NRHP Reference # 94001244 Year built 1820 | Area 5 ha Added to NRHP 28 October 1994 | |
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Location River Rd., Calais, Maine Architect Matthew Stead, J.C. Rockwood Architectural style Gothic Revival, Italianate, Greek Revival | ||
The Hinckley Hill Historic District encompasses a well-preserved collection of stylish mid-19th century residences in Calais, Maine. Built mostly between 1820 and 1860, it includes a trio of high-quality Gothic Revival houses from the 1850s near the eastern edge of the town. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Description and history
The Hinckley Hill area is located on River Road, the eastward extension of Main Street beyond the central town grid. The district includes five properties on the south side of River Road, just east of Franklin Steet, and another five on the north side, extending eastward from just opposite the last of the southern five. All are residential properties with wood frame houses, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 stories in height. The oldest house is a c. 1820 Cape with Federal style decoration, while the most recent historic property is an early 20th century Colonial Revival house. Two houses built after 1950 are not historically significant.
The most visually distinctive of the district's houses are a trio of Gothic Revival buildings on the north side of River Road. Built between 1850 and 1855, they are among the town's most architecturally sophisticated buildings, constructed at a time when the town still had a frontier feel to it. Of these, the George Washburn House and the Alexander Gilmore House are both also individually listed on the National Register for their architecture. The Gilmore House is one of two with a known architect: it was designed by New Brunswick architect Matthew Stead.