Lower Lisbon Street Historic District | |
Location | West side of Lisbon St. between Cedar and Chestnut, Lewiston, Maine |
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Coordinates | 44°5′36″N70°12′58″W / 44.09333°N 70.21611°W |
Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
Architectural style | Classical Revival, Late Victorian |
NRHP reference No. | 85001128 [1] |
Added to NRHP | May 21, 1985 |
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. [2] Eleven of these have since been demolished, and one has a significantly altered facade.
The city of Lewiston was established in 1850 as a center for the manufacture of textiles, and its downtown area developed along Lisbon Street between then and about 1920, when the textile mills began a slow decline. The upper portion of Lisbon Street, between Main and Chestnut Streets, experienced intensive repeated development, and little of the city's early commercial architecture survives there. The lower part of the street was less intensively developed, resulting in a collection of buildings architecturally representative of the entire period of development. The historic district extends for one city block, including all of the buildings on the west side of Lisbon Street between Chestnut and Cedar Streets. [2] The older buildings on the east side of this block have for the most part been razed and the land redeveloped, with only the First and Second Callahan Buildings (both separately listed on the National Register) at the northern end; they are not included in this district.
When listed on the National Register in 1985, the west side of this block was lined with commercial buildings, most of them built of brick and masonry. Of the eighteen buildings then on the block, twelve were judged historically significant, [2] and only seven are still standing. [3] One of the surviving buildings is the district's oldest, a 2+1⁄2-story wood frame gable-front building built c. 1850–55. It is flanked by later four-story buildings, one Romanesque and the other Classical Revival, dating to 1914 and 1896 respectively. To the south stand two more buildings, one four stories and the other one, with commercial Italianate style, but a significantly-altered combined ground-floor storefront. Two three-story brick buildings still stand near the northern end of the block, one of which, the Centennial Block, has Gothic Victorian styling. [2]
Lewiston is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous city. It is one-half of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly referred to as "L/A." or "L-A." Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the diversity, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for an overall low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and a low violent-crime rate. In recent years, the city of Lewiston has also seen a spike in economic and social growth. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to a significant Somali population as well as the largest French-speaking population in the United States while it is second to St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, in percentage of speakers.
The Odd Fellows Block is a historic commercial building at 182-190 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1876, it is an important early work of Lewiston architect George M. Coombs, then in partnership with William H. Stevens. It is a significant local example of commercial Victorian Gothic architecture, which typified Lewiston's downtown of the period. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Lewiston Trust and Safe Deposit Company is a historic commercial building at 46 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1898, it is one of the least-altered designs of the important local architectural firm Coombs, Gibbs & Wilkinson. Its only significant alterations were in 1926 and the 1940s, when it served as a retail space occupied by Grant's Clothing for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It continues to house retail and other commercial tenants.
The First Callahan Building is an historic commercial and residential building at 276 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1892 to a design by noted local architect George M. Coombs, the Renaissance Reviva brick building was part of a major development on the city's main commercial street by the Callahan brothers, owners of a local gentleman's furnishings store. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The First National Bank is a historic commercial building in Lewiston, Maine. Built about 1903 for the city's first chartered bank, it is a fine local example of French-inspired Classical Revival architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Lord Block is a historic commercial building in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1865, it is one of downtown Lewiston's oldest commercial buildings, and a reminder of the city's early commercial character. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The College Block/Lisbon Block is an historic commercial and civic building in Lewiston, Maine, United States. Built in 1855-56, it is the oldest surviving building in the city of the Franklin Company, the city's major early developer. The building has house many local civic groups, and served as Lewiston's town hall prior to its incorporation as a city in 1863. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Manufacturer's National Bank is an historic commercial building at 145 Lisbon Street Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1914, it was the tallest commercial building in Lewiston until 1950, and was one of the last major commercial buildings erected in the city before World War I, and one of the few that exhibits Classical Revival style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Osgood Building is an historic commercial building at 129 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1893, it is one of few known surviving commercial works by local architect Jefferson L. Coburn, and the only known use of imported English white brick in the state. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Pilsbury Block is an historic commercial building at 200-210 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. The block was built in 1870, and is a late example of Italianate architecture, exhibiting some Romanesque details. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Lewiston Main Post Office of Lewiston, Maine is located at 49 Ash Street in downtown Lewiston. Built in 1933 and enlarged in 1975, it is a fine local example of Colonial Revival architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as U.S. Post Office–Lewiston Main.
The Savings Bank Block is an historic commercial building at 215 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1870, it is a fine local example of commercial Second Empire architecture, and is representative of the city's early development as an industrial center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Second Callahan Block is an historic commercial building at 282 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1909 to a design by Coombs & Gibbs, it was part of a major development by brothers Timothy and Eugene Callahan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Although initially developed as a commercial property, it is presently used as housing.
The Union Block is a historic commercial building at 21-29 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1870, it is a good local example of commercial Italianate architecture, built during a significant period of the city's growth. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Nobility Hill Historic District is a residential historic district roughly bounded by Chestnut and Maple Streets and Cedar Avenue in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The district includes a number of high quality houses representing a cross section of fashionable housing built between 1860 and 1920. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
The Main Street–Frye Street Historic District is a historic district comprising houses on Frye Street and parts of College Street and Main Street in Lewiston, Maine. This area was part of the most fashionable residential district of the city in the second half of the 19th century, and was home to many of the city's elite. Its architectural styles are diverse, with a significant number of homes designed by local architect George M. Coombs. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The former Chestnut Street Methodist Church is an historic church building at 15 Chestnut Street in Portland, Maine. Built in 1856, it is rare in the city as an early example of Gothic Revival architecture, and is one of the few surviving works of Charles A. Alexander, a popular architect of the period. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It now houses a restaurant.
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.
The Whitney Park Historic District is a residential historic district on the west side of Bangor, Maine. The district contains 42 residential properties built between 1850 and 1910, a major period of the city's growth, and is anchored on its south by Whitney Park, a small triangular park at Hammond and Cedar Streets. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and is protected by the city's local historic district ordinance.
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.