In 1987, on campus housing consisted of Andrews Hall and a smattering of old military barracks that were left from the former air base.  The old, mostly wooden building that housed the kitchen, dining commons, and library had served the campus for over a decade, and even longer under the old air base.  The old barracks were in poor condition and they were becoming a danger to the students living within.  Made of mostly wood, the old buildings were a fire hazard, and during the winter of 1978 a fire did indeed destroy much of dormitory 210, which housed 16 wood harvesting students.  Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the fire, and it prompted a renewed push for funding to build a new dorm to replace all of the old wooden housing units.  In November, 1978, Maine voters approved a $2.1 million self-liquidating bond issue to fund the construction of an apartment complex including a dining commons.  The self-liquidating bond simply meant that each student at all of the Maine VTI’s, not just NMVTI, would pay a small bond fee.  These fees would later be used to pay off the bond debt.
The new apartment complex was designed by Wright-Pierce Architects-Engineers of Bangor, Maine, to include three buildings housing a total of 128 students in 27 apartments.  In total, there would be twenty five-student units and seven four-student units.  The general contractor for the project was A. E. Flewelling & Sons, Inc. of Crouseville, Maine.  Construction on Penobscot Hall, which was designated building A at the time, was completed on January 6, 1981.  Construction on this building fell slightly behind the others (about a month) because of problems with the nearby dining commons.  It consists of twelve 4-5 person apartments on two floors.   
Each apartment contains a kitchen, a dining/living room, study areas, and bedrooms.  This new approach to student housing gave the students new freedoms, such as the option to either purchase a dining commons meal plan or buy their own food and cook it in the apartments; it was an option never before offered on campus. 
An open house and ceremony for the new apartment complex was held on January 3, 1981.  Speaking at the event were Director Richard Knight and Representative Carl Smith, who co-sponsored the funding bill for the project with Representative Harry Rideout.  It was an effort to show state residents how the bond money had been used and the benefits it would provide to the students. 
Penobscot Hall, along with the rest of the apartment complex, is a safe and convenient replacement of the old wooden barracks of the past.  It allows students new freedoms that are not available elsewhere and expands on the diverse housing options offered at NMCC. 
Credit: Brian Hall
June, 2011