Farmington Historic District (Farmington, Maine)

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Farmington Historic District
Downtown Farmington 7.JPG
Location Roughly bounded by High, Academy, Anson and Grove Sts., Farmington, Maine
Area 85 acres (34 ha)
Built 1875 (1875)
Architect George M. Coombs; Edwin E. Lewis
Architectural style Romanesque, Queen Anne, Italianate
NRHP reference # 94001551 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP January 20, 1995
Boundary decrease April 27, 2010

The Farmington Historic District encompasses much of the main central business district of Farmington, Maine. Farmington was settled in the 1770s, and experienced its most rapid growth after being named the shire town (county seat) of Franklin County in 1838, with a secondary spurt of redevelopment after a major fire in the 1880s. Its central business district encompasses many of the town's historic resources, and its most significant commercial and civic architecture. The district, which includes more than 130 resource over 85 acres (34 ha), was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. [1]

Farmington, Maine Town in Maine, United States

Farmington is a town in and the county seat of Franklin County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,760. Farmington is home to the University of Maine at Farmington, the Nordica Memorial Auditorium, the Homestead, and the annual Farmington Fair.

A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is used in Canada, China, Romania, Taiwan and the United States. County towns have a similar function in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and historically in Jamaica.

Franklin County, Maine County in the United States

Franklin County is a county located in the state of Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 30,768, making it the second-least populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Farmington. The county was established on May 9, 1838 and named for Benjamin Franklin.

Contents

Description and history

The Farmington Historic District is primarily laid out along a stretch of Main Street, extending roughly between Belcher Road in the north and the junction of Main and Prescott Streets in the south. It also includes High Street between Middle and Anson Streets, and extends eastward along Broadway, Court and Orchards Streets. This area includes substantially all of the historic elements of the town's central business district, while excluding most of the campus of the University of Maine at Farmington, which lies just to the south on High and Main. [2]

University of Maine at Farmington

The University of Maine at Farmington is a public liberal arts college and a founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, offering programs in teacher education, human services and arts and sciences as a part of the University of Maine System.

The center of the central business district is at the junction of Main Street and Broadway. Blocks to the north, south, and east are lined with brick commercial buildings. The Franklin County Courthouse lies one block north of this intersection, between Church and Anson Streets, and is one of several buildings designed by noted Maine architect George Coombs. The areas north and east of these blocks give way to more residential structures, with a few churches on High Street and near the southern end of the district on Main Street. Notable civic buildings in the district, besides the county courts, include town hall and the Cutler Memorial Library, a Beaux Arts structure built in early 20th century. [2]

Cutler Memorial Library library

The Cutler Memorial Library building houses the public library of Farmington, Maine. It is located at 117 Academy Street, between the downtown area and the campus of the University of Maine at Farmington. Its building, dedicated to the memory of Nathan Cutler, was built in 1901-03 as the town's first dedicated library building, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Greenacre, which stands high above Court Street, is probably the town's finest Italianate mansion. [2] "Fewacres", the home of noted juvenile fiction writer Jacob Abbott, was originally part of the district, but was demolished c. 2010. Churches of interest include the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, and the former Free Will Baptist Church, which is now a garage at 219 Main Street. [1]

Greenacre (Farmington, Maine) building in Maine, United States

Greenacre is a historical house in Farmington, Maine. It is set on a large lot bounded by Court, Fountain, and Orchard Streets, northeast of Farmington's downtown area. Built in 1880, it is one of the largest and most ornate 19th-century houses in Franklin County. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Jacob Abbott House

Jacob Abbott House also known as Fewacres was a historic house in Farmington, Maine. It was built in 1819 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was the home of Jacob Abbott, author of children's books.

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ church building in Maine, United States of America

The First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, also known as the New Old South Congregational Church, is a historic church at 235 Main Street in Farmington, Maine. The congregation's present sanctuary is a brick Romanesque structure designed by George M. Coombs and was completed in 1887. It is the town's finest 19th-century church, and one of the most architecturally sophisticated in the region. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The congregation, established in 1814, celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2014.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine Wikimedia list article

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine.

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References