LIVERMORE FALLS — Maine’s Paper and Heritage Museum is unique in many ways. According to Museum President Greg Bizier and Vice President Sherry Judd, the museum is unlike any other in the country because it not only showcases the history of the mill towns, but the actual processes within the paper mills as well.

Located on Church Street in Livermore Falls, the building, formerly known as the Judson Record House, first belonged to Judson A. Record, son of Alvin A. Record who first brought the paper industry to town in 1870. The house was built shortly after its design in 1906. In 1917 the property was sold to the International Paper company by William Murray. It was housed by mill managers with the company for a while, and much later in 1990, was an office space for the regional forest resources team.

It wasn’t until 2007 that International Paper donated the building to Maine’s Paper & Heritage Museum. Dedicated community members Darryl Brown, Sherry Judd, and Susan Gagnon had already been raising funds and awareness for the museum devoted to preserving the history of the paper industry since 2002.

During a tour of the museum, Judd said that she began by collecting artifacts for the museum, storing them in her garage before obtaining the Record House. She said that she was lent a train caboose that was modified into a trailer. She took the caboose to events to educate people on local history and collect artifacts and donations.

The museum takes visitors through life in the paper mills, the mechanics, and history. There are also exhibits on forestry and logging, as well as other local historical artifacts. “There’s a lot of history in here,” said Judd. She said that many people don’t realize how much is there. They hold classes, events, and paper making demonstrations. They hold tours for small and large groups including school trips.

Bizier recounted his time working in the Otis mill. He grew up within walking distance of the mill and initially, he didn’t want to work in the mill, he said. He was pre-med in college. He spent some time working at Berry Hill Orchard, but eventually, when he didn’t get into medical school, he applied for a job at Otis mill. He said that in 1978 he interviewed, got a tour, and then was brought to speak with the manager who asked him what his long term goals at the company were. “I said, ‘I’d like to have your job,’ and they laughed,” Bizier said. He thought he had bombed the interview and was surprised to find out that he landed a salary job. He worked there for 31 years until the mill closed in 2009.

Judd also worked at the mill from 1972 to 1998. For a while, Judd said, Livermore Falls was bustling as the mill spawned lots of small businesses of all different sorts. She said it was considered one of Maine’s fastest growing areas in the 1960s.

The museum relies on grants and private donations. Last year they were trying to raise money to repair the building’s foundation. Recently they were looking to get some leaks in the roof repaired. There are many cracks in the walls of the building on the third floor, which has been closed off as it is unsafe. Judd said that they can’t afford to keep the heat on in the winter, which is one of the reasons the museum is closed in the fall and winter.

There are other goals that Judd and Bizier have for the museum as well, one being to obtain an intern who can input artifacts into the computer and lead tours. Judd and Bizier remain dedicated to preserving the valuable history inside the museum no matter how challenging it is.

Bizier and Judd reported that foot traffic is spotty when they are open in the summer, but that people come from all over the world to see the museum. Bizier shared that there was a 90-year-old man from southern Maine who came in one time with his daughter. The man had spent his entire career in a mill. He was so happy to see the artifacts and said that he was going to send a donation, and a couple of weeks after his visit, the museum received it.

Maine’s Paper and Heritage Museum is open every Saturday in June through August from 10 a.m. to noon, and by appointment. For more information visit their website: papermuseumofmaine.org.