The Bucknam House is a historic house on Main Street in the village center of

Columbia Falls, Maine Columbia Falls is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 476 at the 2020 census. History The town began as Township 13 SD, BPP, which was joined together with Township 12 by the Massachusetts General Court on Feb ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Built in 1792 by one of area's first settlers, it is a well-preserved example of late Georgian architecture. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1975.

Description and history

The Bucknam House is located on the north side of Main Street, facing south toward the Pleasant River. It is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a side-gable roof, large central chimney, clapboard siding, and a granite foundation. Exterior styling is minimal, with simple cornerboards, and a simple entrance surround with crude pilasters and a pedimented entablature. The interior follows a typical central-chimney plan, with a narrow entrance vestibule with a winding staircase to the second floor, public rooms on either side of the chimney, and the kitchen extending across the central part of the rear with small rooms on either side. Interior woodwork is largely original and in good condition. The house was built in 1792 by John Bucknam, who arrived in the area in the 1760s, and was one of its first settlers. Bucknam exploited the area's extensive timber resources, building a sawmill and expanding the small settlement. He also served in the local militia during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, mustering for duty in 1777 and 1779. He died, at age 46, not long after building this house. The house is a comparatively large and sophisticated building for such a remote setting.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Houses completed in 1792 Houses in Washington County, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Maine Georgian architecture in Maine

Description and history

See also

References