If you’ve had a chance to wander through the quiet, shady paths of Stevens Commons, or visit any of the offices or homes in the graceful Victorian buildings, you can’t help but wonder what this place was like 150 years ago, when it first became a school for girls in trouble.

By Barbara Williams

James Matthews was born enslaved in South Carolina but escaped and made his way to Hallowell where he lived for nearly fifty years. Matthews told his story to a local minister, it is thought, and it first appeared in 1838, in the Advocate of Freedom, a Hallowellbased abolitionist newspaper, then republished in the national slave movement's New York publication, Emancipator in 1838, where it received widespread attention. Entitled "Recollections of Slavery by a Runaway Slave," Matthews’ horrific account added fuel to the abolitionist movement. His story, told in candid and graphic detail, described countless examples of the cruelty he witnessed and suffered at the hands of slave masters, including cruelty to very young children.

By Bob McIntire

The lettering on the window at 128 Water Street still reads “Kennebec Cigar Co.” but the cigars have given way to vintage Lionel trains. For the past 40 years, owner Tom Allen has navigated the shifting tides of downtown Hallowell, rising rents and taxes, and the Kennebec’s flood waters.

By David Hayes

When my husband and I moved into a new house in Hallowell in 2020, our property had a lot of lawn. We knew lawns aren’t especially ecologically friendly but didn’t know how to transform our yard into a healthier environment. Then we attended a workshop hosted by the Hallowell Conservation Commission that featured local ecologist, Deborah Perkins.

We learned why an eco-friendly yard matters and how replacing turf grass with native plants at a slow but steady pace can lead to big changes.

By Judith Graber

The Hallowell All Age-Friendly Committee gives a well-deserved "tip of the hat" to Diesel, a.k.a. David Marquis, for yet another outstanding contribution to the quality of life in our fair city. His fanciful and thought-provoking sculptures of found materials adorn many establishments in town, not to mention his front yard. When Hallowell Water District customers needed a sturdy bench to support containers while filling them with PFAS-Free water, Diesel stepped up to the plate. He shies away from public displays of affection, so instead, the committee chose to embarrass him here, in The Champion.