National Register of Historic Places

Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House

Yarmouth, Cumberland County, Maine
Listed
July 11, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000313

About this property

The Captain Reuben Merrill House is an historic house at 233 West Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine. Built in 1858, it is one of the town's largest and most elaborate 19th-century houses, and is one of three known surviving works of Portland architect Thomas J. Sparrow. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is now home to Maine Preservation, a statewide architectural preservation organization. The Captain Reuben Merrill House is located on the north side of West Main Street (Maine State Route 115), just east of its junction with Newell Road. It is a large, three-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof, and a three-story ell extending to the rear. It is finished in clapboard siding and rests on a granite foundation. The main facade is five bays wide, with a centered entrance that is sheltered by a hood that acts as a balcony for the second floor. First- and second-floor windows are rectangular sash, while the third floor has short, rectangular fixed windows. The cast-iron fence at the street is a rare survivor of its age. The house was built in 1858 for Reuben Merrill (1818–1875), a ship's captain who was a native of nearby Cumberland. It was designed by Thomas J. Sparrow, the first major architect originating from Portland, Maine, and was considered the finest home in Yarmouth. It was built by John Dunham, a local master builder, and was built at was then the outskirts of Yarmouth village. Merrill died when was knocked overboard from his ship while off San Francisco in 1875. He drowned, aged about 57. In 2011, the Merrill family leased the home to Maine Preservation, an historic preservation organization. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cumberland County, Maine Historical buildings and structures of Yarmouth, Maine

Location

97 W. Main St.
Yarmouth, Cumberland County, Maine
43.80383, -70.21654

Categories

ARCHITECTUREMARITIME HISTORY
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

Prince, Cushing and Hannah, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
North Yarmouth and Freeport Baptist Meetinghouse
Industrial
1 mi
Mitchell House
Early Republic
1.2 mi
Blanchard, Capt. S. C., House
Industrial
1.3 mi
Grand Trunk Railroad Station
Industrial
1.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Casco Bay (Falmouth 1690)
1690Colonial
10 mi
Battle of Casco Bay (Fort Loyal) 1690
1690Colonial
10 mi

Questions about this property

When was Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House listed on the National Register?

Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House?

Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House?

The period of significance for Merrill, Capt. Reuben, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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