William F. Perry House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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William F. Perry House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 32 Main St., Bridgton, Maine |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000098 |
| Added to NRHP | September 25, 1975 |
The William Fenderson Perry House is a special old house located at 32 Main Street in Bridgton, Maine, United States. It was built in 1870 and got a big makeover in 1874. This house is a great example of two cool building styles mixed together: Italianate and Second Empire. For many years, it belonged to William F. Perry, who was a very important businessman and mill owner in Bridgton. Because of its history and unique style, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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What Does the Perry House Look Like?
The Perry House sits on a hill, giving it a great view of Bridgton village. You can find it on the north side of Main Street, right where it meets Highland Road.
Design and Style of the House
The house is built like a classic New England farmstead from the 1800s. This means the main house is connected to a barn for carriages by several smaller sections called "ells." The main part of the house has a fancy design. It has window sections that stick out on either side of the front door. Between these sections, there's a porch with a small gabled roof.
The roof of the house is a special type called a mansard roof, which has slopes on all four sides. On top of the mansard roof, there's a small tower-like structure called a cupola. You'll also see dormer windows (windows that stick out from the roof) that are flat with the front of the house. The edges of the roof and the window sections have decorative brackets, which are like fancy supports. All these elegant details continue from the main house through the connecting sections and even to the carriage barn.
Who Was William F. Perry?
The William F. Perry House has an interesting history, connected to a very successful person in Bridgton.
Early Owners and Perry's Purchase
The house was first built in 1870 for William Cross, who was a local cattle merchant. But just four years later, in 1874, William F. Perry bought it. It's believed that Perry was the one who made the house look so stylish and grand, adding all the special details. At that time, Perry already owned the biggest textile mills in Bridgton.
Perry's Business Success
William F. Perry became very wealthy, partly because of his marriage in 1859 to Anna Maria Gibbs. Her father was the biggest mill owner in town back then. Perry quickly made the mills in the area much larger. He even won important deals to provide textiles (like cloth) to the Union Army during the American Civil War. This helped him become even more successful.
Perry was also an inventor! He created a better kind of turbine, which is a machine that uses spinning parts to create power. His invention was made right there in Bridgton and was used in mills all over Maine.
The House Today
Today, the historic William F. Perry House has a new life. Since July 2016, it has been home to the Clipper Merchant Tea House.
