Harlow State Office Building

The Harlow Building was built in 1889 as a patient dormitory on the Augusta Mental Health Institute Campus. Romanesque Revival in style, the original block of the building is constructed of brick, granite and roofed with slate. A Greek revival two story, wood porch was later added to the east side. WSA was hired to restore and renovate Harlow into office space for the Department of Conservation. As part of the Master Plan for the East campus, new parking had been created to the south of Harlow. WSA’s site plan moved Harlow’s main entry from the west side to the east side – facing the public access to the campus and convenient to the new parking. The glass skinned portico on the east side establishes a contemporary entry point for the facility while allowing the historic character of the building to read through.

The ornately detailed brick building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, underwent a complete exterior renovation including masonry and stonework repair, custom reproduction wood windows, and new slate roofing and copper flashings. Internally, new communications systems and energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems were installed, along with high quality finishes and furniture systems.

The project received an Honor Award for Excellence in Historical Adaptive Reuse from Maine Preservation.