National Register of Historic Places

Whitehouse Block

Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine
Listed
May 1, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001698

About this property

The Whitehouse Block is a historic commercial building at 188 Water Street in downtown Augusta, Maine. Built in 1865, it is one of a series of four Italianate commercial buildings built in the wake of a devastating 1865 fire. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Whitehouse Block stands on the west side of Water Street, Augusta's principal commercial downtown thoroughfare, just south of its junction with Bridge Street. It is the southernmost of a series of four three-story brick Italianate commercial buildings, running south from that corner, which share a common roof line. The building has a projecting modillioned cornice, quoining at the corners, and a storefront with recessed entry. Second floor windows have rounded hoods and bracketed sills, while those on the third floor have more elaborate hoods. All four of these buildings were built beginning in 1865, after a fire devastated Augusta's downtown. This building was designed by Francis H. Fassett, Maine's preeminent architect of the time, and was built for O.C. Whitehouse, a dry goods merchant. He operated his store out of the building's second floor, while the first floor had as early tenants the Augusta Savings Bank and the United States Pension Agency. The third floor was occupied by fraternal societies. The building continues to see commercial use. National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine

Location

188 Water St.
Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine
44.31664, -69.77379

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

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Questions about this property

When was Whitehouse Block listed on the National Register?

Whitehouse Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Whitehouse Block?

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

What is the period of significance for Whitehouse Block?

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

Can I research the history near Whitehouse Block?

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