or at the open house and post them, along with answers, on the website with the RFP. The deadline to submit questions is November 20, 2019.

For a copy of the RFP and details associated with the building, terms of the lease, and other details, please visit Doing Business With Us.

The RFP is available for review as of October 10, 2019. The NPS will consider proposals that ensure the historic and architectural values of the property are preserved. The proposed use of the offered property must be compatible with respect to preservation, protection, and visitor enjoyment of the park area. The guidelines and selection criteria are included at the links above.

Applicants can submit proposals to the National Park Service Regional Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until Tuesday, December 10, 2019. If no acceptable RFP is received by December 10, the NPS will continue to accept proposals until an acceptable RFP is received or the RFP is canceled. If you have a question on whether or not an acceptable proposal has been accepted, or if the RFP has been cancelled, please email Gail Gladstone.

The National Park Service will review all responses to this RFP through an evaluation panel. The final selection will be made by the National Park Service Regional Director, Northeast Region.

For information about Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/sacr or call 207-454-3871.

To learn more about national parks in Maine and how the NPS works with communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, please visit www.nps.gov/maine.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.



Last updated: October 10, 2019

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