The U.S. Customhouse and Post Office is a historic federal government building in

Waldoboro, Maine Waldoboro is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 5,154 at the 2020 census. Waldoboro was incorporated in 1773 and developed a reputation as a ship building and port facility from the banks of the Medomak R ...

. Built 1855–57, it is a fine local example of civic Italianate architecture. For much of the 20th century it housed the Waldoboro Public Library. 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 ...

in 1974.

Description and history

The former Waldoboro Customhouse stands in downtown Waldoboro, on the north side of Main Street just west of the

Waldo Theatre The Waldo Theatre is a historic movie theater and performance venue at 916 Main Street in Waldoboro, Maine. Built in 1936 as a movie theater to a design by New York City architect Benjamin Schlanger, it was hailed at the time as one of the best- ...

. It is a two-story brick building, with a hip roof and painted brick exterior. Its exterior is distinguished by the large round-arch openings housing the windows and doors, the metal balcony spanning much of the front facade, and the elaborate cornice. with The Waldoboro customs district was established in 1799 and abolished in 1913, and encompassed ports in both Knox and

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

Counties. Its original customhouse was a wood-frame structure, which was destroyed by fire in 1854. This building, its replacement, was built in 1855-57 to a design by

Ammi B. Young Ammi Burnham Young (June 19, 1798 – March 14, 1874) was a 19th-century American architect whose commissions transitioned from the Greek Revival to the Neo-Renaissance styles. His design of the second Vermont State House brought him fame and su ...

the Supervising Architect of the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

. It is one of Young's smaller designs, but highlights his emphasis on Italianate styling and the use of fire-resistant materials throughout. After the customs district was abolished, the building was adapted for use by the Waldoboro Public Library, in which role it served when the building was listed on the National Register in 1974. The library has since moved to new quarters elsewhere on Main Street. The old customhouse is now a private residence.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Maine Italianate architecture in Maine Buildings and structures completed in 1855 Buildings and structures in Lincoln County, Maine Waldoboro, Maine

Description and history

See also

References