National Register of Historic Places

Norumbega

Camden, Knox County, Maine
Listed
July 11, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000174

About this property

Norumbega Castle is a historic house at 63 High Street in Camden, Maine. Built in 1886-87 for duplex telegraph inventor Joseph Barker Stearns, it is one of Mid Coast Maine's most elaborate 19th-century summer houses, exhibiting a sophisticated Queen Anne style in stone and wood. It now houses the Norumbega Inn, a bed and breakfast inn. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Norumbega Castle stands north of downtown Camden, on the southeast side of High Street (United States Route 1), beyond its junction with Marine Drive. It is a 2+1⁄2-story structure, finished in rusticated stone with brick and wooden trim. It is basically rectangular in shape, but its features are asymmetrically arranged, typical for the Queen Anne period. Its main facade has three sections. The center section rises three stories, and is topped by a stepped gable. The right section, also three stories, has a projecting section topped by a conical turret. The interior is elaborately finished, and featured the latest innovations in modern households of the period, including electric lights and steam heat. Norumbega was designed by New York City architect Arthur B. Jennings, and built by a local contractor in 1886–87. It was built for Joseph Barker Stearns, a native of Weld, Maine, who made a fortune in the telegraph industry by patenting duplex telegraphy and licensing it worldwide. Jennings also designed the estate's carriage house, which is now in separate ownership, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine Media related to Norumbega Castle at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Camden, Knox County, Maine
44.21780, -69.05669

Categories

ARCHITECTUREINVENTION
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

Norumbega Carriage House
Industrial
0.1 mi
High Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
High Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
American Boathouse
Industrial
0.5 mi
Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Norumbega listed on the National Register?

Norumbega was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Norumbega?

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

What is the period of significance for Norumbega?

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

Can I research the history near Norumbega?

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