About this property
Hathorn Hall is a historic academic building on the campus of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1857 to a design by American architect Gridley J.F. Bryant, it was the college's first academic building and library following the move of the Maine State Seminary (as it was then known) from Parsonsfield to Lewiston. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Hathorn Hall is centrally located on the Bates College campus, which is located northeast of Lewiston's commercial downtown area. The hall is a rectangular brick building, three stories in height, with a hip roof capped by a cupola housing an open belfry. Low pedimented gables rise from the short ends of the roof. The gables and the roof's cornice are studded with modillions. Its main entrance, set on one of the short ends, is sheltered by a rectangular flat-roof portico, which has fluted Corinthian columns supporting a full entablature with cornice. Hathorn Hall and Parker Halls were completed in 1857 by Gridley J.F. Bryant as the first buildings on the Bates campus, then called the Maine State Seminary. Bryant also completed the main building on the Tufts University campus in 1852. The building was named after Seth Hathorn and Mary Hathorn of Woolwich, Maine who donated funds for the construction of the building. Jonathan Davis donated the bell in Hathorn's bell tower. Nineteenth century "ivy stones" from early classes at the college are embedded in the brick along the exterior of the building. Hathorn Hall's interior has changed several times since its original construction. A fire started in the bell tower of Hathorn Hall in 1881 which severely damaged much of the interior of the building, and the interior was again renovated in 1898, 1960–62, and 1984 (with $180,000 from the Pew Foundation). The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. As of 2026, Hathorn Hall is home to Bates' mathematics and foreign language departments and two computer labs. National Register of Historic Places listings in Androscoggin County, Maine
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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.
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Questions about this property
When was Hathorn Hall, Bates College listed on the National Register?
Hathorn Hall, Bates College was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 24, 1970.
What type of historic resource is Hathorn Hall, Bates College?
Hathorn Hall, Bates College is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Hathorn Hall, Bates College?
The period of significance for Hathorn Hall, Bates College is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1857.
Can I research the history near Hathorn Hall, Bates College?
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 Hathorn Hall, Bates College will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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