Urgent Help Needed to Preserve Coburn Mansion

Family and Friends,

My name is Angel and a few months ago I met my new neighbors, Steve and Rebecca. It didn’t take too long to find out why they had temporarily relocated to Skowhegan from Massachusetts – A family member passed away and he had been the owner of Governor Abnor Coburn’s Mansion in Skowhegan, Maine.

Unfortunately, this historical piece of property had fallen into disrepair. Rebecca and Steve’s mission was to restore this beautiful Civil War era home. Rebecca and Steve were passionate about preserving the integrity of the home. They had been working steadily throughout this last Spring and this summer to clean out and repair the Mansion and the grounds. They were in the process of finalizing some of the repairs that were necessary to qualify for fire insurance.

Tragically, on August 30, 2024, a fire spread from the roof to the third floor and one of the second-floor bedrooms. Thanks to the Fire Departments from: Skowhegan, Madison, Waterville, Solon, Athens, Pittsfield, Norridgewock, Fairfield, Canaan, Oakland, Cornville, Anson, Clinton, and Starks, the fire was ultimately contained, and no one was hurt. Sadly though, most of the building has water damage and the house is now in desperate need of a new roof and other significant repairs.

I am reaching out today to ask you to help get this property back to a condition where it can be secured so that preservation efforts can continue. The funds raised with this GoFundMe will assist with protecting the mansion from the rain and winter elements. Without financial assistance, there is a real risk that Skowhegan and Maine will lose an important part of our history and Governor Abner Coburn’s Legacy forever.

The Coburn Mansion was built to last and to withstand the tests of time, however, the Coburn Mansion needs our help. The Mansion needs our help now.

The entire roof has been compromised. All of the roof trusses have been damaged or are a complete loss. There are 14 windows currently covered with single sheet plywood and other donated materials as emergency stop gaps to keep further water from entering the home. The water damage from the efforts to stop the fire has extended throughout the home, but the immediate concern is the roof and trusses to protect and preserve the mansion throughout the coming winter months.

From the bottom of my heart, I humbly ask that you share this link with friends and family and make any amount of financial contribution to help purchase materials as well as to get professionals in to safely and securely protect the Mansion. Please step forward and help save the Coburn Mansion.

In addition to financial contribution, if you or someone you know has any connection with an organization or individual that can assist with these restorative efforts in any way, please contact – [email redacted]