Stephen Parsons House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Stephen Parsons House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Old Mill Rd. Edgecomb, Maine |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1806 |
| Architect | Parsons, Stephen |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003648 |
| Added to NRHP | October 6, 1983 |
The Stephen Parsons House is a special old building located on Old Mill Road in Edgecomb, Maine. It was built in 1806 by Stephen Parsons, who was an important local businessman and politician. This house is a great example of a building style called Federal architecture. Inside, you can see beautiful patterns painted on the walls, known as stencilwork, especially in the main hallway. Because of its history and unique style, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
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About the Stephen Parsons House
The Stephen Parsons House sits in a quiet, countryside area. It is at the very end of Old Mill Road, a bit southwest of the main part of Edgecomb village. The house faces south, and a small stream called Parsons Creek runs just to its west.
What Does It Look Like?
This house is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a sloped roof and two chimneys inside the house. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding, which are long, thin boards.
The front of the house has five sections, called bays. The main door is in the middle. It has narrow windows on either side, called sidelight windows. Above the door, there is a half-circle window with a fan-like design. This style is typical of the Federal period.
What's Inside?
Inside, the house has a "central hall plan." This means there's a main hallway running through the middle of the house on both floors. This hallway is decorated with many stencil patterns that look like ivy plants.
The floors throughout the house are made of wide pine boards, which are still the original ones. In the main living room, the ceiling is slightly curved. There are also bookshelves built into the walls. The wood around these bookshelves matches the trim around the windows.
Who Was Stephen Parsons?
Stephen Parsons moved to Edgecomb in 1801. He quickly became a very successful businessman and a leader in the community. He was the first person to create a detailed map of the town. He also became Edgecomb's first postmaster, in charge of the mail. Plus, he ran the town's general store.
Stephen Parsons built this house in 1806. He also ran a grist mill on Parsons Creek. A grist mill is a place that grinds grain into flour. His mill was special because it used the power of the tides to make it work.
When Maine became its own state in 1820, Stephen Parsons was chosen to be part of its very first Senate. The Senate is a group of elected officials who help make laws for the state. He was married to the daughter of Benjamin Randall, who started a religious group called the Free Will Baptists.
