George Ulmer House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George Ulmer House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3 S. Cobbtown Rd., Lincolnville, Maine |
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| Area | 5.1 acres (2.1 ha) |
| Built | 1799 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000922 |
| Added to NRHP | October 4, 2006 |
The George Ulmer House is a historic home located in Lincolnville, Maine. It was built in 1799. At that time, it was the biggest and fanciest house in the whole area. This house was built for George Ulmer. He was a very important person who managed a large business near the Ducktrap River. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. This means it's a special place worth protecting because of its history.
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About the Ulmer House
The Ulmer House stands on a small hill. It is located near the corner of South Cobbtown Road and United States Route 1. The house is just east of the Ducktrap River. It offers great views down the river towards Penobscot Bay.
What the House Looks Like
The house is a two-story building made of wood. It has a classic look with a flat roof that slopes gently (called a hip roof). The outside is covered with wooden boards (clapboard siding). It sits on a strong stone foundation.
The main front of the house faces south. It has five windows or doors across the front. The main door is right in the middle. A small porch with its own hip roof covers this entrance and the two windows next to it. There's also another entrance on the west side of the house.
Inside the Historic Home
When you go inside, you can still see many original parts. This includes the plaster on the walls and the wooden details. There's a beautiful staircase in the main hallway. For many years, the house was divided into two separate living spaces. This caused some changes to its original design.
The Story of George Ulmer
The George Ulmer House was built in 1799. George Ulmer was one of the richest people in Hancock County at that time. Later, this area became Waldo County in 1827.
Ulmer's Business and Influence
George Ulmer had strong connections in politics. He worked as a land agent for Henry Knox. Knox was a very large landowner in the 1790s. Ulmer used his connections to get money from important people in Boston, Massachusetts. This helped him build a big business that focused on lumber. He bought land from Knox at a lower price because of his work.
Ulmer used his power as a land agent to help his own businesses grow. However, some of the smaller landowners in the area were not happy with him. They didn't like how he and Knox did business. Sometimes, things happened to Ulmer's businesses that caused him to lose money. For example, his first large house, built in 1796, was destroyed by a fire.
Challenges and Changes
George Ulmer's money problems started to get worse around 1807. His mills, which were important for his lumber business, were destroyed by floods in the spring. Then, replacement mills were also destroyed later that year. Because of these losses, Ulmer lost his house in 1812. He could no longer afford to keep it.
After Ulmer lost the house, it was changed into two separate homes for different families. It stayed this way until 1999. A new owner then bought the house and put the two sides back together. It's not fully clear if some differences in the upstairs rooms were made by later owners. Or perhaps George Ulmer left them unfinished because of his money troubles.
