The Gothic House

Last updated

The Gothic House
TheGothicHousePortland.JPG
The Gothic House in December 2010
USA Maine location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
The Gothic House
Interactive map showing the location of The Gothic House
Location387 Spring St., Portland, Maine
Coordinates 43°38′45″N70°16′21″W / 43.64583°N 70.27250°W / 43.64583; -70.27250
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built1845
Architect Henry Rowe
Architectural styleGothic Revival
Part of Spring Street Historic District (ID70000043)
NRHP reference No. 72001539 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 31, 1974
Designated CPApril 3, 1970

The Gothic House, also known as the John J. Brown House, is an historic house at 387 Spring Street in Portland, Maine. Built in 1845, it is one of Maine's finest and earliest known examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Although it is virtually unaltered, it was moved down Spring Street in 1971 to avoid demolition. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1]

Contents

Description and history

The Gothic House is located in Portland's West End neighborhood, on the north side of Spring Street, a short way east of the Western Cemetery. Spring Street here is part of the Spring Street Historic District, a cluster of well-preserved 19th century residences. [2] The house is a two-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof, wooden siding treated to resemble rusticated stone, and a modern concrete foundation. The main (south-facing) facade is three bays wide, with a central projecting section housing the main entrance. That section, topped by a steeply-pitched gable, has a two-pointed Gothic arched window on the second level, and the entrance, sheltered by a Gothic-detailed porch on the first. Windows in the flanking bays are diamond-paned casement windows. The main gable in front, and smaller gables on the side elevations, are all decorated with bargeboard trim. [3]

The house was designed by Irish immigrant Henry Rowe (1812–1870), a major proponent of the Gothic Revival, and built in 1845; it is believed to be Rowe's first commission in the state, [3] and is described in city promotional materials as the finest example of Gothic Revival architecture in Maine. [4] The design is based in part on examples published in Andrew Jackson Downing's 1842 Cottage Residences. The house was originally located approximately a mile to the east of the present location, closer to the city's port area. Faced with demolition in 1971, it was moved further down Spring Street and a Holiday Inn hotel was constructed in the former location. [3]

A bronze and brass Gothic chandelier that once hung in the parlor of the house was on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City from April to September 1970. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Blacklock House</span> Historic house in South Carolina, United States

The William Blacklock House is a historic house at 18 Bull Street in Charleston, South Carolina. A National Historic Landmark, this brick house, built in 1800 for a wealthy merchant, is one of the nation's finest examples of Adamesque architecture. It is now owned by the College of Charleston, housing its Office of the foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake–Peterson House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Lake–Peterson House, also known as Jenny's, is a Victorian Gothic Revival home in Rockford, Illinois, United States. The house was built in 1873, probably by prominent Rockford citizen John Lake - its first owner, but its architect is unknown. The house is a significant example of Gothic Revival architecture and is considered one of the finest such homes in the U.S. state of Illinois. The Lake–Peterson House is owned and maintained by Swedish American Hospital in Rockford and stands adjacent to the main hospital complex along Business US 20. The building and its carriage house were added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Universalist Church (Auburn, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The First Universalist Church is a historic church building on the corner of Pleasant, Elm, and Spring Streets in Auburn, Maine. It was built in 1876 to a design by John Stevens of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been a significant landmark in the city since its construction. It is a fine local example of Gothic Revival architecture executed in brick, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Lewiston, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic former church building at 257 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built 1864–67, it was the first Roman Catholic church in the city, and is one of only two surviving buildings in the state designed by Patrick C. Keely. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The church closed in 2009, and was in 2013 threatened with demolition. Alternative uses for the structure are still being sought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winthrop Street Baptist Church</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

Winthrop Street Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church located at 39 Winthrop Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. The Late Gothic Revival church was built in 1862 and was the second Baptist church built on the site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Portland, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a historic cathedral at 307 Congress Street in Portland, Maine that serves as seat of the Diocese of Portland. The pastor is Bishop Robert Deeley, and the rector is Father Seamus Griesbach. The church, an imposing Gothic Revival structure built in 1866–69, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is the tallest building in Portland and the third tallest in Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Street Methodist Church (Portland, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Church and Rectory</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

