National Register of Historic Places

Nordica Homestead

Farmington, Franklin County, Maine
Listed
December 22, 1969
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
69000006

About this property

The Nordica Homestead is a historic house museum at 116 Nordica Road (a short drive off Holly Road) in Farmington, Maine. Built in 1840, this house was the birthplace and summer home of Lillian Nordica (1857–1914), one of the leading operatic sopranos of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been a museum dedicated to her memory since 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It is open to the public between June and October. The Nordica Homestead is a 1+1⁄2-story wood frame Cape style house, with a clapboard siding and a granite foundation. An ell enlarges the house to the rear. The interior retains original pine flooring, painted with spattered colors, and wallpaper. A barn is one of the only surviving agricultural outbuildings of the 115-acre (47 ha) property. The house built in 1840 by Edwin Norton, a local farmer with large landholdings in the Farmington area. Edwin's daughter Lillian was born in this house in 1857, and lived there until age five. She received vocal training at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, and had an illustrious career in the opera under the stage name "Lillian Nordica". Although this property was sold by the family in 1857, it was repurchased by two of Nordica's sisters and given to her in 1911. She then visited it in the summers until her death in 1914. The property fell vacant and declined, until a group of friends and admirers banded together to restore it. They purchased the property, restored it, and opened it in 1928 as a museum dedicated to Noordica's memory. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It is open to the public between June and October; a small admission fee is charged. National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine

Location

Farmington, Franklin County, Maine
44.69600, -70.14531

Categories

PERFORMING ARTS
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 Nordica Homestead

This page lists Nordica Homestead. 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 Nordica Homestead report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Greenacre
Industrial
1.6 mi
Farmington Historic District
Listed
1.7 mi
Ramsdell, Hiram, House
Industrial
1.7 mi
Franklin County Courthouse
Industrial
1.7 mi
Cutler Memorial Library
Industrial
1.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Nordica Homestead listed on the National Register?

Nordica Homestead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1969.

What type of historic resource is Nordica Homestead?

Nordica Homestead is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Nordica Homestead?

The period of significance for Nordica Homestead is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Nordica Homestead?

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 Nordica Homestead will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Franklin County

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

Explore FranklinCounty ›

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

Research your locationView a free sample report