Thacher-Goodale House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thacher-Goodale House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 121 North St., Saco, Maine |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1827 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000193 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1976 |
The Thacher-Goodale House is a really old and cool house in Saco, Maine. It was built way back in 1827. This house is special because it shows off an early style called Greek Revival architecture. It also has some fancy details from an even older style called Federal. A lawyer named George Thacher, Jr. first built it. Later, the Goodale family owned it for many years. One famous person who lived here was George Lincoln Goodale, who studied plants. This historic house was added to a special list called the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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What Makes the Thacher-Goodale House Special?
A Look at Its Unique Design
The Thacher-Goodale House is in a quiet neighborhood in Saco. It's a brick house with two and a half stories. The front of the house faces south and has a pointed roof. The most striking part is its two-story front, which looks like an ancient Greek temple. It has thin columns that support a triangular roof section. In the middle of this triangle, there's a window.
The left side of the house, facing the street, has four windows in a row. The main front door is on the right side. It has narrow windows on either side and a beautiful fan-shaped window above it. This fan window is a classic Federal-style detail. An extra section of the house extends out to the right.
Who Lived in the Thacher-Goodale House?
The house was built between 1827 and 1828 for George Thacher, Jr. His father, also named George Thacher, was one of Maine's first important judges.
In 1841, George Thacher, Jr. sold the house. The new owner was Stephen L. Goodale. Stephen Goodale was a businessman and a gardener. He even served as Maine's Secretary of Agriculture.
Stephen Goodale's son, George Lincoln Goodale, was born in this house. George Lincoln Goodale became a very famous botanist, someone who studies plants. He worked at Bowdoin College and later at Harvard University.
The Amazing Glass Flowers at Harvard
While George Lincoln Goodale was at Harvard, he helped the university get something truly unique. Through his efforts, Harvard acquired a special collection of glass flowers. These incredibly detailed glass models of plants are still on display today. You can see them at Harvard's Museum of Natural History.
