The Maine House II

The authors of the highly successful The Maine House continue their quest to record and celebrate the authentic Maine houses of their childhoods—a Maine that is in danger of vanishing. “The Maine House [shows] us the dignity and aching beauty, in preserving Maine’s quirky architectural past.”—Maine Homes by Down East Spend any amount of time in Maine—a weekend, a summer, a lifetime—and its impression lasts forever. When The Maine House was published in 2021, the reception was astonishing. Over four printings and across the world, The Maine House sounded a rallying cry, summed up perfectly in one of dozens of reviews, that it “crafts a plea to preserve a living history belonging to individual, family, and state; a visual call to recognize these homey structures and others like them as ‘extraordinary gifts.’” The Maine House II moves beyond the authors’ cri de coeur; they’re on a mission. Through 30 homes—inland, inshore, and on islands—Maura McEvoy, Basha Burwell, and Kathleen Hackett highlight the beauty and importance of preservation, restoration, thoughtful renovation, and low-impact living in the place they love the most. From visionaries who saw home in a post-and-beam barn, a lighthouse, a former hotel, and a boat shed to families resolutely leaving generational homes largely untouched (some continuing to live off the grid) and still others honoring vernacular architecture by living with it in surprising ways, The Maine House II captures the myriad ways one can live in this singular place—in the present—while preserving the past and ensuring its future. Includes Color Photographs