Nickels-Sortwell House facts for kids
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Nickels-Sortwell House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Front of the house
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 121 Main St. (corner of Federal) Wiscasset, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1807 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Wiscasset Historic District (ID73000242) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000078 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated CP | January 12, 1973 |
The Nickels-Sortwell House is a really old and special house in Wiscasset, Maine. It's like a museum you can visit! A rich ship captain built it way back in 1807.
This house is famous because it's a great example of the Federal style of architecture. This style was popular when the United States was a new country. Because it's so important, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
For many years in the 1800s, the house was a hotel. Then, in 1900, a family bought it and made it a private home again. Today, Historic New England owns the house. They offer tours from May to October, so people can see what life was like long ago.
Contents
What the Nickels-Sortwell House Looks Like
The Nickels-Sortwell House is a big, three-story building made of wood. It sits on Main Street in the middle of Wiscasset. The front of the house is covered in smooth, flat boards, while the sides have overlapping wooden planks called clapboards.
Front of the House Details
The front of the house is very fancy. It has a low, gently sloped roof. The main entrance is in the middle, with a single door. This door has tall, thin columns on each side and special oval-shaped windows next to it. Above the door, there's a beautiful fan-shaped window.
A small porch, called a portico, covers the entrance. It has four tall, decorative columns that hold up a railing. Above these columns, four more columns go all the way up to the roof. In the center of the second floor, there's a special Palladian window, which has three parts. On the third floor, there's a half-round window, just like the fanlight over the door.
Inside the House
Inside, the house has a unique layout. There's a main hallway that splits into a front public area and a back service area. The front hall is shaped like a half-oval. It has an arch dividing it. On each side of the front hall, there are large living rooms. A spiral staircase winds up in the center of the hall. Many of the original wooden details are still there, like window seats and hidden shutters.
History of the House
The house was built in 1807 by Captain William Nickels. He was a successful ship owner and trader. The house shows how rich and fancy Wiscasset was when shipbuilding was a big business.
Captain Nickels' Story
Sadly, Captain Nickels lost all his money because of new laws that stopped trade and a war that followed. He passed away in 1815.
From Hotel to Home
From 1820 to 1900, the house was used as a hotel. During this time, some changes were made inside, like dividing up some of the bedrooms.
In 1899, a man named Alvin F. Sortwell bought the house. His family redecorated it in a popular style called Colonial Revival. They added a sunny room, called a solarium, and changed the front porch to the one you see today. The Sortwells also bought back some land behind the house and built a carriage house there. A famous landscape design company helped create the garden.
Becoming a Museum
Frances Sortwell, Alvin's daughter, gave the house to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now called Historic New England) in 1958.
The Nickels-Sortwell House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1970. It's also part of the Wiscasset Historic District, which was listed in 1973. You can visit the house for tours from June 1st to October 15th. There's a small fee to get in, but members of Historic New England can visit for free. You can even rent part of the house for a short vacation!
See also
