The Merrill-Poor House is a historic house and estate on Maine State Route 120 northeast of the village center of Andover, Maine. With construction dating to the late 1780s, the main house exemplifies the evolution of a frontier property. It is also significant as the birthplace of financier

John A. Poor John Alfred Poor (January 8, 1808 – September 6, 1871) was an American lawyer, editor, and entrepreneur best remembered for his association with the Grand Trunk Railway and his role in developing the railroad system in Maine. He was the older br ...

(1808-1871) and financial analyst

Henry Varnum Poor Henry Varnum Poor (December 8, 1812 – January 4, 1905) was an American financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later evolved into the financial research and analysis bellwether, Standard & Poor's. Biography Born in East A ...

(1812-1905), the latter of whom was responsible for its transformation into a summer estate in the late 19th century. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Description and history

The main portion of the Merrill-Poor House is a large -story wood-frame structure, resting on a granite foundation, with a hip roof and a large central chimney. This structure was built between 1788 and 1792 by Ezekiel Merrill, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War who had been granted the land for his service. The main facade is a five-bay center-entry configuration typical of the period, although it has been embellished with a Queen Anne portico. Merrill's construction originally had symmetrically placed twin chimneys; the change to a central chimney was part of the 1890s alterations. Ezekiel Merrill's daughter Mary married Sylvanus Poor, and this couple inherited his property. Their children included

(1812-1905), who started a firm that continues today as part of

Standard and Poors S&P Global Ratings (previously Standard & Poor's and informally known as S&P) is an American credit rating agency (CRA) and a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities. S&P is consi ...

, and

(1808-1871), a lawyer and businessman who was instrumental in the development of the railroad in Maine, particularly the Grand Trunk Railway. Henry purchased the family homestead from relatives in 1890, and transformed the property into a summer estate, working in consultation with architect

Edward Clarke Cabot Edward Clarke Cabot (August 17, 1818 – January 5, 1901) was an American architect and artist. Life and career Edward Clarke Cabot was born April 17, 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts to Samuel Cabot Jr. and Eliza (Perkins) Cabot. He was the ...

and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. Cabot's alterations to the main house included creation of a large dining room running the width of the rear of the house, and the construction of a maze of bedrooms in the second story, as well as the relocation of a service ell. The largest addition, however, was the construction of a great hall in 1896, a massive two-story structure built on the site of the old barn. Its interior feature Gothic woodwork in an open "lodge" space high at its apex. The property continues to be owned by descendants of the Poor family.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Colonial architecture in the United States Colonial Revival architecture in Maine Houses completed in 1791 Houses in Oxford County, Maine 1791 establishments in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Oxford County, Maine

Description and history

See also

References