Maine’s Historic Homes
Maine’s Historic Homes
The history of European settlement in Maine can be read in its historic homes. Some go back as far as the 1600s, when English settlers first planted themselves in coastal enclaves. As Maine grew, houses expanded from rustic garrisons to stately Colonials and Federalists and on to grand Victorians. Many of these historic houses today are museums that demonstrate how Maine grew and changed. They include:
Wiscasset
Visit Castle Tucker and Nickels-Sortwell House. Castle Tucker was built in 1807 and today is a time capsule of Victorian life and shows three generations of family life. You can also tour the Nickels-Sortwell House which is on the National Historic Landmark and one of New England’s finest Federal-style houses. Visitors with limited mobility may be able to enjoy a first-floor tour of the houses and grounds and a visual tour of the museums is available.
South Berwick
Sarah Orne Jewett House includes two houses that sit next door to one another – one built in 1774, the other in 1854 – at the center of South Berwick. These houses were owned by the family of iconic Maine author, Sarah Orne Jewett. Both houses have been restored and honor Jewett, her work and her family. Nearby the Hamilton House is a striking Georgian mansion and a National Landmark. Built circa 1785 and features two murals by George Porter Fernald.
Portland
Portland has many historic house museums including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House – childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, located in the center of the city’s downtown, the Tate House where on “The Tate Family” house tour you will learn about the mast trade, Captain Tate’s responsibilities, and the family’s way of life in 18th century Maine. At the Victoria Mansion, you can see the remarkably intact original interiors and decorations, a unique example of the stately homes created for America's wealthiest citizens in the pre-Civil War era. Home of the “Father of prohibition, the Neal Dow House serves as an example of a Federal-style mansion. You can see his intact library and study where the Prohibition Bill was written.
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