James Leavitt House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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James Leavitt House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6 Old Alfred Rd Waterboro, Maine |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 04001051 |
| Added to NRHP | September 22, 2004 |
The James Leavitt House is a special old home in Waterboro Center, Maine. It was built in 1850 and looks like a classic Greek temple, which is why it's called a Greek Revival style house. It's made of wood and sits on a strong granite foundation.
This house was built for a rich businessman named James Leavitt. Today, the town of Waterboro owns it. They have turned it into a museum called the Taylor/Frey/Leavitt House Museum. It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it's so important and well-preserved.
Contents
The Story of James Leavitt and His Home
Who Was James Leavitt?
James Leavitt moved to Waterboro Center with his family sometime between 1830 and 1840. He came from a nearby town called Alfred, Maine. People described him as a very smart businessman.
How James Leavitt Made His Fortune
James Leavitt had several ways of making money. He bought and sold local farm products in big cities like Portland and Boston. He also ran a general store right near his house, where people could buy everyday things.
One interesting business he had was with fabric. He would buy pre-cut fabric in Boston. Then, he would give this fabric to women in the local area. These women would sew the fabric into men's suits, shirts, and pants. James Leavitt would then sell these finished clothes back to stores in Boston, often making a good profit. The women who sewed for him were paid with credits they could use at his store. His detailed records from these transactions are still kept at the Leavitt House today.
Building a Grand Home
Because of his many successful businesses, James Leavitt became very wealthy. He used his money to build a fancy home that showed off his success. The James Leavitt House was finished in 1850.
This two-story Greek Revival home was big enough for James, his wife, and their 12 children! It has amazing details inside. You can see fancy molding and carved designs on the corners of the rooms. These kinds of details were very rare in homes in rural Maine back then.
The house still has its original fancy wallpaper. It also features some of the best "wood-graining" in the whole state. Wood-graining is a special painting technique that makes regular wood look like expensive, patterned wood.
The Art of Wood-Graining
The wood-graining at the Leavitt House is very special. It's thought that a professional artist, like Jason Hamilton from nearby Sanford, might have done the work. He was known as a "fancy painter."
The painting doesn't just try to copy natural wood. Instead, it mixes different wood patterns, like "bird's-eye maple" and "tiger-maple," on the same doors. This shows a very artistic way of painting. You can even see painted pictures of a rooster and a swan on the back doors of two cabinets!
Who Lived Here After James Leavitt?
The Leavitt House was built in what was once the busiest part of Waterboro Center. It's a very large home with seven bedrooms on its second floor.
After James Leavitt passed away around 1880, the house became a second home for his family. His son, Benjamin Leavitt, became a successful businessman in Saco, Maine. He used his father's house as a summer getaway.
Later, Benjamin Leavitt's daughter, Louella Frey, inherited the home. After her, it went to her two daughters. One of them was a writer named Helen Taylor. She even wrote a book called A Time to Recall, which was set in her family home.
In 1989, Helen Taylor's three sons sold the house to the town of Waterboro. James Leavitt, who was born in Alfred, Maine, in 1797, and his wife, Lovey Stevens, are buried in Waterboro Center, not far from the house they built.
Today, the James Leavitt House is a local history museum. It helps people learn about life in Waterboro in the past.
See also
