Gov. Edward Kavanaugh House

Gov. Edward Kavanaugh House

c. 1960 HABS photo
Location ME 215 (Damariscotta Mills), Newcastle, Maine
Coordinates 44°3′29″N 69°32′5″W / 44.05806°N 69.53472°W / 44.05806; -69.53472Coordinates: 44°3′29″N 69°32′5″W / 44.05806°N 69.53472°W / 44.05806; -69.53472
Area 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built 1803 (1803)
Architect Codd,Nicholas
Architectural style Federal
NRHP Reference # 74000178[1]
Added to NRHP May 3, 1974

The Gov. Edward Kavanaugh House is a historic house on Maine State Route 215 in the Damariscotta Mills area of Newcastle, Maine. Built in 1803, it is a fine example of Federal period residential architecture, and is historically notable for its association with one of Maine early Irish Catholic immigrants, James Kavanagh. The house was later home to his son, Maine Governor Edward Kavanagh. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974.[1]

Description and history

The Kavanaugh House is located just west of the village of Damariscotta Mills, between Pond Road (SR 215) and Damariscotta Lake to the north. The house is a large two-story structure, nearly square in footprint, with a hip roof topped by an octagonal cupola. It rests on a granite foundation, and its main facade is finished in matchboard siding, while the sides and rear are finished in clapboards. The roof is encircled by a low balustrade, and has a dentillated cornice. The building corners are pilastered. The main facade is five bays wide, with the entrance at the center, set in a round-arch opening with a half-round fan above the door. The entrance is sheltered by a half-round porch, supported by Ionic columns, which rise to an entablature and balustrade. Above the entry is a Palladian-style three-part window, flanked by narrow pilasters, with a fan louver above the center window.[2]

The house was built in 1803, and is one of Maine's most sophisticated examples of Federal architecture. It was built by Nicholas Codd, an Irish immigrant and housewright who is also credited with the Matthew Cottrill House in Damariscotta, and the brick St. Patrick's Catholic Church which stands near this house. Codd, apparently based in Boston, Massachusetts, was lured to work in this area by James Kavanagh and Matthew Cottrill, both early Irish immigrants to the area. They were successful businessmen, and James Kavanagh's son Edward became Governor of Maine in 1843, finishing the term of John Fairfield, who had won election to the United States Senate.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Gov. Edward Kavanaugh House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.