Gale Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering firm specializing in building enclosure consulting and historic preservation, is leading the multi-phase stabilization and preservation of The Stone Building, the former Augusta Mental Health Institute and Maine’s first state mental health institution. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mid-nineteenth-century granite landmark is undergoing critical rehabilitation following two decades of vacancy.

Originally constructed between 1836 and 1840 and expanded between 1848 and 1870, the building had been closed since 2004. It experienced a partial roof collapse, exterior wall displacement, deteriorated slate and mortar joints, and widespread window failure. Gale was retained by the State of Maine Bureau of General Services in 2021 to evaluate stabilization options and develop a preservation-based strategy to secure and restore the building enclosure.

Funded through $20.4 million in state bonds and executed with Maine-based design and construction teams, the project is anticipated to be completed in March 2027. It preserves one of the state’s most significant public institutional landmarks and positions the Augusta East Campus for future adaptive reuse.