The James Montgomery Flagg House is an historic house in the

Biddeford Pool Biddeford Pool is a large tidal pool, located off Saco Bay south of the mouth of the Saco River on the south coast of Maine. It is approximately 6 miles southeast of downtown Biddeford, to which it is connected via State Route 208. The town of Ke ...

area of

Biddeford Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...

York County, Maine York County is the southwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Maine, along the state of New Hampshire's eastern border. It is divided from Strafford County, New Hampshire, by the Salmon Falls River, and the connected tidal estuary—the Pi ...

. It was built in 1910 as the summer home of

James Montgomery Flagg James Montgomery Flagg (June 18, 1877 – May 27, 1960) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters, particularly his 1 ...

, a New York-based artist and illustrator known for political cartoons and the iconic

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

recruiting poster depicting Uncle Sam. The house is decorated with murals painted by Flagg, and 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 2013, its owner, citing the building's deteriorated condition, received approval to demolish and rebuild the house, preserving Flagg's murals.

Description and history

The Flagg House is located on the north side of Biddeford Pool, a peninsula jutting into the

Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America. It is bounded by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and by Cape Sable Island at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast ...

south of the mouth of the Saco River. It is one of a cluster of houses located at the northern end of St. Martin's Lane, a private lane bisecting a golf course. It is a 1½ wood frame bungalow, with a side-facing gable roof, twin chimneys, and a stuccoed exterior. The main facade is oriented to the south, away from the sea, and is seven bays wide with center entry. The roof above has two shed-roof dormers. The north (seaward) facade is similar, although it has a single wide dormer in the roof. Single-story wings extend the building to either side. The house was built in 1910 for

(1877–1960), and it was his summer retreat until 1940. He painted wall murals of Maine landscapes and coastal seascapes throughout its first floor. The house was listed on the

in 1980. In 2013, the Biddeford Historic Preservation Commission approved the demolition of the house. The owner has promised to preserve the murals.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flagg, James Montgomery, House Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Houses in York County, Maine Buildings and structures in Biddeford, Maine Houses completed in 1910 National Register of Historic Places in York County, Maine

Description and history

See also

References