Hannibal Hamlin House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hannibal Hamlin House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 15 5th St., Bangor, Maine |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Mansard |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000160 |
| Added to NRHP | October 9, 1979 |
The Hannibal Hamlin House is a special old house at 15 5th Street in Bangor, Maine. It was built around 1848 to 1851. This beautiful house was once the home of Hannibal Hamlin. He was a very important person: the Vice President of the United States!
Hamlin lived here from 1862 until he passed away in 1891. Later, from 1933 to 2007, the house was used by the president of the Bangor Theological Seminary. Because of its history, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
Discover the Hamlin House
The Hamlin House is located on the northwest side of 5th Street. This is a quiet neighborhood in Bangor. It's west of the city's main downtown area.
What the House Looks Like
This house is two and a half stories tall. It is made of wood. It has a special type of roof called a mansard roof. This roof was added later. It gives the house a full third floor!
The front part of the house has smooth, flat siding. The back part has clapboard siding. This means it has overlapping wooden boards. The roof is covered with fancy, cut slate shingles. You can also see decorative brackets under the eaves.
The Front Porch
The front of the house faces the street. It has a porch with a hip roof. This porch goes all the way across the front. It is held up by square posts. These posts also have paired brackets at the top.
The main door is on the northeast side. It has a similar porch. There is also a small, projecting entrance area called a vestibule.
A Home for a Vice President
The Hannibal Hamlin House was built by William T. Hilliard. He was a court clerk and customs officer. He built the house sometime between 1848 and 1851.
Hannibal Hamlin's Life in the House
Hannibal Hamlin bought this house in 1862. This was during his time as Vice President. He served under President Abraham Lincoln. Hamlin lived in this house until he died in 1891. In 1870, he added the mansard roof and the third story.
Hamlin was a very important person in Maine politics. He was active from 1836 until his death. He served in the state legislature. He was also in the United States Congress, both the House and the Senate.
He started his political career as a Democrat. But in 1856, he became a Republican. He even served briefly as Governor of Maine in 1857.
Later Years of the House
In 1933, Hannibal Hamlin's son gave the house to the Bangor Theological Seminary. The seminary used it for many years. It was the official home for their president. The house was sold in 2007. It was part of a larger sale of the seminary campus.
