Starling Hall, Fayette’s historic Grange, recently joined the list of Maine’s most endangered historic places due to a ballot initiative Nov. 5 requesting that the town sell Starling Hall. There is no other historic site in Fayette that has played a greater role in shaping the cultural identity of Fayette than Starling Hall.

What a humanitarian act it would be to preserve a part of Fayette’s cultural heritage for current and future generations; to allow Starling Hall to carry forward the stories of the settlers who built Fayette; stories of grit and tenacity in the remains of stone walls and foundations artfully crafted by first settlers; stories in the names carved onto the gravestones of early settlers and first veterans and the stories of hope embedded in the floors and walls of Fayette’s historic churches and Starling Hall.

Entering Starling Hall is to step into living history. You share in the collective memory of a heritage site that played a significant role in shaping the culture of Fayette. It transports you to a way of life after the Civil War when the Grange was the hub of social activity for a rural farming community.

The majority vote, to whether or not require the town to sell Starling Hall, will ultimately reflect the value the community places on the origins of Fayette and the value they place on the preservation of a tangible symbol of its history for future generations.

Will the citizens of Fayette vote no and let the Friends of Starling Hall continue their commendable efforts to preserve an intrinsic part of Fayette’s History; one that fosters a sense of community and belonging?

Is Starling Hall worth saving? Yes, it is.

As Robert Heinlein said, “A generation which ignores history has no past, and no future.”

Dyanna Lincoln

Fayette