Capt. Greenfield Pote House facts for kids
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Capt. Greenfield Pote House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Wolfe's Neck Road, Freeport, Maine |
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| Built | 1760 |
| Architectural style | Saltbox |
| Part of | Harraseeket Historic District (ID74000160) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000042 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 6, 1970 |
| Designated CP | June 28, 1974 |
The Captain Greenfield Pote House is a very old and important house located in Freeport, Maine, United States. It was built around 1750. Many people believe it was moved to its current spot in 1765. This makes it the oldest building still standing in Freeport.
The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special historic site. It is also part of the Harraseeket Historic District. Today, the University of Southern Maine owns this historic property.
The Story of This Old House
The Greenfield Pote House sits on Wolfe's Neck. This is a piece of land that sticks out into the water. It is across the Harraseeket River from the main part of Freeport. You can find it on the east side of Wolfe's Neck Road. It's just south of Burnett Road. It's also north of Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park.
The house is made of wood and has two floors. Its roof slopes down in the back. This gives it a unique shape called a saltbox house. The foundation is made of stones without mortar. The outside walls are covered with split cedar shingles. Many of these shingles might even be the original ones!
This house was first built around 1750. It was originally on Falmouth Neck. This area is now known as Portland. From 1760, Captain Greenfield Pote owned the house. He was a ship's captain. People in Falmouth complained because he would sail on Sundays. So, Captain Pote decided to move his home!
In 1765, the house was loaded onto a large flatboat. It sailed about 13 miles (21 km) across Casco Bay. Once it reached this area, workers moved the house on rollers. They carefully brought it to where it stands today.
Inside, the house has changed very little. The biggest change is that electricity was added. Around 1970, the Smith family owned the house. They cared a lot about keeping it safe. They also gave the land that became Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park. The barn next to the house was fixed up between 2017 and 2018.
The Pote Family Cemetery
The Pote Cemetery is named after Captain Greenfield Pote. It is located on private land across the street from the house. Most of the graves here are from 1797 to 1921. Captain Greenfield Pote himself is buried in this cemetery. However, his wife was buried in Falmouth.
