NORWAY — The shingle siding on the Gingerbread House is being removed from the historic building to reveal the original clapboards for the first time in decades.

The Friends of the Gingerbread House say the work is part of projects this summer to restore the former Evans-Cummings House on Main Street. Many of these projects are onsite.

The building, which has graced the entrance to Norway from the north since 1851, is more commonly known as The Gingerbread House for its elaborate trim added in a late 19th-century renovation.

Joan Beal of the Friends of the Gingerbread House said that in addition to removing the shingles, the group has developed a request for proposals for roof repairs.

This fall, Beal said work will begin on rebuilding the chimneys, which were partly dismantled during the 2011 move farther up Main Street. Beal said that by using photographs of the original chimneys, Randy Wells, who also did the masonry work on the foundation, will reconstruct the chimneys to match the originals.

Additionally, each window will be removed from its frame, stripping of paint, repainted, reglazed and reinstalled, Beal said. A small group of skilled volunteers has agreed to spearhead this project, but more volunteers and additional funding are needed to complete it.

“All these projects are crucial for protecting the house from further damage from water and weather,” Beal said. She said they were all recommended in the Preservation Plan, which was completed by Barba and Wheelock, the architecture preservation design firm from Portland.

Plans are also in the works to do a quick cleanup of the interior, moving the porch pieces which have been saved, and cleaning up some of the debris that fell during the move.

“While these are primarily superficial tasks, they will allow the public to get a sense of the possibilities for how the house might eventually look in its present site,” Beal said.

Residents formed Friends of the Gingerbread House to save the building. In 2011, it was moved from its original site behind the Advertiser Democrat building at Pikes Hill and Main Street 950 feet up Main Street by Butters Park.

While the projects continue, so does fundraising to support them.

The Buy A Bundle campaign continues. For a $50 donation, people can contribute a bundle of roofing shingles. So far, almost $4,000 of the $10,000 needed has been raised. The next onsite Buy a Bundle day is Saturday, Aug. 17, when members of the committee will accept donations and discuss the project.

The kiosk is painted and filled with historical information about the Gingerbread House and the history of the efforts to save it.

More information and photos may be found at the Gingerbread House Facebook page. Donations can be made via Paypal on the website gingerbreadhousenorway.org or to Friends of the Gingerbread House, P.O. Box 525, Norway, ME.

Donors, volunteers and interested members of the community are always welcome, she said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com