Gorham Academy (part of the Gorham Campus Historic District), c.1880
By Alessa Wylie
The Town of Gorham is home to not one, not two, but three historic districts, each showcasing different aspects of the Town’s history. South Street Historic District (1988) reflects neighborhood growth, Gorham Historic District (1992) reveals village development, and Gorham Campus Historic District (1978) illustrates educational history in Maine.
European colonists first settled in Gorham in 1736, but it was not until after 1760 that significant growth took place, resulting in its incorporation in 1764. The town center was laid out at the junction of Main and South Streets (Maine State Routes 25 and 114) in the 1750s, with a small cemetery and schoolhouse just to its south. The area south of the cemetery, along South Street, was originally farmland, but gradually developed as a residential area in the early 19th century.
Baxter Memorial Library
The South Street Historic District was designated in 1988 and is a nearly rectangular area of about nine acres. It contains 20 buildings constructed between about 1790-1840 that show remarkable consistency in the overall form of the buildings during this 50-year period. neighborhood. Prominent in the district is the Baxter House, now a museum, which is notable as the home of two of Maine's governors, James Phinney Baxter and Percival Baxter. It stands next to the 1907 Colonial Revival Baxter Memorial Library, the only non-residential building in the district, which was a gift to the town by James Phinney Baxter.
The Gorham Historic District is roughly L-shaped, encompassing the town center, and includes a small cluster of religious and commercial buildings at School and Main Streets, with some residential properties on streets spreading from the center. It’s comprised of 19th and 20th century buildings and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Architecturally, the Gorham Historic District reflects the wide variety of styles that were popular from the early 19th century through the 1930s, including Federal and Greek Revival buildings. There is a single Queen Anne building and a handful of Colonial Revival houses too. The Italianate style is well represented in the district, principally in commercial, fraternal and religious structures. Among the most notable of these are the former Masonic Hall and the Lewis McLellan Block both of which were erected in 1875 from plans drawn by Portland architect Charles H. Kimball. The district abuts the Gorham Campus Historic District.
The Gorham Campus Historic District encompasses seven buildings that make up the historic core of the campus of the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. Built between 1806 and 1931, they reflect the varied academic history of the campus, and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The district is important not only for the architectural merit of the buildings, but also because the buildings illustrate educational development in Maine. Beginning as Gorham Academy in 1803, it grew to become the Gorham Academy and Teachers Institute in 1847. Almost 100 years later, in 1945, it became Gorham State Teachers College and now is part of the University of Maine system.
Our new virtual Gorham Walking Tour is a great way to explore all the districts. Check it out today!