Pennellville Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pennellville Historic District
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An historic barn, part of the property of 54 Pennell Way. Built in 1800, the adjacent home was originally that of Captain John A. Given (1779–1840)
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Pennellville Rd., Middle Bay Cove, and Pennell Way, Brunswick, Maine |
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| Area | 130 acres (53 ha) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002923 |
| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1985 |
Pennellville Historic District is a special neighborhood in Brunswick, Maine. People who live there often just call it "Pennellville." This area is famous for its old houses, especially those that belonged to ship captains. Many of these homes are right on the water.
Pennellville is important because of the Pennell Brothers shipbuilding company. This company built many wooden ships right here on Middle Bay Cove. They made about 90 large sailing ships for trade in the 1700s and 1800s.
Contents
History of Pennellville
Early Days: Native Americans and Settlers
Long ago, before European settlers arrived, Native Americans lived in the Pennellville area. The larger region was called "Pejepscot." This name included what is now Brunswick and nearby towns. The Native Americans moved from this area around 1725.
European settlers began to arrive later. Thomas Pennell moved to Brunswick before 1765. He had five sons, and four of them were John, Thomas, Matthew, and Stephen. His second son, Thomas Pennell II (born 1739), became a shipbuilder.
The Pennell Family and Shipbuilding
Thomas Pennell II and his sons were very good at building ships. They grew their shipbuilding business around the year 1800. Jacob Pennell (born 1778) was one of Thomas II's sons. He became the most successful of the brothers.
Jacob built at least 20 ships between 1810 and 1841. He bought much of the land in Pennellville that his father had owned. Jacob then built a large house for himself. Today, his house, the Jacob Pennell Mansion, is the oldest standing house in Pennellville.
Pennellville Today
Pennellville has not been built up too much. It still has many wooded areas and open fields. However, more homes have been built since the 1980s. Because of its rich history, Pennellville was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
You can still see signs of the old shipyard. At low tide, you can spot the "ways" in the bay at Pennellville Point. These were the wooden rails ships slid down when they were launched into the water.
Shipbuilding in Pennellville
The Pennell family started building wooden cargo ships around 1768. Their ships carried all kinds of goods. These included wood, animals, wine, salt, and fruit. Sometimes, people also traveled as passengers for a fee. It is important to know that the company was not involved in the slave trade.
The Pennell family was part of a big shipbuilding boom. Over 114 years, from 1760 to 1874, they built more than 90 ships. Sometimes the family kept the ships. Other times, they sold them. Some family members even became captains of the ships they built.
As the shipbuilding business grew, more houses were built. Jacob Pennell's sons later named the company "Pennell Brothers." The area where the business was located soon became known as "Pennellville."
Pennellville became a true community. Three roads in the area are named after the Pennell family: Pennellville Road, Old Pennellville Road, and Pennell Way. The area even had its own schoolhouse. The Pennells built seven houses in the area between 1768 and 1877.
The Pennell Brothers Shipyard
The Pennell Brothers company worked from their shipyard in Pennellville. The shipyard was located in Middle Bay Cove. Over time, the shipyard moved to three different spots in the bay. The first location was further inland. Later, it moved closer to the ocean twice.
Types of Ships Built
The ships the Pennells built are often called "tall ships." They built many different kinds, such as barques, schooners, sloops, and brigs. The largest ships could weigh over 2.8 million pounds (1,400 tons). The smallest weighed about 90,000 pounds (45 tons).
The Benjamin Sewall was the biggest ship built by the Pennells. It weighed about 2,866,000 pounds (1,433 tons). This ship was finished in 1874 and was the last one the Pennells ever built. In 1903, it sank off the coast of Taiwan.
End of the Shipyard
By the late 1800s, wooden sailing ships were becoming old-fashioned. New metal ships powered by steam were taking over. Railroads also became a popular way to ship goods. It became faster and safer to send cargo by train across the country than by sailing around Cape Horn. Wooden sailing ships were no longer needed as much.
In 1865, James Pennell, who was the main builder for Pennell Brothers, died in an accident at the shipyard. He was 56 years old. James was the last master builder from the Pennell family. His death was a big loss for the shipyard. By the early 1900s, the Pennellville shipyard had closed down.
Historic Homes of Pennellville
The Pennell family built many houses along Pennellville Road. Six of the seven original homes are still standing today. Here are some of the important houses:
- Thomas Pennell II House (1720–1770): This house is no longer standing. The Pennell family lived in a later building on this spot until 1870.
- Jacob Pennell House (1778–1841): Built in 1794 and made larger in 1806. It is a one-and-a-half story house with a classic Federal style.
- Benjamin D. Pennell House (1804–1861): Built in 1834. This two-story house has a Greek Revival style. It has a porch with columns and a barn built in 1876. There is also a carpenter shop from around 1850. This house later became a popular summer boarding house called Bay View Farm.
- James Pennell House (1809–1865): Built in 1838. This two-story house is also in the Greek Revival style. It has a special hexagonal cupola on top.
- Charles S. Pennell House (1815–1900): Built in 1843. This two-story Greek Revival house has a classic entrance. It also has a large barn with an Italianate style cupola. Famous writer Helen Keller once lived here with her teacher Anne Sullivan.
- William Pennell House (1781–1832): The original building was from 1780, and it was updated in 1862. It is a two-story house with a Greek Revival style. Pennells lived here until the 1900s.
- Job Pennell House (1812–1868): Built around 1860. This two-story house is also in the Greek Revival style.
A Famous Story: Captain Abby and Captain John
A well-known relative of the Pennell family was Robert P. T. Coffin (1892–1955). He was a writer who won a Pulitzer Prize. Robert Coffin lived in the Jacob Pennell II Mansion. He wrote a famous book called Captain Abby and Captain John (1939). This novel was about two Pennell ship captains and their adventures.
Images for kids
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An historic barn, part of the property of 54 Pennell Way. Built in 1800, the adjacent home was originally that of Captain John A. Given (1779–1840)
