The Sparrow House is a historic house at 35 Arlington Street in the

Woodfords Corner Woodfords Corner is a neighborhood and major intersection in Portland, Maine, United States. Centered around the intersections of Forest Avenue (part of U.S. Route 302) and Woodford Street, it is named for brothers Chauncey, Ebenezer and Isai ...

and Back Cove neighborhood of

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

. Built in 1852, it is a well-preserved example of

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1982.

Description and history

The Sparrow House is set on the northwest side of Arlington Street, a residential street between

Forest Avenue Forest Avenue (formerly known as Green Street; colloquially known as Forest Ave) is a major street in Portland, Maine, United States. It runs for around ,

and Back Cove in Portland's

neighborhood. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a steeply pitched gable roof and vertical board siding. The side gables and a front-facing gable above the entrance are decorated with intricate bargeboard. The front gable has a

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

-style three-part window formed out of narrow lancet-arched windows. A single-story (ell) extends to the right of the main block. The house was built in 1852, when the area was part of

Deering Deering may refer to: Places in the United States * Deering, Alaska, a city * Deering, Maine, a former town annexed to Portland in 1898 * Deering, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Deering, New Hampshire, a town ** Deering Reservoir * D ...

, and was for a number of years the only house in the area. It was built for Warren Sparrow, a Portland businessman who operated a dry goods store and insurance business, and was one of the early organizers of Portland's streetcar system. It is along with The Gothic House in Portland's West End, one of the finest examples of Gothic residential architecture in the city. Its architect is unknown.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Houses in Portland, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Maine Houses completed in 1852 1852 establishments in Maine

Description and history

See also

References