Maine State Building facts for kids
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Maine State Building
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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 | Preservation Way, South Poland, Maine |
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| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Charles Sumner Frost |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Part of | Poland Springs Historic District (ID13000595) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000148 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 18, 1974 |
| Designated CP | August 13, 2013 |
The Maine State Building is a very old and special building in South Poland, Maine. It is located on Preservation Way, which is part of the famous Poland Spring resort. This building has a fascinating history because it was first built in 1893 for a huge event called the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
The building was designed by an architect named Charles Sumner Frost. He was from Chicago but grew up in Lewiston, Maine. What makes this building truly unique is that all its parts, like the granite stones and the slate roof, came from Maine. Even the people who built it were skilled workers and companies from Maine. At the big fair in Chicago, the building showed off many cool things about the state of Maine.
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A Special Building from a Big Fair
The Maine State Building was first created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. This was a huge world's fair held in Chicago, Illinois. Countries and states built special buildings to show off their achievements and resources. The Maine State Building was Maine's way of showing its best to the world.
Built with Maine's Best
The building was made using strong granite stones. These stones came from ten different quarries all over Maine. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground. The roof was covered with slate, a type of rock used for roofing. This slate came from the Monson Slate Company in Monson, Maine. Using materials from Maine showed off the state's natural resources.
Moving a Giant Puzzle
After the World's Fair ended, the Ricker Family, who owned the Poland Spring resort, bought the building. They paid $30,000 for it. Moving such a large building was a huge job! They had to take it apart very carefully.
A team of 19 men from Poland Spring went to Chicago. They were led by Forest Walker, who was the resort's head carpenter. They took the building apart piece by piece. Each section was carefully marked so it could be put back together. The pieces were then loaded onto 16 special freight train cars. It cost over three thousand dollars just to transport it!
The building arrived in Maine and was put back together at the Poland Spring resort. The first stone was laid on August 14, 1894. The Maine State Building was officially opened on July 1, 1895. This was part of a big celebration for the Ricker family settling in Poland.
What Was Inside?
Once the Maine State Building was moved to Poland Spring, it had new purposes. The first floor became a library and a reading room. People could go there to read books and relax. The second floor had bedrooms for guests who stayed overnight at the resort. The third floor was an Art Gallery. Here, visitors could see beautiful American art.
Keeping History Alive Today
Today, the Maine State Building is looked after by the Poland Spring Preservation Society. This group works hard to fix up and protect the Maine State Building. They also care for another historic building nearby, the All Soul's Chapel.
The Society runs the Nettie Ricker Art Gallery inside the Maine State Building. This gallery often has new art shows. It features art from local artists and those from the surrounding region.
One of a Kind
The Maine State Building is very special because it is one of only a few buildings left from the 1893 World's Fair. Other buildings that still exist include:
- The Norway Building in Norway, Wisconsin.
- The Dutch House in Massachusetts.
- The Palace of Fine Arts (now the Museum of Science and Industry) in Chicago.
- The World Congress Auxiliary Building (now the Art Institute of Chicago) in Chicago.
