The William Sewall House is a historic house at 1027 Crystal Road in
Island Falls, Maine
Island Falls is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 758 at the 2020 census. The primary village of Island Falls in the town is situated at a falls in the West Branch Mattawamkeag River.
Geography
According to ...
. Built in 1865, it is a well-preserved example of vernacular Greek Revival style in a rural setting. The house is notable as the longtime home of a second-generation resident of the community, William Wingate Sewall, who had a long and enduring friendship with
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, a regular guest until 1878. The house 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 1982.
It is still in the hands of Sewall descendants, operated as a yoga retreat center.
Description and history
The Sewall House is located on the north side of Crystal Road (
Maine State Route 159
State Route 159 (abbreviated SR 159) is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, located in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. The highway runs for from the village of Shin Pond in Mt. Chase to an intersection with U.S. Rou ...
) just west of the Island Falls Post Office in the village center. It is a -story wood-frame structure, three bays wide, with a side-gable roof, twin interior chimneys, and clapboard siding. A single-story hip-roofed porch extends across the south-facing front and around the right side, supported by square posts. The front entrance is flanked by sidelight windows and pilasters. A two-bay two-story garage extends to the right, connecting the main house to a carriage barn.
One of the first settlers of the town of Island Falls was Levi Sewall, who arrived in 1842. His tenth child, William Wingate Sewall, was born in 1845, and was the community's first native-born resident. The younger Sewall made his home in the town for his entire life, working on Maine's logging drives until he was 75. This house was built for Sewall by Osgood Pingree, a neighbor. Sewall's house was a well-known stop for hunters who worked and recreated in the Maine woods. In 1872
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, then a somewhat sickly young man, paid a visit, and established a friendship with Sewall that lasted until Roosevelt's death in 1919. Roosevelt last visited Sewall in Maine in 1878, but invited him on one of his expeditions into the
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...
in 1884.
[ Roosevelt stayed in the house three different times.]
Yoga retreat
The house remains in the hands of Sewall's descendants. Since 1997 the house has been operated by yoga instructor Donna Amrita Davidge as a yoga retreat center. Davidge is a great-granddaughter of Sewall. The menu at the yoga retreat is vegetarian and vegan. Specific yoga retreats are offered for groups such as women, writers, and artists.USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' named Sewall House #2 on the list of 10 Best Yoga Retreats in the US. The yoga retreat operates from May through October.
See also
*
References
External links
Sewall House web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sewall, William, House
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Greek Revival houses in Maine
Houses completed in 1865
Houses in Aroostook County, Maine
National Register of Historic Places in Aroostook County, Maine