matthew mckeon
Guest
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
I'm vacationing on the beautiful Maine coast, and loving the rocky shores, lobsters, lighthouses, boats etc. On a rainy day I went to the Joshua Chamberlain House in Brunswick next to the Bowdoin College Campus.
The house was student apartments until bought by the historical society in 1990 or so. Its a curious building.
The original house was a small, one story farmhouse, where Chamberlain and family lived before the war. Longfellow had lived in there before Chamberlain.
After the war, Chamberlain became President of the College and Governor of Maine, and needed a home suitable for meetings and entertainment. He loved the old house, so he jacked the entire house up in the air, and built a big dining room, office, study and large formal room on the first floor. He and the family used the old house, now the upstairs as their private quarters.
It's an unusual looking house, full of character and the historic society does an excellent job interpreting it. Its a hour long tour that really seems too short.
The house was student apartments until bought by the historical society in 1990 or so. Its a curious building.
The original house was a small, one story farmhouse, where Chamberlain and family lived before the war. Longfellow had lived in there before Chamberlain.
After the war, Chamberlain became President of the College and Governor of Maine, and needed a home suitable for meetings and entertainment. He loved the old house, so he jacked the entire house up in the air, and built a big dining room, office, study and large formal room on the first floor. He and the family used the old house, now the upstairs as their private quarters.
It's an unusual looking house, full of character and the historic society does an excellent job interpreting it. Its a hour long tour that really seems too short.