ABOUT US
“A gathering place for the whole community! Love it.”
Sharon Sandstrum
Our Community Living Room
Lincoln Theater is a year-round entertainment venue whose mission is to present diverse, high-quality programs that provide entertaining, artistic, educational and social experiences that enrich our community. Our wonderful building has a rich and storied history that continues to this day, offering approximately 500 events each year – including first run films, HD opera and theater broadcasts, in-house produced plays, educational discussions, and more – all the while exceeding 20,000 visits annually.
Our History
It was the spring of 1875 when the formal excavation of a plot of low land, tangled with alder and burdock, began. Local residents; David Chapman, Addison Austin, and Elbridge Norris, along with a few others, banded together to finance the construction of what would become an important building for the public functions of Lincoln County. The bricks (sold at just $6 per 1000 at the time) were brought up river by scows from the Page brickyard, located about a mile down in Newcastle. Through the spring and early summer the cries of the bricklayers and hod carriers were heard along with that of the carpenters, and by July 13th, 1875, the roof was on and thus was born Lincoln Hall. With a total cost of $28,500, it took a 10-month span to erect the historic building.
To mark the dedication of the hall, a gala celebration was held on Wednesday, January 26, 1876, complete with a concert by the Chandler’s Military Band of Portland and followed by a grand march at 9:30 PM ending with a fancy-dress ball. Tickets for the event were sold at $5 per couple – a hefty price considering a song sheet at the time cost 30 cents, coffee went for 25 cents a pound, a decent hotel room could cost $1-2 per night, and a half-barrel of flour would only set you back $2.50. Regardless of the price, people came from near and far. The Knox-Lincoln Railroad sold round trip tickets from Bath and Rockland for those attending and guest houses were booked solid. The event, and the building itself, were a huge success and according to the late historian Harold Castner in 1963, it was “probably the most elaborate and ultra-social event ever held in the Twin Villages.” Castner went on to say that, “From that time on, it (Lincoln Hall) became the entertainment center of a vast area, due to the fact that there was nothing like it east of Portland.”
All through the Gay Nineties and into the early part of the 20th century, Lincoln Hall was the social center of the community. The Taniscot and Massosoit Fire Companies held their drills as well as the Grand Firemen’s Ball in the hall. It was used for graduations, dances, benefits, temperance meetings, town meetings, and conventions. Other activities in the hall consisted of dancing classes, dog shows, bell-ringing, poetry readings, road shows, minstrel shows and stock company productions – even turkey shoots! In 1903, a barbershop quartet performed in the hall singing, “You’re the Flower of my Heart” before it was actually published as the well-known “Sweet Adeline.” Around 1910, roller-skating became popular across the US, and Damariscotta was no exception. A wooden floor was laid in a circular pattern to facilitate speedier action by the skaters in the hall. There was almost a major setback for Lincoln Hall in 1906 when the building was struck by lightning. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and activities were able to continue. Then, in 1949, the hall was threatened again by a fire downstairs in the store of LH Pierce, but a night watchman called the Fire Department and it was contained, with little damage. Live theatrical productions have also always been a part of the life of Lincoln Hall. A notice in the Damariscotta Advertiser of March 1876 states, “The organization of a Dramatic Company with its necessary officers has been effected, and the arrangements for its first performance, are being made.” Touring companies also made it to the theater, however with less success. In that same issue of the Advertiser it states, “The Boston Dramatic Company presented, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ and “Rip Van Winkle,” in Lincoln Hall, March 15 and 16. Their rendition of these well know plays was good; but such performances from abroad, fail to draw crowded houses here.” In the early years of live theater productions, there were originally four backdrop scenes used for each show – painted by a Mr. Hudson of Portland. A woodland scene, a parlor, a kitchen, and a street scene served most any purpose. Two small green rooms and dressing rooms flank the stage on each side and wonderful graffiti fills the walls from practically every actor who has taken part in a production at Lincoln Hall, starting back to at least 1902 and continuing to the present day. In 1924, a Mr. Otis S. Page (the son of co-owner of the hall, Mrs. Oscar Page) made a significant change in the theater – installing permanent chairs. In addition, he sound-proofed the walls in order to accommodate moving