FRIENDS OF COLONIAL PEMAQUID HELP FUND RESTORATION OF HISTORIC TOWER


                      Dedication of the Great Flanker Reproduction 1909      

A recent agreement between the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid and the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has resulted in a substantial donation by the Friends which, along with State funding, will restore the Great Flanker, a stone tower located on the grounds of Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site. It was constructed in 1908 as a reproduction of the original structure built in 1692 as part of Fort William Henry and destroyed in 1696. 

The Friends are glad to play a supportive role in this project, which marks a continuation of a long partnership between FOCP and the Bureau.  One of the best past examples was a public campaign in 1995 for the renovation of the Fort House – Colonial Pemaquid’s only remaining 18th century historic structure –brought about by a cooperative effort that combined local support with financial backing by the Friends, the Bureau, as well as generous grants from the Ireland Foundation.  The result was the raising of $250,000 and a successful common effort to preserve the past.

The current project of restoring Colonial Pemaquid’s stone tower represents the transitioning of FOCP’s mission from programs to preservation – an emphasis that seems especially appropriate, considering that a structural conditions assessment by architectural engineers commissioned by the Bureau in 2018 made numerous recommendations for critical repairs and upgrades to the tower which – even though a reproduction – has now stood for more than a hundred years.

The Friends are glad to be involved in this project not only because it will help stabilize and protect the tower from the ravages of time and weather but also because it has a memorial aspect as well that commemorates the contribution of Jan and Bob Howell who were two of FOCP’s most active members over many years, with each serving as President of the Friends and Jan being one of its original founders.   She died in 2006, and Bob passed away in September 2021 a few days short of his 99th birthday.

A temporary sign has been installed near the tower:

Beginning in 2023/2024, this tower will undergo design work and renovations with funds provided by the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid in partnership with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. The completed project will then be dedicated to the memory of Jan and Bob Howell whose beliefs over many years in the Friends’ mission of historic preservation are examples for us all.

When construction and repairs are completed, the temporary sign will be replaced by a permanent one made of bronze or a similar metal and affixed to the tower – a fitting reminder of accomplishment and achievement of the ongoing efforts to restore and preserve an important part of our history – a project that the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid are glad to support.

                   


The Great Flanker Reproduction – November 2022


The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid

2018 marked twenty-five years since the founding of the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid as a local, all volunteer 501 (c) 3 organization independent of any outside entity or state support.

Since 1993, we have helped tell Colonial Pemaquid’s remarkable story, sponsored an extensive calendar of special events and programs, raised funds to assist with archeological digs, created, trained and supervised a corps of student interns, and obtained grants and other funding for on-site projects, including nearly $250,000 for the renovation of the Fort House, all at no cost to the taxpayer.

As the Friends enter their next quarter century, we’d like to thank our members as well as the general public for their ongoing interest and involvement. As we continue our record of education, stewardship and preservation, we look forward to your support in the future.



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Reginald Robert Charles “Bob” Howell, long-time member and former President of the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, passed away with his family by his side at Maine Medical Center on Sept. 18, 2021, a few days short of his 99th birthday.

Born between the World Wars in Exeter, England, to parents Reginald and Beatrice, Bob served in the Local Defence Volunteers (the humorously portrayed “Home Guard” of TV show “Dad’s Army” fame) while still at high school.His family and friends will long remember his entertaining stories about defending England’s southern coastal roads armed with just a wooden pole, a rifle with ammunition that didn’t fit, and coins for the “phone box to call for help if the enemy did in fact appear.”

He enlisted in the Dorsetshire regiment of the British Army in 1940, and in 1942 he was commissioned into the Indian Army, serving in India, Burma, and Malaya until his release in 1946 when he went on to become involved in forestry in Burma, extracting teak – with the aid of a troop of 80 elephants!

In 1948, he returned to England and married Jeannette (Jan), the love of his life. They met during a furlough in 1947, on a day he proclaimed, “The luckiest day of my life.”

Bob had a long and successful business career, evolving into senior positions in the U.K. at several companies including H.J. Heinz, General Mills and eventually as managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Bristol Myers.What he planned as a calm pre-retirement role as managing director of the eponymous Ex-Lax company in the U.K. saw him moved in 1976 to become head of that company in New York, and later president of Bachmann Foods, both of which were divisions at that time of the General Cigar Company.He then took the helm of the fledgling Telecheck organization in Denver, which during his tenure was acquired by the Boeing Corporation, where Bob ended his career in 1989 as a corporate vice president.

He then settled in Maine in the house in Pemaquid he and Jan had purchased many years earlier, and became active in several local organizations, including the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid. Bob felt very much at home in Maine, where he lived longer than he had anywhere else in his life. He loved the state and particularly admired the friendly yet independent spirit of its people.

Jan predeceased him in 2006, and he is survived by three children, Josephine (and son-in-law John Kmetz), of Bath; Adam (and daughter-in-law Jayne), of Doylestown, Pa.; and Matthew (and daughter-in-law Donna), of Allendale, N.J.; and five grandchildren, Henry, Arlene, Charles, Victoria, and Beatrice. Bob’s lifetime motto was: “Frequently wrong, but never in doubt”.

 

Bob will be greatly missed by his family and many friends, and will be remembered for his razor sharp intelligence and wit, boundless curiosity, and generous spirit. A celebration of Bob’s long and well-lived life will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Salvation Army, a charity long supported by Bob who appreciated their focus on strong support for those in need balanced by low administrative costs, and also because they were responsible for finding and saving his father in World War I. Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta. Condolences, and messages for his family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.

The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid convey their deepest sympathy to Bob's family. He was a wonderful man whose company, wisdom and humor were appreciated by all who had the good fortune to share that company.. We are all poorer for his passing but richer for having known him.  





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Friends of Colonial Pemaquid is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

P.O. Box 304, New Harbor, Maine 04554  

info@friendsofcolonialpemaquid.org

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