Last week, PTF was featured in two more articles, these ones about developments at the Abyssinian.  The DownEast article focuses on the social history of the building as well as the people responsible for its restoration.  It contains some of my favorite stories about the building, including its origin story, and how it was saved from the fire of 1866 by William Wilburforce Ruby, one of the founders’ sons.  Unfortunately, the online copy doesn’t include all the beautiful photos, so be sure to check it out on newsstands.

The second article, in the Portland Daily Sun, covered a meeting in Boston between HUD, the Committee to Restore the Abyssinian, the Portland Freedom Trail and Boston’s African Meeting house.  HUD has been and is an important potential funding source for the restoration.  The Committee hopes that by completing the facade, they will attract attention and build momentum to fund the next phase.