NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen on Thursday unanimously approved issuing a demolition permit for the former L.F. Pike & Son clothing store on Main Street.

“None of us takes any joy in this. I hate to see it go but in my opinion it needs to be done,” Town Manager David Holt said at Thursday night’s public hearing on a demolition certificate.

Despite an effort by owners Lesley Gouin Dean and her husband, Gary, to repair the damaged 1885 building, they were forced to give up the effort.

The building’s peaked metal roof, built about 10 years ago over the original wooden, flat roof, collapsed under heavy snow in March. Afterward, town officials became concerned that if the building was not repaired by this winter there was a chance it would completely collapse.

The town initially hired an engineer specializing in historic buildings to create a stabilization strategy and plan to save the building, but the owners were unable to fulfill much of the expensive plan and finally decided to tear it down.

The store is one of 70 historic buildings that come under the demolition-delay ordinance unanimously approved at the annual town meeting in June. The ordinance was proposed by Norway Downtown, which has a long-term goal to protect as much of the historic downtown as possible.

The ordinance allows a careful consideration — but not a denial — of the demolition of any historic building in the district.

There is nothing prohibiting the owners from tearing down the building, even though it is part of a National Historic District, once they have the proper permit.

Known as The Blue Store, L.F. Pike & Son is one of the few buildings that survived the Great Fire of 1894 that wiped out a large section of the downtown business district. It features a 10-foot tall false front for signage and was built in several sections with no foundation.

“It’s the facade that has been the problem,” Dean said. It allowed water to get into the building.

Andrea Burns, president of Norway Downtown and a board member of Maine Preservation, said she met with Chris Closs of Maine Preservation on Wednesday before the Norway Downtown board also took a vote to recommend demolition.

Burns said she learned from Closs that the store’s construction was a common form of late 19th century commercial buildings, commonly known as “the 10-footer” because of the height of building, which was always a one-story with a flat roof and long, deep layout.

Burns said Closs agreed the physical integrity of the building is beyond repair and a rehabilitation with modern codes and upgrades would not be economically feasible.

The Deans have been carefully removing anything they can salvage, such as the tin ceiling, shelving and drawers.

Lesley Dean said if they can afford it, they will build a similar, but smaller, building next spring.

She said recently that she and Gary are continuing to research the history of the building. They are using a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Store/746685888734724, to chronicle the repairs and to track what she calls their “new journey.”

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