The Gen. Alexander Campbell House is a historic house on United States Route 1 in

Cherryfield, Maine Cherryfield is a New England town, town in Washington County, Maine, Washington County, Maine, United States on the Narraguagus River. It was named for the wild Cherry, cherries that once peppered the banks of the river. The town population was 1,1 ...

. Built in 1790, the originally Federal-style house underwent a number of alterations in 19th century, and now has a somewhat Victorian appearance. The house is notable for being built by Alexander Campbell, a leading figure of Down East Maine during the American Revolutionary War and the subsequent decades. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and is a contributing element of the

Cherryfield Historic District The Cherryfield Historic District encompasses the historic village center of Cherryfield, Maine, Cherryfield, Maine. This area is distinctive for its collection of high-quality 19th century architecture, which is unique in rural contexts in the ...

Description and history

The General Alexander Campbell House is located on the north side of United States Route 1, near the eastern end of the village of Cherryfield, atop the village's highest point. It is an L-shaped two story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof, twin interior chimneys, and clapboard siding. Its main entrance is centered in the southern (street-facing) facade, framed by pilasters and a gabled pediment. It is flanked on either side by Italianate polygonal window bays; the upper story of the facade has five sash windows. The western facade, the long portion of the L, has a porch extending along much of its length, with square posts, carved brackets, and a jigsawn balustrade. Alexander Campbell was born in Georgetown, Maine in 1731, and was involved in military affairs during the French and Indian War, serving in the local militia during the siege of Quebec in 1759. Sometime after 1768, he moved to Cherryfield, where he established a successful lumber mill. During the American Revolutionary War he was again active in the local militia, serving in the defense of

Machias Machias may refer to: Places * Machias, Maine, a New England town ** Machias (CDP), Maine, the main village within the town * Machias Bay, in Washington County, Maine * Machias River (Aroostook River tributary) in northern Maine * Machias River ...

in the 1777

Battle of Machias The Battle of Machias (June 11–12, 1775) was an early naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, also known as the Battle of the ''Margaretta'', fought around the port of Machias, Maine. Following the outbreak of the war, British a ...

and in the 1779 Penobscot Expedition. He was also politically active, reporting to the Massachusetts legislature (Maine then being a part of that state) on the state of affairs in eastern Maine. He built this fine Federal period house in 1790, and died in 1807. His descendants were responsible for the later Victorian alterations.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Gen. Alexander, House Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Houses completed in 1790 Houses in Washington County, Maine Cherryfield, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Maine Historic district contributing properties in Maine

Description and history

See also

References