Jan. 8—Portland Architectural Salvage will close as soon as next month when owner Alice Dunn retires.
The business announced the closure in an Instagram post and said a formal announcement will be released in the coming weeks. No one from the business responded to a message and an email Tuesday.
“You can expect that we’ll be here through the end of February,” the post said. “Thank you for your patience and patronage.”
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Portland Architectural Salvage has long been a resource for everything from antique windows to vintage plumbing to stained glass to doorknobs.
“We’re in a world where you can go online and buy furniture that looks old, but this is a place that is real, and it’s got its own history and its own life and its own character, and it’s a really special collection of things,” said Kate Lemos McHale, executive director of the preservation nonprofit Greater Portland Landmarks.
The store’s origin story is rooted in the early 90s when Dunn began her love affair with old house parts after buying an 1865 Victorian on Spring Street, according to a history on the company’s website. As she bought, restored and sold properties, she discovered a shortage of vintage materials.
Dunn scoured Uncle Henry’s and local transfer stations for material and other cast-offs, storing them in a warehouse on Presumpscot Street. She opened her first store on Washington Avenue in 1993, then moved to a larger space on Congress Street at the base of Munjoy Hill. As business grew, Dunn relocated to the building on Congress Street that most recently housed Salvage BBQ.
In 2004, Dunn learned the former Portland Mattress Factory building in Bayside was for sale and saw “huge potential” in the 20,00o-square-foot building, according to the company history. After an extensive renovation, she moved her business into the building in 2005.
Over the years, the business has attracted a loyal following of people looking for unique pieces or items for historic restoration projects. On the business’ Instagram page, customers shared memories of searching the store and the special items they’ve found for their homes.
Clare Wheadon, an interior designer from Falmouth, discovered the shop when she moved to Falmouth and bought a house built in the 1790s. She and her husband bought many things there while doing a significant remodel, because they wanted to stick with period pieces and details when possible.
“She was such a great resource when we talked about different crazy ideas we had,” Wheadon said. “She would lead us to find the perfect treasure.”
Those treasures included everything from tables and a mantel to hardware for the house’s original doors and latches for closets. When they wanted to replace a railing on a set of old kitchen stairs, Dunn suggested they use a porch railing that was perfect for the space.
Wheadon said Dunn is a “larger-than-life personality” who made going into the shop fun.
“It was really like entering a treasure trove,” she said. “It was like a museum of sorts.”
The closure of the store will mean one fewer resource for builders, designers, homeowners and preservationists. Few similar businesses still exist in Maine. One that’s still open is the Old House Parts Co. in Kennebunk. Owner Mike Thompson said he would always refer customers to Portland Architectural Salvage if he didn’t have what they needed, and vice versa. In his own 26-year career, he said he has seen a growing number of people seeking the kind of antique fixtures that can be found at his store or at Portland Architectural Salvage.
“It is transitioning to new construction or a modern renovation where they want to add stuff with character, like real wood,” Thompson said. “One thing I’ve definitely appreciated over the years is there seems to be more acceptance with buildings, thinking outside of the box and working with creative materials. There used to be more push back in the early years. People just wanted to go to Home Depot. Now, maybe because of the TV shows and things like that, it’s become more mainstream.”
Brad Miller, director of programs and services at Maine Preservation, said businesses such as Portland Architectural Salvage often prevent those materials from going into the dumpster.
“Things that are saved or salvaged will probably be more dispersed,” Miller said. “Antique shops occasionally collect larger things like that, but you’re going to have to travel farther and to more places to find things you need. The internet obviously helps us track down things more easily, but I would say that a lot of these businesses are old school and rely on people showing up to their doors.”
“It’s always fun to rummage around that place,” he added. “It’ll be missed.”
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