National Register of Historic Places

Alden, Ebenezer, House

Union, Knox County, Maine
Listed
April 27, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000100

About this property

The Ebenezer Alden House is a historic house on Common Street in Union, Maine, United States. Built in 1797, it is an unusually high quality and high style Federal period in an area that was very much a frontier at the time. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Alden House stands on the south side of Common Road, a short way west of its junction with Maine State Route 131 in the center of the rural community of Union. It is a 2+1⁄2-story brick-and-wood-frame structure, with a side gable roof, and clapboarded sides with quoined corners. A single-story shed-roof addition and 1+1⁄2-story ell extend from its east side. It has three principal facades with entrances at their centers. Two of them have surrounds of pilasters topped by half-round transoms and gabled pediments, while the third has an entablature and flat cornice. Windows are sash throughout, and the end gables are pedimented. The interior of the house features high-quality carved woodwork, executed by the builder and owner, master carver Ebenezer Alden. The house was built by Alden in 1797, when Union (settled in 1774) was little more than a frontier settlement. Its designs appear to be based in part on plans from plate 40 of William Pain's Practical House Carpenter, published in 1794. Other design elements may have been derived from Alden's work on Montpelier, the mansion of General Henry Knox in nearby Thomaston. It is said that General Knox was dining here in 1806 when he swallowed a chicken bone, leading to infection and his eventual death. The house remained in the hands of Alden's descendants until 1965. National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine

Location

Union, Knox County, Maine
44.21219, -69.26692

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Alden, Ebenezer, House

This page lists Alden, Ebenezer, House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Alden, Ebenezer, House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Common, The
Listed
0.4 mi
Union Town House (Former)
Civil War
0.4 mi
Maxcy, Joseph and Hannah, Homestead
Industrial
1.1 mi
Lermond Mill
Industrial
2.1 mi
Georges River Canal
Early Republic
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Alden, Ebenezer, House listed on the National Register?

Alden, Ebenezer, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 27, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Alden, Ebenezer, House?

Alden, Ebenezer, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Alden, Ebenezer, House?

The period of significance for Alden, Ebenezer, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Alden, Ebenezer, House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Alden, Ebenezer, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Knox County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Knox County.

Explore KnoxCounty ›

More historic places in Maine

Browse all historic places in Maine.

View Mainehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maine history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Mainehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Alden, Ebenezer, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report