LPIS to celebrate 125th anniversary of Central Hall

Event will feature silent auction, outdoor barbecue, live music, and contra dance

After years of fundraising, the Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill completed the construction of Central Hall in 1901. Photo courtesy of Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill.

June 8, 2026

By Staff

BLUE HILL – The Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill will host a public celebration of the 125th anniversary of Central Hall on July 18 from 2:00-7:00 p.m.

The iconic yellow meeting hall that has graced 306 Falls Bridge Road for a century and a quarter.

To celebrate this “important milestone,” the public is invited to attend a series of events throughout the afternoon and evening, a press release said. LPIS will host a silent auction at the Hall, featuring items and experiences generously donated by local businesses. According to the release, proceeds from the auction will support improvements to Central Hall’s community kitchen. Historical exhibits and music from South Blue Hill neighbors will also be available throughout the event.

A ticketed barbecue dinner catered by Bianco Provisions will be served outdoors under a tent at 5:00 p.m. A vegetarian option will be available, the release said, and diners are encouraged to bring their own beverage if they would like beer or wine with their meal.

The silent auction closes at 7 p.m. South Blue Hill resident Noel Paul Stookey will perform some songs on the beautiful stage on the second floor of the Hall, the release said. The performance will be followed by a contra dance, called by Mike Fay, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

Today, all South Blue Hill residents are automatically considered LPIS members. Photo courtesy of Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill.

The first “Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill” was organized in 1886. In 1899, the group was re-formed under the same name for the purpose of building a Hall “for social and religious purposes,” the release said. According to LPIS, many women’s clubs were being organized across America during the Progressive Era, “often with a focus on public interest: charity, politics, and social reform.”

LPIS members met regularly throughout the group’s early years, the release said, and the many sewing projects (mainly quilts and aprons) that they worked on to raise money for the construction of the Hall were well documented. According to the release minutes from the group “reflect that they held sales, dances, and dinners, bringing in funds cents at a time until they were able to construct Central Hall in 1901, when they also incorporated as a formal organization.”

Central Hall has been used as a community gathering place ever since, the release said, and today all South Blue Hill residents are automatically considered members of the Ladies Public Improvement Society.

Tickets for the dinner are $15 each and can be reserved by emailing info@centralhall.me or calling 374-2003. The performance and contra dance are free and open to all. Attendees “should take note that the second floor of the Hall is unfortunately not ADA accessible and requires climbing one flight of stairs to access,” the release said.