Creating a More Stable Community, One Family at a Time
The Lamb House aims to promote community stability by providing a shelter where all family members can stay together when fire or flooding has rendered their homes uninhabitable. This avoids the emotional disruption caused when children change schools and the family’s wage earners must live separately to remain close to their places of employment. The Lamb House has the look and feel of a safe, comfortable, single-family home, and it contains everything expected in a normal household.
When not in use as an emergency residence, The Lamb House is available for organization-based volunteer groups providing services that benefit the region.
Thanks to enthusiastic local support, The Lamb House can offer furniture, and household items to the resident families for their new homes.
Located in the Cherryfield Historic District, The Lamb House is listed on the National Historic Registry as the Jerimiah Burnham homestead.
Our Accomplishments
Since 2015, The Lamb House has provided temporary shelter to 37 people in 10 families.
Lamb House has hosted
- 5 volunteer groups from the Housing Repair Program of the Maine Seacoast Mission repairing local homes, and
- 7 Medical Teams serving temporary blueberry and wreath workers.
Who We Are
Board of Directors
- Sara Williams, President
- Pamela Steele, Treasurer
- Rev. Larry A. Zimmerman
- Wayne Steele
Volunteers Serving on Committees
- Martha Resotko
- Alice Duston
- Peter Duston
- Mark Richmond
- Richard Elias
History
The Lamb House began life in the middle of the 19th century as a 3-story, single family home on a hill overlooking the Narraguagus River in Cherryfield. Its current mission as a shelter began in 2013, when the Cherryfield Congregational Church next door, purchased the empty and neglected property. At a church meeting, parishioner Mark Richmond suggested that they turn the house into a shelter for families that had been burned out of their homes. Winter fires are particularly common in the region, and the idea caught on. A committee was formed to determine its feasibility and the Lamb House Project began.
Using volunteer labor, donations and grants, The Lamb House was renovated into a dwelling that can comfortably house a family through four seasons. In 2015, the Lamb House Project welcomed the first resident family.
In 2017 the Lamb House Project changed its name to The Lamb House, Inc. and became an independent charitable organization with its own governing Board of Directors.
Using funds from contributions and targeted grants, plus in-kind donations, the Board replaced all major appliances, and installed a new furnace and generator. The cellar underwent extensive moisture remediation, and the structure was painted its iconic blue. When The Lamb House asked for donations from the community, we received so much furniture, we were able to provide the client families with items for use in their new households.
In early 2019, a sudden freeze and thaw burst the water pipes on 2 floors, resulting in such extensive damage the Board was forced to suspend operations until the facility could be made safe. Emergency fund-raising and countless hours of volunteer time returned the house to peak condition by fall of that year.
The Lamb House has been able to operate through the COVID 19 pandemic.
The Lamb House shortly after purchase.
Prepping the house for painting.
Installation of the generator in response to frozen pipes.
Damage from frozen pipes.
Frozen radiator.
New furnace installed in 2016.