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Barba + Wheelock Architects

Barba + Wheelock Architects

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PROJECTS - - Leon L. Bean Home & Archive Center Phase 1

Leon L. Bean Home & Archive Center Phase 1

Adaptive ReuseAdditionsContextual DesignHistoric Preservation

The project resulted in a faithful restoration of the Leon L. Bean home’s exterior to its period of significance between 1912 and 1917, the period just after Bean first purchased the home and began his business producing his now renowned “Bean Boots”. The restoration was guided by the study of historic photographs and extensive on-site research.

Leon L. Bean and his wife, Bertha, purchased the house in 1912 and it remained his home until his death in 1967. L. L. Bean, Inc., purchased the building in 1987, with the intention to create a museum and archives honoring L. L. and the company he founded.

Barba + Wheelock with Malcolm L. Collins AIA, Preservation Architect and Planner, were retained by L. L. Bean, Inc., to prepare design and construction documents for the house and attached carriage barn’s restoration. The project resulted in faithful restoration of the building’s exterior to its 1912 to 1917 appearance. Period features were replicated, including cedar roof shakes and polychromatic exterior color scheme. Other significant features include a new contemporary entrance addition to allow easier accessibility, integrated with a substantial landscape and site changes.

2018 Maine Preservation Honor Award.
PROJECTS - - Leon L. Bean Home & Archive Center Phase 1
Adaptive ReuseAdditionsContextual DesignHistoric Preservation

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