Marginal Way closed due to storm damage: Here's how to help Ogunquit’s coastal treasure

OGUNQUIT, Maine — The Marginal Way Preservation Fund is raising money to help repair its namesake landmark, which was significantly battered by the two January storms.

Currently, the historic, mile-long stretch along the Ogunquit coast is closed until further notice. The storms, which hit the region on Jan. 10 and 13 pummeled and soaked the beloved path, eroding bits of pavement, strewing rocks of all sizes, and causing other significant damages.

The most significant damage to Marginal Way occurred at the Perkins Cove walkway, which has been undermined, according to Town Manager Matthew Buttrick.

“We've identified base erosion along the edges of the asphalt throughout the entire length of the Marginal Way,” Buttrick said.

Such erosion extends approximately 6 inches beneath the walkway’s edges and compromises the pavement along the edge, he added.

“If not addressed promptly, the erosion will lead to the pavement crumbling at these edges, significantly increasing the risk of pedestrian trip hazard,” Buttrick said.

Marginal Way sustained $1 million in damages during the storm, according to preliminary estimates, Buttrick said. Ogunquit experienced around $2.5 million in damages overall due to the twin weather events.

Buttrick said the Ogunquit Select Board on Monday approved spending the entirety of the $350,000 in the town’s natural disaster reserve to aid efforts to repair the widespread damage caused by the two January storms. However, he added, many of the repairs the town must undertake do not cover the damages along Marginal Way.

Enter the Marginal Way Preservation Fund, the local nonprofit charged with funding an endowment that finances projects that “repair, preserve and beautify the coastal walkway known as Marginal Way,” according to Allison Ramsey, its executive director.

“The recent storms and damage caused along the beloved path is a great reminder of why the mission of our nonprofit is so important,” Ramsey said.

On the preservation fund’s website, donors have opportunities to make one-time contributions to the cause or monthly, quarterly, or yearly ones.

The Marginal Way Preservation Fund is not just about maintaining the path for current and future generations to enjoy. It’s also about preserving the walkway’s rich history.

Previous story: Maine coastal communities struggle to recover from storms that caused millions in damage

The story behind Ogunquit's Marginal Way

According to the organization’s website, a conservationist and former state legislator named Josiah Chase, Jr. donated the mile-long coastal parcel to Ogunquit in 1925. The paved path, which begins in a corner of Oarweed Cove, wends through bayberry, honeysuckle, and “bittersweet, gnarled shrubs of fragrant pink and white sea roses.”

And, of course, the path offers a clear and sprawling view of the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the preservation fund, the path is called Marginal Way, or even “the margin,” because of the pattern in which it was developed along the edge of local cliffs.

The path has survived much during its near-century existence as a beloved public landmark – everything from hurricanes to residential and commercial development booms to local budget cuts, as the preservation fund says on its website.

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Why Marginal Way Preservation Fund was started

The endowment fund was established in 2007 following a storm that destroyed large sections of the path. Previously, a strong storm in 1991 also significantly damaged the property.

Buttrick said he is confident that the federal government will declare the two storms a disaster. The town is applying for relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Buttrick said the town intends to begin temporary repairs and reopen Marginal Way “very soon.”

“I am confident that the path will be fully open and safe for our upcoming season,” he added, referring to the summertime when residents and tourists alike visit the community in high numbers.

Buttrick said last month’s storms are a reminder of the “fragile location” of Marginal Way.

“We are committed to projects geared towards the sustainability of the pathway, whether that means moving the path, fortifying energy distribution rocks and walls, or other actions,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ogunquit's Marginal Way closed due to storm damage: