Orono Main Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Orono Main Street Historic District
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St. from Maplewood Ave. to Pine St., Orono, Maine |
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| Area | 26 acres (11 ha) |
| Built | 1829 |
| Architect | Victor Hodgins, Charles Parker Crowell |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000082 |
| Added to NRHP | December 7, 1977 |
The Orono Main Street Historic District is a special area in Orono, Maine. It's like a time capsule, showing off many old homes and buildings from the 1800s. You can find it along Main Street. This area was important when Orono first started. It grew a lot in the early 1800s. Because of its history, this district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means it's a place worth protecting!
Contents
Discovering Orono's History
The town of Orono began in the 1770s. It officially became a town in 1806. The town was named after Joseph Orono, a respected Penobscot chief. For a while, Orono was a small place.
The Lumber Boom and Growth
Things changed in the 1820s when a "lumber boom" started. This means cutting down trees and selling wood became a huge business. This boom lasted until the 1840s. During this time, Orono's population grew very quickly.
Main Street, which is now U.S. Route 2, became a popular place to live. Important people in town built their fancy homes here. The historic district today includes 29 properties. Most of these buildings show off styles popular during Orono's growth. These styles are called Federal and Greek Revival.
Architectural Styles You Can See
Many houses in the district were built in the Federal or Greek Revival styles.
- Federal style homes often look simple and elegant. They usually have a balanced, boxy shape.
- Greek Revival style homes look a bit like ancient Greek temples. They might have tall columns or grand entrances.
Some houses were built later. Others were updated with newer styles over time. The district also has two churches and two school buildings.
Oldest Homes and Notable Buildings
The oldest house in the district is the George Read House. It's located at 128 Main Street. This house is from the Federal period. Later, a front porch, called a portico, was added in the Colonial Revival style.
Other Federal style houses include 143 and 148 Main Street. They were built in 1830 and 1831. These homes later had some Italianate style added to them. Italianate homes often have low-pitched roofs and decorative brackets.
The newest buildings in the district belong to St. Mary's Catholic Church. The church was built in 1905. The school building was added in 1914. Both were designed by Victor Hodgins from Bangor.
The other church in the district is the Universalist Church. It was built between 1843 and 1844 in the Greek Revival style. The other school building is at 88 Main Street. It was built in the 1820s but has been changed a lot since then.
Homes of Famous People
You can also see homes connected to important people:
- The Gov. Israel Washburn House is at 120 Main Street. It was built in 1840 by Israel Washburn, Jr.. He was Maine's governor during the American Civil War.
- The Nathaniel Treat House belonged to Nathaniel Treat. He owned several lumber mills in the area.
Notable Contributing Properties
- Jeremiah Colburn House
