Coffin, Stephen, House
About this property
The Stephen Coffin House is a historic house at 170 Main Street in downtown Damariscotta, Maine. Built in the first decade of the 19th century, it is a fine local example of Federal style architecture, and is further distinctive for its ell, which is an early surviving example of an attached shop. The house served for many years as home to the Skidompha Public Library, and is now in commercial use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The Stephen Coffin House stands on the north side of Damariscotta's Main Street downtown area, and is sandwiched between the Lincoln Theater to the west, and the modern facilities of the Skidompha Public Library to the east. It is a two-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboard siding. Its front facade is five bays wide, with a central entrance set in a recess that is framed by paired pilasters and a corniced entablature. The building's front corners are pilastered. Granite steps lead to the entrance, and are flanked at the sidewalk by a low wooden fence. A period two-story ell extends from the western rear corner, and a modern ell extends from the eastern rear corner. The interior retains a number of original period features, but has also had significant alterations, although most of these have been sympathetic in character. The house's exact construction date is shrouded in mystery, due to the number and type of land transactions Stephen Coffin engaged in between 1803 and 1807. It was almost certainly standing by 1807, and may have been built as early as 1803, its traditionally ascribed construction date. Coffin was a local merchant, and apparently operated his business out of the basement of this house. The western ell was probably built by Coffin when his business had outgrown the basement. In 1922 the house was purchased by the Skidompha Library Association and the Damariscotta Women's Club, housing the library on the ground floor and the Women's Club facilities on the second. The building was enlarged by the eastern ell in the 1980s, and the library moved to its new facility next door in 2001. The building is now in commercial use. National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Maine
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Coffin, Stephen, House
This page lists Coffin, Stephen, 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Battles
Questions about this property
When was Coffin, Stephen, House listed on the National Register?
Coffin, Stephen, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1987.
What type of historic resource is Coffin, Stephen, House?
Coffin, Stephen, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Coffin, Stephen, House?
The period of significance for Coffin, Stephen, House is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Coffin, Stephen, 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 Coffin, Stephen, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Lincoln County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Lincoln County.
Explore LincolnCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Coffin, Stephen, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.