National Register of Historic Places

Holmes-Crafts Homestead

North Jay, Franklin County, Maine
Listed
April 25, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000105

About this property

The Holmes-Crafts Homestead is a historic house at the southern junction of Old Jay Hill Road and Main Street (Maine State Route 4) in Jay, Maine. Built in the early 19th century, it is a well-preserved local example of Federal architecture, and was home to James Starr, one of the first settlers of the area and a prominent local lawyer and politician. The building, now owned by the local historical society, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Holmes-Crafts Homestead is a two-story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a hip roof and two chimneys placed near the rear. A gable-roofed ell extends to the rear of the main block. The house has retained a large amount of is exterior finish, including original clapboards and windows. The main entrance has a Federal style surround with sidelight windows and a carved panel above. The interior has equally well-preserved wide pine floors and original door and window hardware. The house is known to have been standing in 1820, when it was purchased by James Starr, a lawyer and surveyor who was one of the first white settlers to arrive in the Jay Hill area in 1802. Starr also operated a tavern nearby, served as the town's first postmaster, and represented it in the state legislature. The property was purchased in 1833 by Aruna Holmes, Starr's son-in-law, who was a cabinetmaker. He had a shop which extended from the house's ell, but is no longer standing. The house is now owned by the Jay Historical Society, and is open by appointment. National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine

Location

North Jay, Franklin County, Maine
44.51895, -70.22396

Categories

INDUSTRYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Jay-Niles Memorial Library
Industrial
2.1 mi
North Jay Grange Store
Industrial
2.5 mi
Record, Judson, House
Industrial
3.5 mi
Lamb Block
Industrial
3.6 mi
Bass Boarding House
Industrial
4.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Holmes-Crafts Homestead listed on the National Register?

Holmes-Crafts Homestead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Holmes-Crafts Homestead?

Holmes-Crafts Homestead is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Holmes-Crafts Homestead?

The period of significance for Holmes-Crafts Homestead is recorded as the industrial era.

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