pictures. The movie screen he inaugurated was said to be the largest movie screen in the state. Silent films were accompanied by a pianist who played appropriate music for love scenes or exciting chases. Eventually came the talkies. At some point in the late sixties to early seventies, the theater was taken over by Mr. Robert H. Reny – who kept its traditions going until the end of 1991, when the theater was sold to the Lincoln County Community Theater, a community performing arts group that had been performing around the county for two decades. On March 17, 1992, to seal the deal Mr. Reny wrote: “I just wanted to make sure that we have a complete understanding that Lincoln Theatre will continue to survive, will continue to play movies, and that you people will be using it for four or more times a year for your own productions. It will also continue to be part of the community such as Santa Claus arrivals, hopefully free movies on Saturday afternoon which can be taken care of by requests from the business and professional communities and that the operation will continue so that Damariscotta will enjoy the continuance of the Lincoln Theater as it has in the twenty odd years since we took it over.” Inside Lincoln Hall, there were originally three large kerosene chandeliers hanging across the auditorium – the original plaster rosettes from these still grace the soaring ceiling today. The beautiful silk brocade panels that you see on the walls today are the original panels that were installed during the 19th century. The original windows, having been boarded up for decades, were restored in 2017-18.
A note from Executive Director Christina Belknap
"My heart is full with all the wonderful things that have been happening at the theater. Over these past few years, I have had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people, from right here in our Midcoast community and beyond, and it has been a joy to share our love of film, the arts, education, and more. Lincoln Theater is blessed to be here in the heart of downtown Damariscotta, surrounded by people who see all that is special within her walls, and the magic is all thanks to you – our members & patrons. I am grateful for the support you give the theater by being members of our audience and an integral part of our theater family. Since we reopened in 2021, after being forced to close our doors due to the pandemic, each year has been better than the last. In 2022, our admission increased by 40%. And in 2023 we saw an additional increase of 20%! Thank YOU for making that happen! Together, we will continue to enrich our community with high-quality programs and in doing so will continue to protect this magnificent gem. I look forward to sharing another wonderful year with you. ”
Theater Staff
Christina Belknap, Executive Director
Damon Leibert, Technical Director
Matt Peters, Manager, Box Office & Projectionist
Mandi Colby-Favreau, Executive Assistant
John Nutter, Box Office, Projectionist & Concessions
Mary Sue Weeks, Concessions
Sherrie Holbrook, Concessions
Joseph Levesque, Concessions
Austin Levesque, Concessions
Board of Directors
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Karen Filler
President
Karen moved to Maine from Simsbury, CT in 1999 with her husband Matt. She was a vice president at MassMutual Life Insurance Company where she worked in the Compliance Division until 2000. In addition, she mediated disputes for the company. Karen serves on the Boards of Skidompha Library, the Lincoln Home, Coastal Kids Preschool, Mobius, and the Carpenters Boat Shop. She has volunteered her services over the years to Rotary and Habitat for Humanity. Karen and Matt live in Walpole and are the parents of four sons and are grandparents to ten.
Keith Langendorfer
Vice President
Keith grew up on Long Island, NY and was a beneficiary of the cultural influences that being in the greater New York area afforded him in numerous ways. This helped shape his interests in the genres of film, classical music, art, architecture, pop culture, and automotive iconography. He attended Cornell University and received both a BS in Education and an MS in Hotel Administration from that institution. After retiring from AT&T following a 30+ year career in National Account management in Boston, he and his wife Karen moved to an 1810 Cape in Waldoboro in 2012 which they share with two Golden Retrievers and a black manx cat.
Merna Guttentag
Secretary
Merna Guttentag and her husband, Joe, live in South Bristol and Topsham, Maine. They have three children, two of whom also have houses in South Bristol. Merna attended Wellesley College and has a degree from George Washington University and a Masters degree in social work from Catholic University. She practiced social work for many years, including several years pro bono. She also served for ten years as a very active board member of the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. She and her husband are frequent attendees at films, the theater, and operas and she serves as a volunteer at the Skidompha used book store in Damariscotta.
