Help Make Levine's Park a Reality

Levine's Store was founded in 1891 by William Levine and served as a beacon of business development and community gathering in downtown Waterville, Maine for 105 years, until its closing in 1996. Levine's was a treasured Waterville landmark. The store served as a legendary example of customer service at its finest. 

Upon the store's closing in 1996, The Morning Sentinel wrote: "The attention to quality and personal service exemplified by Levine's can never be duplicated by a national chain with thousands of outlets. The institutional memory just isn't there. Nor is the commitment to community."

The store outfitted generations of Waterville residents, Colby students and alumni, and had loyal customers who shopped at Levine's Store from all over Maine and even as far as Boston and New York. Levine's was internationally known. Colby students and satisfied customers spread word across the globe about Levine's. Thus, Levine's Store is inescapably tied to Colby College in putting Waterville on the international map.

After decades of the Levine's building sitting dormant, it has now been transformed into the Lockwood Hotel, which is owned by Colby College. New life and energy has been breathed into this hallowed space. There is a restaurant with indoor and outdoor gathering spots where conversations, laughs, and meals are being shared. The space is once again recast into the type of vibrant space cultivated and nurtured for so many years by the incomparable trio of Levine's management - Ludy Levine, Pacy Levine, and Howard Miller.

It is time to memorialize and honor the legacy of Levine's Store and the memories of Ludy, Pacy, and Howard. In partnership with the Mayor of the City of Waterville and with Colby College, the descendants of Ludy, Pacy and Howard have banded together to honor the store and the Levine family with parks on both sides of the hotel, and with a special naming of the hotel's conference room. 

An exceptional dedication ceremony is currently being planned for mid-July 2022. 

Colby College is funding the development of the memorials that will live in the northern park and in the conference room. It is the family's responsibility to fund the memorial for the southern park.

Ludy and Pacy were beloved uncles to all of us. And Howard was a cherished grandfather and uncle to all of us. 

They loved Waterville. They loved Colby. And, above all, they loved family. They deserve to be honored for the rest of time in downtown Waterville.

I truly believe Ludy, Pacy, and Howard would be extremely happy and proud to see their extended family come together as one big family under the Levine umbrella and chip in together to ensure that community once again thrives in downtown Waterville, and that the memory of Levine's Store is honored and memorialized in the way it deserves to be.

Please consider making a financial contribution to this family legacy project. Any amount is valued and appreciated.

The funds received from this GoFundMe campaign will go towards the creation, mounting, and maintenance of the plaque to be erected in the southern park. Specifically, funds are needed to pay for the following:

-Design & engineering of the cast bronze plaque

-Manufacturing of the exterior cast bronze plaque (48" x 36")

-Mounting and installation of plaque on granite

-The large slab of granite upon which the plaque will be mounted

-Landscape architecture consultation

-On-going maintenance of the plaque and park

-Costs associated with the dedication/celebration event to take place in mid-July 2022

-Misc. costs

Thank you very much,

Ben Arnon

I'd also like to acknowledge the following checks that were received outside of the GoFundMe page:

-Bill & Joni Alfond: $2,000

-Arthur & Connie Turmelle: $500

-Susan Alfond: $500

-Jeremy Arnon: $300

-Peter and Joan Beckerman: $200

For donor transparency, this is not a public fundraiser. This GoFundMe is intended to pool monies from specific members of the extended William and Sarah Levine family. I am the grandson of Howard Miller. Ludy and Pacy Levine were Howard's uncles. The funds raised from this GoFundMe page will be withdrawn to my account so that payments can be made to all of the vendors involved, which includes the companies manufacturing and installing the plaque, the companies involved with landscape architecture, etc.

This is the location of the southern park. Please note that this Google Maps image is outdated. The street no longer curves around. Rather, the park outlined in red is now connected to the hotel's green outdoor area by a pedestrian sidewalk.

And this is a mock-up for the plaque that was used in the proposal that was presented to the Mayor of Waterville.