The Orono Main Street Historic District encompasses a well-preserved collection of predominantly residential 19th century buildings in

Orono, Maine Orono () is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. Located on the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers, it was first settled by American colonists in 1774. They named it in honor of Chief Joseph Orono, a sachem of the indigenous Penobscot ...

. It extends along Main Street's west side between Maplewood Avenue and Goodridge Road, and on the east side between Spencer and Pine Streets. The area was part of Orono's early settlement, and of a period of rapid growth in the first half of the 19th century. The district 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 1977.

Description and history

The town of Orono was settled in the 1770s, and was incorporated in 1806, named for

Joseph Orono Joseph Orono (25 November 1688 — 5 February 1801) was a Penobscot Indian chief or sachem who lived on the Penobscot River in present-day Maine. The town of Orono, Maine, which contains the University of Maine, is named for him. By the time Orono ...

, a local

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic pr ...

chief who had recently died. Its population was relatively small until a lumber boom began in the 1820s. This boom continued into the 1840s, and resulted in Orono's most significant period of population growth. Main Street, designated

United States Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...

, was during this time period lined with the high-quality homes of its prominent citizens. The historic district includes 29 properties, most of which are

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

in style, reflecting the popularity of those styles during this period of growth. A few houses were either built in later styles, or were restyled. There are two churches, and two school buildings in the district. The oldest house in the district is the George Read House at 128 Main Street; it is a Federal period structure, with a

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

in the

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

style added in the 20th century. Other Federal period houses include 143 and 148 Main Street (built 1830 and 1831, respectively), both of which have later

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

styling applied. The newest buildings in the district are the church and school of St. Mary's Catholic Church; both were designed by Victor Hodgins of Bangor, and were built in 1905 (church) and 1914 (school). The other church in the district is the 1843-44 Greek Revival Universalist Church, and the other school building is a significantly-altered 1820s district schoolhouse at 88 Main Street. Houses associated with prominent individuals include the Gov. Israel Washburn House at 120 Main, built in 1840 by

Israel Washburn, Jr. Israel Washburn Jr. (June 6, 1813 – May 12, 1883) was a United States political figure who was the Governor of Maine from 1861 to 1863. Originally a member of the Whig Party, he later became a founding member of the Republican Party. In 184 ...

, who was Maine's governor during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and the Nathaniel Treat House, built by the owner of several area lumber mills.

Notable contributing properties

Jeremiah Colburn House The Jeremiah Colburn House is a historic site located at 68 Main Street in Orono, Maine, Orono, Maine, United States, which is named for one of Orono's two original settlers, Jeremiah Colburn. The structure was built in 1840 and served as the home ...

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Federal architecture in Maine Greek Revival architecture in Maine Buildings and structures in Orono, Maine Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Penobscot County, Maine

Description and history

Notable contributing properties

See also

References