AUGUSTA -- A gala dinner in the Statehouse Hall of Flags and special recognition for former governors and their families are part of an August celebration to mark the 175th anniversary of the Blaine House.

First lady Karen Baldacci said she and others are busy with the final arrangements, which will include a public open house and activities in Capitol Park on Saturday, Aug. 16.

The two-day event on Aug. 15-16 will begin Friday night with an invitation-only fund-raising dinner in the Hall of Flags.

State Historian Earle Shettleworth said he's aware of one other governor's dinner in the Statehouse hall, when Gov. Percival Baxter had a farewell dinner there in January of 1925 before his term ended.

The event on Friday will honor Maine's five living former governors:

Gov. John Reed, a Republican who served from 1959-1967; Gov. Ken Curtis, a Democrat, who served from 1967-1975; Gov. Joseph Brennan, a Democrat who served from 1979-1987; Gov. John McKernan, a Republican who served from 1987-1995; and Gov. Angus S. King Jr., who served from 1995-2003.

Baldacci said the Friday night gala will also serve as a fund-raiser for Friends of the Blaine House, a group that works to maintain the mansion donated by the family of James G. Blaine to the state in 1919 to serve as a residence for sitting governors.

Blaine, a Republican who served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a U.S. senator, and presidential candidate in 1884, never served as governor of Maine.

But the home's proximity to the state Capitol makes it an ideal place for governors and their families to live.

The house was built in 1833 by James Hall, a retired ship's captain. Blaine bought it in 1862 as a present for his wife, the former Harriet Stanwood, daughter of a prominent Augusta family, according to the Friends of the Blaine House.

Today, the house is in need of repairs, including the replacement of the old knob and tube electrical system. It also needs new windows, Baldacci said. The Friday night party for 150 -- invitations have already been sent -- is a way to help fund some of those projects.

"It's a way to celebrate governors, celebrate the history of the Blaine House, and build on the endowment for the future," Baldacci said.

The following day, there will be a morning reception for the families of governors who lived in the Blaine House. Twenty families have made the house their home, including the children of William Tudor Gardiner, whose daughter, Margaret Gardiner, is believed to be the oldest living former Blaine House resident, Shettleworth said.

Her father, a Republican, served as governor from 1929-1933.

"We've done a lot of work to find out where the living descendants are," Shettleworth said. "The governor and first lady are in the process of inviting a fairly sizable list of descendants."

The Saturday open house, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature photos of all the families who lived in the home, information on the history of the house, and details about the life of Blaine. Many of the state's cultural agencies -- including the state museum and arts commission -- are helping to pull together information, displays and artwork.

The Capitol Park events, which will also run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.., will feature family-friendly activities, said Augusta City Manager William Bridgeo.

"We'll be looking at fun activities that the governor and his family might have participated in," Bridgeo said.

For Bridgeo, playing host city to the home of Maine's governors is a privilege.

"I think most Augusta residents see it as an honor to be the capital city and the site of the governor's mansion," he said. "As a native Mainer, I take pride in showing my guests the capitol complex and the Blaine House."

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com