Bath Housing and the Patten Free Library plan to share a look at the City of Ship’s housing history.

“History of Housing in Bath: Looking Back, Thinking Forward” will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the library’s Community Room at 80 Congress Ave., and also will be live on Zoom.

The event is free, according to a news release from Debora Keller, executive director of Bath Housing.

Mary Kate Kwasnik, archivist and special collections librarian at library, will present a slideshow with images from the History Room on housing development in Bath from World War I to the 1970s. Keller will talk about the growth and change in the community and the future of Bath’s housing.

“There is so much talk about housing right now, and so many opportunities ahead of us,” Keller said, “it will be great to ground this work with a historical context.”

Kwasnik says it’s been an interesting research experience. “We start to see housing projects pop up during World War I, and then World War II, to house shipyard war workers and their families. Post-war, it turns into a story of an aging population with fixed incomes and constantly rising property taxes, and a nation that’s pushing towards urban renewal.”

“Our incredibly rich history will help us envision the future,” Keller added. “We’re excited to begin this community discussion.”

The event is slated to run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This is the first in a series of planned conversations about housing between Bath Housing and the greater Bath community.

Registration is required for Zoom only by visiting patten.lib.me.us.

For more information, contact Keller at 207-295-3074 or dkeller@bathhousing.org.

Check out other upcoming area events!