Nathan Harris House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Nathan Harris House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 425 Main St., Westbrook, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Hamblen & Prior |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001116 |
| Added to NRHP | October 14, 1993 |
The Nathan Harris House is a really old and special house located at 425 Main Street in Westbrook, Maine. It was built around 1830, which means it's almost 200 years old! This house is a great example of a building style called Federal architecture. What makes it extra cool are the beautiful paintings, called murals, on some of its walls. These murals were painted way back in the 1830s. Because of its history and unique features, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Today, it's used as an office.
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Discovering the Nathan Harris House
The Nathan Harris House is in a busy part of Westbrook. It sits on a piece of land surrounded by Cumberland Street, Main Street, and Harnois Avenue. The house is right next to another old building called the Warren Block.
What Does It Look Like?
The house is made of wood and has one and a half stories. The front of the house has five sections and looks very balanced. The main door is in the middle. It has special windows on the sides and a cool semi-oval fan shape above it.
Inside, some rooms still have their original Federal style woodwork. This woodwork is very fancy and well-made, especially for a house that was once quite simple.
The Amazing Murals
One of the most exciting parts of the Nathan Harris House is its murals. These are large paintings directly on the walls. You can find these oil-painted murals in the main hallway and the parlor on the right side.
Experts have studied these murals. They think the paintings might have been done by either Sturtevant J. Hamblen or William Matthew Prior. Both of these artists were known for their work in the Portland area during the 1830s.
A Glimpse into the Past
The Nathan Harris House was built between 1828 and 1830. It's a rare example of a merchant's home from that time. Many houses like this existed back then, but not many have survived.
Over the years, the area around the house became more commercial. So, in the 1900s, the house was changed into a law office. When the house was listed on the National Register in 1993, the murals were being carefully cleaned and repaired.
