National Register of Historic Places

Tappan-Viles House

Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine
Listed
February 11, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82000759

About this property

The Tappan-Viles House is a historic house at 150 State Street in Augusta, Maine. It was built in 1816 and restyled several times. The house exhibits an eclectic combination of Federal, Italianate, and Colonial Revival styles, the latter contributed by architect John Calvin Stevens. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is now part of Kennebec Savings Bank's Augusta Branch. The Tappan-Viles House stands on the west side of State Street, a short way north of Augusta state capitol district. It is located on a parcel that now also includes attached modern facilities of the Kennebec Savings Bank. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof topped by a cupola, clapboarded walls, interior end chimneys, and a granite foundation. The roof cornice is dentillated (row of tooth-like blocks) and studded with brackets, and the building corners are quoined (i.e., building corners are visually reinforced with prominent blocks). The front facade is five bays wide, with the central entrance sheltered by an elaborate porch supported by paired Corinthian columns. Windows on the first floor have decorative bracketed and dentillated cornices, while those on the second floor have simpler hoods. Above the main entrance is a Palladian window. The house was built in 1816 by Rev. Benjamin Tappan, a Harvard College graduate who served as pastor at the South Parish Church. As built, it would have had modest Federal period trim. In 1862, the house was acquired by Col. Alanson B. Farwell, who updated the house with the latest Italianate style, adding the bracketing, quoining, and cupola. Dr. William Graves, the next owner, in about 1915 hired the noted Portland architect John Calvin Stevens to design sympathetic Colonial Revival features. Another 20th-century owner was Blaine S. Viles, a mayor of Augusta and state forest commissioner. The building has since the late 20th century been used for commercial purposes. National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine

Location

154 State St.
Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine
44.31111, -69.77936

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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

Hill, Gov. John F., Mansion
Industrial
0.1 mi
Gannett, Guy P., House
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0.2 mi
Hartford Fire Station
Industrial
0.2 mi
Blaine, James G., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Mary's Church
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tappan-Viles House listed on the National Register?

Tappan-Viles House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Tappan-Viles House?

Tappan-Viles House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Tappan-Viles House?

The period of significance for Tappan-Viles House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Tappan-Viles House?

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