John Hendrickson
Treasurer
John lives in Wiscasset with his husband, Jesse, in a 1830 Federal-style house which he enjoys decorating and restoring. They have three dogs and he regularly fosters dogs through Passion for Pets in Woolwich. He enjoys kayaking, antiquing, hiking and restoring old furniture. John is retired from Orange County Social Services Agency after a 30-year career. John’s initial position was to determine eligibility for various welfare programs in California and from there, moved through the organization to his final position as Division Director. He retired in 2020, returned to Maine fulfilling a lifelong dream that began visiting the Lincoln Theatre as a young child with his grandparents. He sees this opportunity to serve on the board as a way to honor his beloved grandparents, Paul and Mary.
Deb Mills-Scofield
Director
Deb Mills-Scofield is passionate about helping companies and individuals see what’s possible and implement plans to achieve it. Her penchant for envisioning how things could be manifested in college when she co-created Brown University’s Cognitive Science concentration and graduated in 3 years. As an alumna, she has co- created the new Design Engineering concentration in Brown University’s School of Engineering. At Bell Labs, Deb created one of AT&T and Lucent’s highest-revenue generating patents that we all use and take for granted today. She has written for Harvard Business Review, contributed to various business books, and has her own blog. Deb fosters innovation and growth via her strategy and innovation consulting with mid to large-sized privately-held companies, her experience as an early-stage Venture Capitalist, and with her student entrepreneurs. Deb’s official positions at Brown University include being the university’s Mentoring Maven, Adjunct Lecturer, Member of the School of Engineering Advisory Council, Advisor to the Brown Design Workshop (maker-lab), Mentor for the joint Brown University/Rhode Island School of Design’s Masters in Design Engineering, and advisor to several student design and entrepreneurship groups. She is a mentor at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurship and is Northeastern University’s Portland, Maine Roux Institute’s first Mentor-In-Residence. As a consultant, advisor, investor, and mentor, Deb meets a range of people and mindsets, fueling her curiosity for serendipitous interdisciplinary approaches to problems and building unexpected connections.
Ann Poole
Director
Originally from Pennsylvania, Ann has thoroughly enjoyed living in the Damariscotta community since 1985 and is especially fond of Lincoln Theater. She and her husband, Dirk have two adult daughters and call Newcastle home. Before the theater was renovated, Ann volunteered for movie concessions and learned the secret to making good popcorn. She was also a stage crew member for several musical productions in the 90’s/00’s including The King & I. In her one and only ever acting role, her older daughter, at the age of six, was in the cast as one of the king’s children. Since then, Ann has been involved in the community by serving on the boards of CLC YMCA, The Lincoln Home and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. She and Dirk have run the Poole family’s gift business since 1992 under its original name Ma’s Bobbin Works and later Milling Around. They closed their retail shop in Newcastle in December 2021. Now semi-retired, they love traveling and hope to visit as many places as they can across the U.S. and abroad!
Jennifer Wright
Director
Jen is the Enrichment Specialist for grades K-8 at the GSB Community School in Damariscotta. She is responsible for providing appropriate learning experiences for the gifted and talented student population as well as managing the Phoenix Program, which provides enriching opportunities for the general student population. She is also the leader of the Great Salt Bay Student Civil Rights Team and a member of the Sunshine Committee. Jen is the 2015 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year and is still very active in the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association. She is also a state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She is currently working towards her graduate certification in Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut. Jen has been an active member of the Maine STEM Partnership at the University of Maine in Orono for many years and is currently a mentor teacher with the Rise Center Fellowship, mentoring new teachers in the STEM fields from all over the state of Maine. She has led professional development in “Productive Talk in the Classroom” for teachers all around Maine and as far away as St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a bachelors degree in Multicultural Education from Hampshire College and a masters degree in Creative Arts in Education from Lesley College.
