South Street Historic District
About this property
The South Street Historic District encompasses an early residential area of Gorham, Maine. Located just south of Gorham's small commercial center, South Street is lined with an architecturally cohesive collection of about 20 late-18th and early-19th century houses, primarily interrupted only by the presence of the modest Colonial Revival Baxter Memorial Library. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The town of Gorham was first settled by white settlers in 1736, but it was not until after the French and Indian Wars ended in the 1760s that significant growth took place, resulting in its incorporation in 1764. The town center was laid out at the junction of Main and South Streets (Maine State Routes 25 and 114) in the 1750s, with a small cemetery and schoolhouse just to its south. The area south of the cemetery, along South Street, was originally farmland, but gradually developed as a residential area in the early 19th century. The district lines both sides of South Street, roughly between Preble Street and Morrill Avenue. The oldest surviving house, that of Reuben Nason at 65 South Street, was built about 1794, and is one of the town's least-altered examples of 18th-century architecture. Nason, who purchased the house in 1810, was the first headmaster at Gorham Academy. Also prominent in the district is the Baxter House, now a museum, which is notable as the home of two of Maine's governors, James Phinney Baxter and Percival Baxter. It stands next to the 1907-08 Colonial Revival Baxter Memorial Library, the only non-residential building in the district, which was a gift to the town of James Phinney Baxter. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cumberland County, Maine
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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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Questions about this property
When was South Street Historic District listed on the National Register?
South Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1988.
What type of historic resource is South Street Historic District?
South Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for South Street Historic District?
The period of significance for South Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near South Street Historic District?
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 South Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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