Biddeford Main Street Historic District | |
![]() Main Street, Biddeford from a 1908 postcard. | |
Location | 29 to 316 Main St., and portions of Elm, Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Franklin, Alfred and Water Sts. Biddeford, Maine |
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Coordinates | 43°29′36″N70°27′19″W / 43.49333°N 70.45528°W |
Architect | John Calvin Stevens et al. |
Architectural style | Classical Revival, Late Victorian |
NRHP reference No. | 09001146 [1] |
Added to NRHP | December 24, 2009 |
Biddeford Main Street Historic District is an historic district in downtown Biddeford, Maine, USA. It encompasses the heart of the city's civic and commercial business district, extending along Main and Water Streets between Pike and Elm Streets, extending for short distances along several side streets. It is noted for its collection of late 19th and early 20th century commercial brick and masonry architecture. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. [1]
The city of Biddeford is located on the south bank of the Saco River on the coast of southern Maine. Its central business district is located inland, opposite that of the city of Saco, which lies to the north. The two cities developed around this area due to its ideal location for textile mills, which, on the Biddeford side, are located just between what is now Main Street and the river. This development began in a significant way in the 1840s, and the Main Street area was developed over the next century, mirroring the rise and fall of the mill industry. [2]
Buildings in the district were built to serve the residential and economic needs of the mills and their workers. Early buildings combined these functions, providing living spaces above retail storefronts. The oldest surviving building in the district, the Thatcher Hotel, was built in 1846 as a hotel; it is a three-story Greek Revival brick building. Most of the district's buildings are between two and four floors in height, and are in a diversity of architectural styles. Stylistically notable buildings include the 1924 Egyptian Revival Paquin Building (5 Washington Street) and the 1926 Palace Diner (15 Franklin Street). The district's civic focus is on City Hall, a combination civic and performing arts space housing the City Theater. The building was designed by the Portland architect John Calvin Stevens and completed in 1896. It is individually listed on the National Register, as are the Dudley Block on Water Street and the post office building at 35 Washington. [2]
Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Pool and Fortunes Rocks. The town is the site of the University of New England and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. First visited by Europeans in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States. It is home to Saint Joseph's Church, the tallest building in Maine.
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems, a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. Saco sees much tourism during summer months due to its amusement parks, Camp Ellis Beach and Pier, Ferry Beach State Park, and proximity to Old Orchard Beach.
The Lower Lisbon Street Historic District encompasses part of the earliest commercial center of Lewiston, Maine. Located on the west side of Lisbon Street, the city's main commercial area, between Cedar and Chestnut Streets are a collection of commercial buildings representing a cross section of architectural styles, built between 1850 and 1950. When the historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, it included 18 buildings. Eleven of these have since been demolished, and one has a significantly altered facade.
The Centre Village Historic District encompasses the historic central business district of Southbridge, Massachusetts. The district includes properties on Main Street, roughly between Elm and Goddard Streets. The central area represents a fairly well preserved Late Victorian commercial center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Saco Historic District encompasses the historic commercial and residential centers of Saco, Maine. Covering more than 100 acres (40 ha) of central Saco, it includes houses from the 18th through 20th centuries, and the main business district along Main Street. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Moline, Illinois, United States. Centered on 5th Avenue, it is roughly bounded by 12th Street to 18th Street, 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue. The distinct covers 33-acre (0.13 km2) and includes 114 buildings. One hundred of the buildings contribute to the significance of the district because they retain their historic and architectural integrity and reflect the character of the historic downtown.
The Barre Downtown Historic District encompasses the historic commercial and civic heart of the city of Barre, Vermont. Extending along Main Street from City Park to Depot Square, this area was developed quite rapidly in the 1880s and 1890s, when the area experienced rapid growth due to the expansion of the nearby granite quarries. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District encompasses the historic mill complex that flanks both sides of the Saco River in Biddeford and Saco, Maine. It covers 38 acres (15 ha) of property adjacent to both cities' downtown areas which has seen industrial uses since the 18th century, and presently contains a collection of well-preserved 19th and early-20th century industrial buildings. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Many of the buildings in the district have been rehabilitated and repurposed for other uses, including residential, commercial, and industrial.
The Newmarket Industrial and Commercial Historic District encompasses the heart of a distinctive 19th century mill town, Newmarket, New Hampshire. Its mill complex is regionally distinctive for its extensive use of stone from an early date, and the town is relatively well-preserved due to a significant economic decline after the mills closed in 1920. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Stone School, listed in 1978, is a contributing resource.
The Dudley Block is a historic mixed-use commercial and residential building in at 28-34 Water Street in downtown Biddeford, Maine. Built in 1848, it is one of the older buildings in the downtown area, and is a fine example of Greek Revival commercial architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and was included in the Biddeford Main Street Historic District in 2009.
The Calais Historic District encompasses a city block of 19th-century commercial buildings in the center of Calais, Maine. The district, developed after a fire devastated the area in 1870, contains a cohesive concentration of brick Italianate architecture. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Dennysville Historic District encompasses the historic town center of Dennysville, Maine. Located near the southern end of the large rural community, its architecture covers more than 100 years of community history, from the early 19th to early 20th centuries. The district extends along Main Street between Maine State Route 86 and Bunker Hill Road, on the west bank of the Dennys River. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Saco City Hall is located at 300 Main Street in downtown Saco, Maine. It is a transitional Greek Revival-Italianate brick building, designed by Thomas Hill and built in 1855. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Old Post Office is a historic former post office building at 35 Washington Street in Biddeford, Maine. Built in 1914, it is a fine local example of Classical Revival architecture, and a prototype for post offices built in the following decades. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It now houses commercial offices.
St. Andre's Parish is a former parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, located on Bacon and Sullivan Streets in Biddeford, Maine, USA. The parish was founded in 1860 to serve the city's large French-Canadian and French-American communities. On July 1, 2008, St. Andres was merged into the newly formed Good Shepherd Parish. The parish complex of four buildings, including the church, rectory, convent and school, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, at which time most of it stood vacant.
The Poultney Main Street Historic District encompasses the commercial and residential historic core of the village of Poultney, Vermont. Centered on Main Street and East Main Street, between College Avenue and St. Raphael's Catholic Church, the district includes a diversity of architectural styles, as well as civic, religious, and commercial functions spanning a period of more than 100 years. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Waterville Main Street Historic District encompasses the best-preserved portions of the historical commercial downtown area of Waterville, Maine. Developed most intensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this area was the center of commerce for Waterville and the surrounding rural communities. It encompasses 25 properties on Main and Common Streets, including the Waterville Opera House and City Hall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, and was slightly enlarged in 2016.
The City Hall Park Historic District encompasses one of the central economic, civic, and public spaces of the city of Burlington, Vermont. Centered on City Hall Park, the area's architecture encapsulates the city's development from a frontier town to an urban commercial center. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Plainfield Village Historic District encompasses a significant portion of the village of Plainfield, Vermont. Located in northernmost Plainfield on United States Route 2, the village grew in the 19th century as a mill town and service community for the surround agricultural areas, and has a well-preserved collection of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Wells-Richardson Complex is a historic commercial-industrial area in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Bounded by Main, Pine, College, and St. Paul Streets just west of City Hall Park, the architecture on this one city block represents nearly a century's worth of development. It is dominated by the former plant of the Wells-Richardson Company, a highly successful maker of patent medicines in the late 19th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.