National Register of Historic Places

Morse & Co. Office Building

Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine
Listed
April 1, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000139

About this property

The Morse & Co. Office Building is a historic commercial building at 455 Harlow Street in Bangor, Maine. Built in 1895, it was the headquarters for Morse & Company, one of the city's largest employers for nearly 100 years, and the last operator of a lumber mill (its most important industry for many years) in the city. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Morse & Co. building is set on the northeast side of Harlow Street, just south of its crossing of Kenduskeag Stream and northwest of the city's central business district. It is a two-story masonry structure, finished in mortared brick-shaped stone on the first floor and stucco on the second. An arched opening on the left side of the front facade shelters the entrance, with three recessed bay windows to the right. The second story has corner pilasters and Beaux Arts panels flanked by oculus windows with decorative surrounds. The cornice has dentil molding and modillions below a dormered hip roof. Morse & Co. was founded in 1851 by Llewellyn J. Morse and Hiram P. Oliver, who leased and later purchased an 1814 sawmill on Kenduskeag Stream. The company was for many years a leading local lumber processor, but engaged in a wide array of other businesses, including the grinding of corn and salt, and the harvesting of ice. The company's products were used extensively in the rebuilding of Bangor after the Great Fire of 1911, and in the Victorian-era townhouses of Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. The company ended operations in 1948, resulting in the closure of the city's last lumber mill. This building was built as its headquarters and showroom in 1895. National Register of Historic Places listings in Penobscot County, Maine

Location

Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine
44.80736, -68.77692

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCE
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

Morse Bridge
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bryant, Charles G., Double House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Farrar, Samuel, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bangor Children's Home
Industrial
0.2 mi
Blake House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Hampden Maine (Sep 3 1814)
1814Early Republic
5.3 mi
Battle of Hampden, Maine (Sept 1814)
1814Early Republic
6.2 mi
Battle of Hampden ME
1814Early Republic
6.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Morse & Co. Office Building listed on the National Register?

Morse & Co. Office Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Morse & Co. Office Building?

Morse & Co. Office Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Morse & Co. Office Building?

The period of significance for Morse & Co. Office Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Morse & Co. Office Building?

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