Rescuing a candlepin bowling alley helps bolster a Maine community
Autumn Mowery was 18 when the candlepin bowling alley in Ellsworth, Me., where she worked, was threatened with the wrecking ball. She took it over, challenging herself to keep the lights on in a pillar of the community – and in so doing Mowery found a way to help others in need of a safe place. Lee Cowan reports.
Candlepin bowling, a unique form of the sport, thrived in New England, particularly in Ellsworth, Maine. However, the alley faced closure in 2020. Autumn Mowery, then 18, stepped in to save it. She risked physical harm while fixing the machines, which she treated like employees. When a storm hit, Mowery kept the alley running despite daily challenges.
Her mother, Amanda, supported her through it all. Mowery noticed a situation involving a couple and alerted the police, later offering a safe space for domestic violence victims. Her efforts have helped bring people together and reconnect with the community. Mowery's love for bowling, and the alley, has been a source of personal growth and happiness.
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