Dresden selectmen gave the go ahead Monday night for a team of researchers from Boston College to set up a temporary seismic station in the basement of the town office to study earthquakes.

The 2.6 magnitude earthquake that took place the evening of Jan. 17 was centered in the Dresden area, with tremors felt down the Boothbay peninsula. The team contacted Chairman Dale Hinote and spoke with Michael Henderson, the town’s administrative assistant, on Jan. 22.

“The town office is fairly near the epicenter,” Henderson said. “They would need to have it going for about two weeks, minimum.”

The town officials saw no problem with the study, and voted in favor of allowing it.

“I’d like to get us on the map some way,” Selectman Allan Moeller said. “If it takes an earthquake, it takes an earthquake.”

In other business, local resident Walter Loeman discussed an interest in revitalizing the old town office and grange hall. Currently, the snowmobile club’s meetings are the only use the building gets.

While the selectmen were all in favor of having it spruced up, they said a formal written proposal handed into the town office would be the place to start. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, so any work would have to be done carefully, with approval, selectmen said.

It was also discussed whether several dirt roads in Dresden, including Alexander, East Pittston and Blinn Hill roads, should be paved in the upcoming year. With the heavy rains last weekend, school buses could not get down the road and there a total washout that requiring the road crews to work on the Jan. 15 holiday using over 200 yards of gravel to repair the damage.

Selectmen meet every other Monday at Pownalborough Hall. The next meeting is Feb. 5.