1797 Historic Georgian-Federal House with Outbuildings in Union, Maine

There is so much more to see and learn about this house. For more information about the outbuildings on the property, the history of home and the town in which it is located, please follow the link below to the Property Website. 

LISTING DETAILS
  
This beautifully restored 18th century home was built by Ebenezer Alden (1774-1862), a direct descendant of John and Priscilla Alden, the Pilgrims immortalized in Longfellow's “The Courtship of Miles Standish." The Alden House is considered by many to be one of the finest period homes in Maine, well-loved and maintained for over two centuries. In 1975 the home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Remarkably, the present owners are only the second owners outside of the Alden family.

The main house is the centerpiece of this property. The house was built between 1797 and 1798 and while originally of hip roof design, it is now a gable roof. The exterior details are distinctly Federal, while the interior is a mix of Federal and Colonial design. Everywhere the house speaks history.

Two sides of the house boast original hand-split clapboards, ones that have overlapping joints. Six-over-six windows remain, protected with combination windows. Painting is up to date. Granite steps, decorative stones, and gardens further complement the structure, as it sits upon a terrace on a small hill above the village center. There is little doubt that young Ebenezer emulated General Henry Knox for whom he worked as a finish carpenter in the earlier 1790s in Thomaston. He and Knox became friends.

The house is a very early Georgian-Federal building with an attached kitchen and a commodious ell. The northern, main section is a “four-over- four” home with two large sets of fireplaces. There are eight of them all restored and with safe brickwork. One fireplace contains a modern wood- burning stove. The original kitchen features a bake oven and large fireplace, and is in the southeast corner. The east side rooms are slightly narrower than the west side ones, and done in Colonial style. In these east side rooms, paneling surrounds the fireplaces and plain plaster is above wide-board wainscots on the additional walls. The sleeping rooms above have beautiful panels, boxed corner posts and plain plaster walls, floor to ceiling.

The west side rooms are done in the "latest fashion" of the 1790s and show Alden’s other great skill, building formal rooms with spectacular woodwork. Using a published book (1794) of fashionable patterns, he created two very formal rooms, dining and parlor, and a large guest room above. These and the stairway are especially noteworthy and are, with only minor repairs, original.

The bathrooms are of ceramic tile and Corian. An attached screened porch (14 feet by 15 feet) is directly off of the kitchen facing the southwest.

An alarm system monitors heat, fire, movement inside and forced entry. It is simple to use and is taken into consideration by the insurance agency in setting its fees.

While these paragraphs and commentary attempt to describe the principal rooms, it is worth noticing that each main room has at least 2 doors and, very rare, a closet or cabinet. Between rooms are hallways; an upper one was the nursery in the early days. The numerous attractive doors allow rooms to be shut off or heated as desired.

The attic is large and has a very stylish original stairway leading upward from the front halls. Its floor is generously insulated. The attic is lighted by four windows and provides much storage.

The earlier roofline (a hip roof) was changed by Ebenezer’s son Augustus in the 1860s, and includes a gable toward the street and wide trim boards. Below the roof’s edge Augustus carefully preserved the original woodwork which his father Ebenezer had hand-sawn over six decades earlier.

The 40 by 80 foot barn was built shortly after the Civil War, likely to increase space for storage and commerce. It is in superb condition and can accommodate several cars, equipment, and tools. Two years' worth of firewood is stored below. No outline of an earlier barn exists.

The barn was built by Augustus Alden in about 1869 on plans then popular in this area and was built using mortises and tenons, held by pegs or "trunnels" remaining flexible, yet very strong. Many of its frame pieces came from even older structures, saving a great deal of time by recycling. Each frame section is called a “bent” and they support the boarding boards of the roof and sides.

The north side housed livestock below a second floor, while the south side was open to the top. Upper areas were available for hay storage, a major commodity of the Alden Store. Below the main floor under the hillside is another full height area, with two double doors facing south where animals might move in and out; that kind of doorway is called a “run-in.” In the 1960’s, the barn was lifted to accommodate new sills all around and new posts, set on hidden concrete footings. It remains ‘square’ today.

All doors and windows are original as is nearly everything about the barn. The south-facing roofing was replaced in 2012. The red west side and all white trim have been recently painted. The east upper window has been replaced (2012) with a screened louver, preventing undue heat buildup under the dark roofing. There are gardens on the warm south side.

FOR SALE  $885,000   $710,000   $695,000   SOLD   $625,000
523 Common Rd, Union, ME 04862
4 beds  |  2 baths  |  4376 sqft  |  54.84 acres

LINKS:
Listing Agent, Zillow, Realtor, Property Website, 

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