Gay-Munroe House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gay-Munroe House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 64 Highland Ave., Auburn, Maine, U.S. |
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| Built | 1878 |
| Architect | Stevens & Coombs |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001422 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 2001 |
The Gay-Munroe House is a really old and cool house at 64 Highland Avenue in Auburn, Maine. It was built in 1878 for Charles Gay, who made shoes in the town. The house looks special because it mixes different styles from the late Victorian time. Later, another important shoe maker named Willard Noble Munroe lived there for many years. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, which means it's an important historical building.
About the Gay-Munroe House
The Gay-Munroe House is on Highland Avenue in a quiet neighborhood of Auburn. It's not far from the center of town. This house is two-and-a-half stories tall and made of wood. It's shaped a bit like the letter 'T' from above.
It has a special roof called a 'hip roof'. Parts of the house stick out with pointed 'cross gables'. There's also a smaller section with a hip roof at the back. On top of the main roof, you can see a square tower with a pointed roof, called a cupola. This sits between two brick chimneys.
The outside of the house is mostly covered in vinyl siding. But many of its original decorations from the 1800s are still there. The front of the house has a section that sticks out. It's two stories high. A narrow dormer window with a pointed roof comes out of the main roof. This dormer has fancy 'Stick style' wooden decorations. You can see similar decorations on the larger side section that sticks out.
There's a one-story porch in the corner of the house. It has round posts and a railing. Decorative bands of trim go around the house at the top and bottom of the windows.
History of the House and its Owners
The house was designed by a company from Lewiston called Stevens & Coombs. It was built in 1878 for Charles Gay. Charles Gay was a big part of Auburn's shoe industry. Making shoes was the main business in Auburn at that time.
In 1894, Willard Noble Munroe bought the house. He was the person who started and was the first president of the Auburn Shoe Manufacturer's Association. This group was very important for shoe makers in the area. Willard Munroe also worked as the treasurer for the Brompton Pulp and Paper Company in Quebec. At the time, this was one of Canada's biggest paper companies.
