Good deeds bloom
from theft of PI Historical Society flowers
PRESQUE ISLE — In July, the Presque Isle Historical Society reported the theft of several 100-year-old peonies from the garden at the 1875 Vera Estey House Museum. Since that time, many residents have expressed their shock and outrage by such an act. Recently, however, some good has arisen from the theft.
Contributed photo
GIVING TO HISTORICAL GARDENS — Shawn Dumais, Store Manager of Lowe’s in Presque Isle, and his employees present Kim Smith of the Presque Isle Historical Society with a check in the amount of $500 towards the garden project at the 1875 Vera Estey House Museum. Several 100-year-old peony bushes were recently stolen from the museum grounds, and the donation will help return the gardens to beauty.
Shawn Dumais, store manager for Lowe’s in Presque Isle, stated, “The Lowe’s store in Presque Isle recently won a corporate contest. The top stores in the contest each received $500, which was to be donated to a charity in that community. At a recent company BBQ, the store associates voted to donate the $500 to the Presque Isle Historical Society to be used for the garden project.”
On Friday, Aug. 21, store employees presented Kim Smith, secretary/treasurer for the historical society, with a check. After the presentation, Craig Green, President of the society’s board of directors, and Smith walked through the Lowe’s garden department making their wish list of items.
“When Vera Estey was alive, the garden was filled with tulips and lilies,” Smith said. “Vera raised and sold her flowers to the Boston Fresh Flower Market. Although we do not want to restore the gardens to that level, we hope to make the garden at the Estey House into a destination. We want it to be a place where people come to reflect, to read, to have a picnic lunch, and even have a garden wedding.
“Some of the first projects will be to add a bench under the maples in the backyard, to redo the back steps and pave the short path from the driveway to the door, and to have a small patio area for a bride and groom to stand while taking their wedding vows,” she continued.
The society was also recently contacted by the Peony Society of Maine. The group will be traveling north from the Bangor area in September to donate and plant some peonies to replace those that were stolen.
