Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Shelby Hartin
FRESH FAÇADE – The River Café, which occupies a small space in the large red building on Houlton Road in Island Falls, is the first of many business endeavors Peter Connelly and his wife Cheryl plan to undertake.
By Shelby Hartin
Student Intern
ISLAND FALLS — A few months ago, 23 Houlton Road in Island Falls was an abandoned building in a severe state of disrepair. It now houses a café and plans for its future are not only bright, but imminent.
The River Café, a business whose doors opened May 10, is simply the first in a series of business endeavors Peter Connelly and his wife Cheryl are undertaking.
“My wife Cheryl Sewall grew up in town here. After her dad died, we wanted to do something for the town because it clearly needed a boost,” Connelly said.
After his death, Cheryl Sewall’s father, Sam Sewall, left his daughter with an inheritance, which sparked the question that led to the birth of the River Café: what should these funds be put toward?
The Sewalls, known throughout the area as Island Falls’ founding family, were the first to breathe life into the small town. Connelly and his wife decided that the best way to utilize the funds they had been given would be to put them back into the town the Sewall family had founded.
“We bought the building from Leonard Lougee. Our thought was to have a little ice cream joint that would hire people and bring people to town,” Connelly explained.
The River Café, which occupies a small space in the large, red building on Main Street, was then constructed, primarily through the generous help of others.
“Mostly volunteers have worked on everything,” Connelly said of the undertaking.
The restaurant has far exceeded the couple’s original vision for a small ice cream parlor, however.
The River Café is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-7 p.m. It has seen steady business since its opening and will soon be accompanied by various other businesses as well.
The large red building was once a garage whose ownership passed through various hands. It has also housed a redemption center and one of its floors have two small apartments. The new owners are slowly transforming each floor to fit the needs of the community.
The building will house a bicycle repair shop, a farmer’s market, and a bakery, all of which will be opening soon. Connelly spoke of the many treasures the building holds that he and his wife hope to take advantage of.
Connelly has many ideas for the vast amount of space the building possesses. As a Christian, he hopes that it will act as a gathering place for the people of the town and serve as a ministry through which fellow Christians can utilize the available space.
“This could function as an area to hold youth group meetings or something else for the kids,” he said of a basement level area.
“Where does it go from here? We wait to see. Frankly, it’s what the Lord yields up for us,” he concluded.
Currently, the banks behind the River Café, which lead to a beautiful view of the Mattawamkeag River, are scheduled for alteration, which will allow easy access to the water, where Connelly hopes many baptisms will occur.
“Within a couple weeks, we’re getting the bank taken out and restored to what it was. You’re going to be able to walk right down the river,” he said of the transformations.
“Our plan was to create jobs and spark a resurgence in the town,” Connelly added when asked of the intention behind opening up various businesses in Island Falls.
The couple’s plan is taking shape and serving the exact needs they had hoped it would. Until the opening of the various other businesses the two intend to listen to the community’s needs and fill them by tailoring the spaces available in the large building they have at their disposal.
