National Register of Historic Places

Founders Hall

Pittsfield, Somerset County, Maine
Listed
October 8, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79000167

About this property

Founders Hall is the oldest building standing on the campus of the Maine Central Institute, a private high school in Pittsfield, Maine. Built in 1868-77 (the school was founded in 1866), it is an Italianate building of unusual architectural sophistication for rural Maine. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is the centerpiece of the school's campus, housing classrooms, offices, and other facilities. Founders Hall is the centerpiece of the campus of the Maine Central Institute, located on the west side of Main Street in Pittsfield, Maine. It is a three-story brick structure, with a hip roof and a granite foundation. The cornice line below the roof is decorated with modillions. The hip roof is flattened at the center, and is topped by an open octagonal belfry with a bellcast roof. The front facade has a central projecting section, with quoined corners and single-story porches on either side that shelter its entrances. The upper windows on the projection are tall composites with round-arch elements. Fenestration elsewhere consists of segmented-arch sashes on the first level, and round-arch windows above. The Maine Central Institute was founded in 1866 by Free Will Baptists as a private academy intended to supply students to Bates College. Construction of this, its first building, taking place over a ten-year period beginning in 1868. The building now houses, in addition to classrooms, offices and a ballet studio, as well as the school's rifle range in its basement. National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerset County, Maine

Location

Pittsfield, Somerset County, Maine
44.77946, -69.38663

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
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 Founders Hall

This page lists Founders Hall. 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 Founders Hall report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Pittsfield Railroad Station
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pittsfield Universalist Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
Pittsfield Public Library
Industrial
3 mi
Hexagon Barn
Industrial
6.6 mi
Springdale Farm
Listed
6.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Founders Hall listed on the National Register?

Founders Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Founders Hall?

Founders Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Founders Hall?

The period of significance for Founders Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Founders Hall?

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 Founders Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Somerset County

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

Explore SomersetCounty ›

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 Founders Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report