St. Paul's Church and Rectory is an historic Episcopal church at 279 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. Built in 1868 for a newly established congregation, it is a fine local example of Gothic Revival architecture, designed by English architect George Browne Pelham. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The present pastor is Rev. Samuel L. Logan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Parish Congregational Church and Parish House</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The South Parish Congregational Church and Parish House is a historic church at 9 Church Street in Augusta, Maine. Built in 1865, the church is a major Gothic Revival work of Maine's leading mid-19th century architect, Francis H. Fassett, and its 1889 parish house, designed by James H. Cochrane, is a rare example in the state of Stick style architecture. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The congregation was established in 1773, when the area was part of Hallowell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Congregational Church (Newcastle, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Second Congregational Church is a historic church on River Street in Newcastle, Maine. Built in 1848, it is one of Mid Coast Maine's finest examples of brick Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The congregation, established in 1843, is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter Street Church</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Winter Street Church, originally known as the Winter Street Congregational Church, is an historic former Congregational church at 880 Washington Street, corner of Winter Street in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine. Built in 1843-44, it is a fine early example of Gothic Revival architecture, designed and built by a local master builder. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1971. The building was saved from destruction by Sagadahoc Preservation Inc. in 1971, and is now called the Winter Street Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparrow House (Portland, Maine)</span> A Historic house in Maine, United States

The Sparrow House is an historic house at 35 Arlington Street in the Woodford's Corner and Back Cove neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Built in 1852, it is a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Boody House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Henry Boody House also known as the Boody-Johnson House, is an historic house at 256 Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine, United States. Built in 1849, it is an important early example of Gothic Revival Architecture, whose design was published by Andrew Jackson Downing in 1850 and received wide notice. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henrietta Brewer House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Henrietta Brewer House, originally The Cottage House and now Redclyffe Shore Motel, is a historic private residence located on U.S. Route 1 in Robbinston, Maine, United States. Erected between 1861 and 1863, the house is one of the finest examples of high-style Gothic Revival architecture in Down East Maine. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Cabins built along the Passamaquoddy Bay are used as motel units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seavey-Robinson House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Seavey-Robinson House is a historic house built in the Carpenter Gothic style in South Portland, Maine. Built c. 1854–57, it is a rare example of a Carpenter Gothic cottage, originally built in a rural setting, since urbanized. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisha F. Stone House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Elisha F. Stone House is a historic house at the corner of High and Gothic Streets in South Paris, Maine. Built in 1854, it is one of the finest Gothic Revival houses in Oxford County. The house was designed by Portland-based Henry Rowe, and built for Elisha F. Stone, a local merchant, tailor, and postmaster. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The A. B. Leavitt House is a historic house on Main Street in the Sherman Mills village of Sherman, Maine. Built in 1890, the house is a high-quality and well-preserved example of Gothic Revival mail-order architecture, being a nearly-intact and faithful rendition of a design pattern published by the architectural firm of Palliser, Palliser & Company, deviating only in the addition of a carriage house. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles W. Jenkins House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Charles W. Jenkins House is a historic house at 67 Pine Street in Bangor, Maine. Built in 1845–46, it is a well-preserved example of a Gothic Revival cottage in an urban setting. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William F. Grant House</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The William F. Grant House is a historic house at 869 Main Street in North Vassalboro, Maine. Built in 1850 by a Scottish immigrant, it is a distinctive local example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Rowe (architect)</span>

Henry Rowe was an Irish architect who practiced in nineteenth-century Massachusetts, New York and Maine. One of his most noted designs is The Gothic House, in the Spring Street Historic District of Portland, Maine, which was built in 1845. It is believed to be Rowe's first commission in the state, and is described in city promotional materials as the finest example of Gothic Revival architecture in Maine.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. John W. Briggs (December 31, 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Spring Street Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service . Retrieved May 31, 2015. Ten Photos
  3. 1 2 3 Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. (September 16, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: The Gothic House" (PDF). National Park Service . Retrieved May 31, 2015. Also contains pre-move 1971 nomination. Photo (1971)
  4. Guide to the Western Promenade Archived 2011-03-07 at the Wayback Machine Portland Landmarks
  5. 19th-Century America: Furniture and other Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1970), item 103