The Friends of Liberty Hall have been awarded a $5,000 matching grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s grant program, the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns Preservation Fund. The prestigious award, one of only six made as a result of a national selection process, will be used toward design and architectural plans for restoration of the interior of Liberty Hall.  This grant is crucial to the new phase of fundraising that is intended to return the building to the community use. 

In announcing the award, National Trust Northeast Regional Office Director Wendy Nicholas said, "With these start-up dollars, Machiasport, Maine joins the hundreds of other communities across the country actively ensuring that America's architectural and cultural heritage is preserved."

On August 6^th, the Friends of Liberty Hall hosted a dedication ceremony to celebrate the completion of the exterior restoration and to formally name the magnificent belvedere in honor of Chip and Judy Knowlton.  In front of a gathering of almost fifty people – town officials, residents, donors and supporters and many of the key construction personnel responsible for the Phase Two restoration, David Freedberg, the President of the Friends thanked the Knowltons for their generous gift to the Town of Machiasport that ensured the return of Liberty Hall to its earlier glory.  Freedberg was joined by Suzanne McCurdy, great-grand daughter of the building’s architect, Andrew Gilson and Frank Foster, local historian – both of whom paid tribute to the collective endeavor and success of the project.  For additional pictures, see Gallery.

The Friends of Liberty Hall have received a $15,000 grant from Maine Community Foundation's Belvedere Fund.  On the advice of the project architect, John Turk, the award will be used to put storm windows on the building.  In Phase Two of the restoration, all Liberty Hall's original windows were repaired and repainted.  Storm windows will increase the longevity of these original windows and offer important protection to the building as a whole.