National Register of Historic Places

Purinton Family Farm

Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine
Listed
July 12, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89000842

About this property

The Purinton Family Farm is a historic farmstead at 65 Elm Street in Topsham, Maine. Including three buildings dating to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it is a rare surviving example in the state of an early 19th-century unconnected farm complex. The property also includes the archaeological remains of an earlier settler's house, as well as prehistoric artifacts. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Purinton Family Farm occupies a property bounded on the south by the Androscoggin River, the west by the Brunswick-Topsham Bypass (Maine State Route 196), and the north by Elm Street (Maine State Route 24). Its eastern boundary is a gully separating the property from the Topsham Public Library and other properties. The farm includes three wood frame buildings: the main house, a barn, and a grain storage crib. The house is a Federal period 2-1/2 story structure, with a hip roof and a long single-story kitchen ell extending northwest from the main block. The barn stands west of the house, and the crib nearby. The crib is an unusual structure, framed out of heavy timbers that are not typical for buildings of its size, suggesting they were recycled from another building. The property has a long history of occupation. One corner of the property, examined during an archaeological survey, exposed evidence of prehistoric occupation dating to the Susquehannah period (4000–3000 years ago). The property was first occupied by European settlers during the 1760s, when Robert Gore built what was described as some sort of fortified garrison house. This house was apparently demolished in the early 19th century, and a foundation suspected to belong to it was found during the archaeological work. In 1775 Gore sold the property to James Purinton. Purinton and his son Ezekiel were responsible for construction of the house, barn, and crib found on the property today. The property remained in the Purinton family until 1936. National Register of Historic Places listings in Sagadahoc County, Maine

Location

65 Elm St.
Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine
43.92513, -69.95088

Categories

AGRICULTURE
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

Topsham Fairgrounds Grandstand
Industrial
0.2 mi
Topsham Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Pejepscot Paper Company
Civil War
0.7 mi
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, House
Industrial
1 mi
Federal Street Historic District
Early Republic
1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Purinton Family Farm listed on the National Register?

Purinton Family Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Purinton Family Farm?

Purinton Family Farm is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Purinton Family Farm?

The period of significance for Purinton Family Farm is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Purinton Family Farm?

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