Benjamin Riggs House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Benjamin Riggs House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Robinhood Rd., Georgetown, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003008 |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 1988 |
The Benjamin Riggs House is a very old and special home located on Robinhood Road in Georgetown, Maine. It was built around 1790, making it the oldest house in Georgetown! This house is a great example of a style called "transitional Georgian-Federal architecture." Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Contents
What Does the Benjamin Riggs House Look Like?
The Benjamin Riggs House is on the east side of Robinhood Road. It is close to the Robinhood Marine Center in northern Georgetown. This house has two stories and is made of wood.
Key Features of the House
The house has a "hip roof," which means all sides slope downwards to the walls. It also has a chimney in the middle. The outside walls are covered with "clapboard siding," which are overlapping wooden boards. The house sits on a strong "granite foundation."
The front of the house faces south. There's an extra part, called an "ell," that goes north and connects the house to a barn. The front of the house has three sections that are arranged evenly. The main door has decorative columns called "pilasters" on each side. Above the door, there's a half-round window that looks like a fan, and a decorative top part called a "cornice."
Inside the Historic Home
Inside the Benjamin Riggs House, you can still see many original features from when it was built. For example, the fireplaces have special paneled surrounds. There's also "beaded wainscoting," which is decorative wood paneling on the lower part of the walls. The front staircase has "turned newel posts" and "balusters," which are beautifully shaped wooden parts.
Who Was Benjamin Riggs?
The Benjamin Riggs House was built around 1790 by Benjamin Riggs himself. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He supposedly moved to this area in 1776 when he was just seventeen years old.
Benjamin Riggs' Achievements
Benjamin Riggs was very successful in the shipping business. He had this house built, along with special buildings called "storehouses" near a wharf where ships would dock. He was also involved in politics. He served in the government of Massachusetts. Later, after Maine became its own state in 1820, he served in the Maine government too. This house is known as the most unique and beautiful home in the Robinhood area of Georgetown.
