Bond Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bond Street Historic District
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25 Bond Street
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 8,9,12,18,21,22,25 Bond St., Augusta, Maine |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1878-1884 |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000137 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 2014 |
The Bond Street Historic District is a special neighborhood in Augusta, Maine. It is known for its old houses that tell a story about the past. These seven houses were built a long time ago, mostly in 1884. They were built by a big company called Edwards Manufacturing Company. This company made textiles, like cloth, and these houses were for their workers. People lived here from 1878 until 1946. Today, these houses are the only ones left in Augusta that were built for mill workers. Because they are so important, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Contents
What is the Bond Street Historic District?
Bond Street is a short street in Augusta, Maine. It connects Water Street (Maine State Route 104) with State Street (Maine State Route 27). You can find it just north of downtown Augusta. It is also very close to Bond Brook and the Kennebec River.
A Look at the Houses
The district has seven houses. They are all 1-1/2 stories tall and made of wood. They look very similar in size and how far they are from the road. On the north side of Bond Street, there are two buildings with four homes each. There is also one house for a single family. On the south side, there are four duplexes, which means each building has two homes.
Life in a Mill Town
Bond Street is located where Augusta first started to grow. The street was likely planned around 1838. Bond Brook had been used for power by factories since the 1700s. In 1837, a dam was built across the Kennebec River. This brought many new factories and more people to Augusta.
In 1882, a big factory called the Edwards Corporation bought the main mill. This company became one of the biggest employers in Augusta. Edwards, and other mill owners before them, built homes for their workers. These houses on Bond Street were built between 1878 and 1884. They were designed to hold 17 families. However, by 1900, 20 families lived there, with 167 people in total!
Why are these houses special?
These homes on Bond Street are very important. They are the best examples of 19th-century worker housing left in Augusta. They show us how mill workers and their families lived a long time ago. They help us understand the history of Augusta's factories and the people who worked in them.
