McLaughlin House and Garden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
McLaughlin House and Garden
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 97 Main St., South Paris, Maine |
|---|---|
| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Built | 1851 |
| Architect | Bernard McLaughlin |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001202 |
| Added to NRHP | October 27, 2000 |
The McLaughlin House and Garden is a special place in South Paris, Maine. It's like a living museum! This property has an old house, a connecting building, and a barn. All of these buildings were built in the mid-1800s. But the most amazing part is the garden. It was created by Bernard McLaughlin starting in the 1930s. Today, it has over 500 different kinds of flowers! It's one of only a few gardens like this in Maine. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Now, a local group owns it. You can visit it for free from May to October.
Contents
A Look at the House and Garden's Story
The McLaughlin House is a two-and-a-half-story wooden building. It sits close to Main Street in South Paris. The front door is in the middle. It has windows on the sides and a fanlight above. A fancy hood with Italianate brackets covers the entrance. To the left of the door, there's a bay window that sticks out.
A two-story section is set back from the main house. It connects to an old barn through a smaller building called an "ell." This ell and the wing have a covered porch on the south side. Inside the main house, the wooden decorations mix two styles. These are the Greek Revival and Italianate styles.
Who Lived Here?
People believe the house was built around 1851. A man named John Holmes bought the land that year. He sold it for a much higher price the next year. The house stayed with the Holmes and Bicknell families until 1890. Then, Frederick Tribou bought it.
Frederick Tribou's daughter, Rena, married Bernard McLaughlin in 1936. They lived in the house for many years. Rena passed away in 1986, and Bernard in 1995. The Tribou and McLaughlin families did not farm the land. Instead, they sold most of it over time for other buildings.
Bernard McLaughlin's Amazing Garden
Bernard McLaughlin loved plants and gardening. He was an amateur horticulturalist. This means he studied and grew plants as a hobby. He used parts of the old farmland to create a beautiful garden. He worked on this garden for sixty years!
In 1994, experts looked at the garden. They found more than 500 different types of plants! Most of these were irises and lilacs. But there were also many other annual and perennial flowers. Annuals grow for one season, while perennials come back every year. Woodland plants were also part of his collection.
Even though Bernard was an amateur, his garden became very important. It is one of only three such special gardens in all of Maine.
Visiting the Garden Today
Bernard McLaughlin wanted the property to be sold after he passed away. But local people who loved history and gardens worked together. They formed a group to save the property.
Today, the McLaughlin House and Garden is open to everyone. You can visit for free from May through October. If you want to learn even more, you can take a guided tour for a small fee. The property can also be rented for special events. It's a wonderful place to explore nature and history!
See also
