Monson antiques store completes grant project

This summer, Lily Cat Antiques and its customers have not had to suffer.

When July heat rolled in coupled with humidity from continuous rain, Lily Cat owners Sean and Johanna S. Billings just turned on the air conditioning.

That wasn’t something they could do last year. In fact, the building, located at 14 Tenney Hill Road in Monson, did not have any kind of heating or cooling system until this year.

“There was an old furnace in the crawl space,” said Johanna, “but a sticker says it was last inspected in 1989. We saw that and said, ‘Nope. We’re not going to try turning that thing on.’”

Besides, Sean said, all the ductwork had been ripped out.

So, when the Monson Collaborative announced a contest through which area businesses could win a $3,000 grant, the Billingses decided to apply. The Lily Cat was one of six groups to win a cut of the $12,000 pie the collaborative gave away by popular vote at an Entrepreneur Expo May 6. 

The Lily Cat’s owners used the grant money to help pay for a $6,000 heat pump. A $1,500 rebate from Efficiency Maine also helped. The couple covered the remainder of the cost themselves. Contractors Martin and Kelly Landry of Superior Service Heating & Cooling in Hudson installed the new heat pump on the first floor of the building June 19, with assistance from electricians Antony Lancisi and Josh Blanchard of Levesque Energy in Guilford. The installation made this the first completed grant project. The Lily Cat has a second floor, but it needs to be insulated and, eventually, will need its own unit, Johanna said.

“We’re excited for the community and tourists to be able to visit Lily Cat Antiques during winter months,” said Monson Collaborative President Kassie Jahn, adding the group was “thrilled” the grant competition was a success.

Johanna said the Lily Cat has no specific plans yet for winter hours yet but, in the meantime, she is enjoying the cooling feature that came with the heat pump. She used it the first time July 21. Customers said they appreciated the cool temperatures inside. 

Now in its third season, The Lily Cat opened in June 2021. The Billingses, who are lifelong collectors and dealers, bought the shuttered Moosehead Trail Antiques in December 2020 after they saw a “for sale” sign in front of it. “Sean turned to me and said, ‘So, do you want to run an antique shop?’” Johanna said. “I thought he was kidding.”

After the purchase, Johanna spent the winter cleaning out and wholesaling off the contents of the building, most of which was furniture and hardware. Sean, who works full time as an engineer, found time to replace all the interior lighting and added more. He also installed railings on both sides of the stairs, repaired the front window and painted trim, among other things. The new owners also had the leaking roof replaced.

“At one point, we had water running down the stairs and freezing,” Johanna said.

Because there was no heat, the couple dressed in layers and relied on space heaters to warm their hands every so often. 

“I bought boots in a size too big so that I could wear them with three pairs of socks,” Johanna said.