BUCKSPORT – Wilson Hall is safe and sound, according to a report from a structural engineer.

And there may be a future for the 150-year-old building.

At the order of the Town Council, the building’s owner, Aaron Gleich hired the firm of Criterium Mooney-Sousa Engineers of Washburn to inspect the building, which has been vacant for about 30 years. The engineer conducted an inspection on Oct. 22.

“The engineers concluded that the foundation and the exterior brick wall are essentially sound, stable and safe,” town Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Hammond said Wednesday.

Hammond had raised concerns about the safety of the building earlier this year, noting that the building had not been properly secured and that area children and older residents were able to get inside. He also raised concerns about the structural integrity of the building, noting that much of the interior of the building had been gutted and that there were leaks in the roof that could lead to additional deterioration.

After some discussion, the Town Council ordered Gleich to secure the building adequately and to conduct the structural survey.

In October, Hammond reported to councilors that Gleich had hired a contractor to secure the building. The contractor has boarded all the openings in the building and has properly secured the one remaining door that is used as an entrance, eliminating easy access to the building, Hammond said.

The contractor also covered several holes in the roof.

“It looks like the building has been protected from entry by people and the weather,” Hammond said.

The engineering study did note there was some deterioration in the framing inside the building and recommended that the situation be monitored. The study also cited two concrete block walls – the remnants of a garage that once was attached to the building – that are in danger of collapsing. The engineer recommended that the wall be repaired or removed.

Hammond has notified Gleich, who lives in New York, that all of the town’s requirements have been met, with the condition that he address the engineer’s concern about the block walls.

In the meantime, the town manager has been in touch with Gleich about possible uses of the building. Town Manager Roger Raymond said Gleich is to continue to look into the possibility of restoring the building and into ways to secure the necessary financing.

“We’ve discussed it with him and given him a couple of ideas,” Raymond said.

One option might be to convert the building to an assisted-living facility. Although the town already has such a facility at the former Jed Prouty Inn on Main Street, the town’s Health Advisory Committee has indicated there is additional need for that type of housing, Raymond said.

Wilson Hall was built in 1851 for East Maine Conference Seminary on a campus later used by an Oblate religious order for missionary training and education. The three-story, brick building is located on Oak Hill, overlooking the Penobscot River and Fort Knox.