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The Lewiston Historic Preservation DESIGN MANUAL City of Lewiston 1999 ---PAGE BREAK--- The Lewiston Historic Preservation Design Manual • IS dedicated to the memory of 1934-1999 ---PAGE BREAK--- The Lewiston Historic Preservation DESIGN MANUAL Prepared by The Historic Preservation Review Board City of Lewiston, Maine under the guidance of Russell J. Wright, Architect 1999 GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT BY: Dorothea Witham, Creative Photographic Art Center of Maine FRONT COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Lewiston Sun-Journal This publication has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission receives federal financial assistance for the identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and section 5 04 of the Rehabilitation Act of 197 3, the U. S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap in its federally assisted program. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to : Office for Equal Opportunity U S. Department of the Interior Washington, D. C. 20240 ---PAGE BREAK--- TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction A. The Purpose of this Manual 1 B. What is a historic district 4 C. How to comply with Article XV of the Lewiston Code 5 II. History of Development A. An analysis of the physical development and settlement patterns of the city 7 Early settlement, 1770-1840 7 The development of the mills, 1840-1875 8 Post Civil War expansion 13 The end of World War One through the 1950's 14 B. Design elements and basic architectural terms 15 C. An analysis of architectural styles 21 Residential construction; vernacular construction 22 Late Georgian vernacular 22 Federal 24 Greek Revival 25 Early Gothic Revival 27 Victorian Itaiianate 28 Second Empire 30 Queen Anne 31 Shingle 32 Early Classical and Colonial Revival 34 Mill housing and tenements 3 5 Other Twentieth Century 37 Commercial, industrial and public buildings 42 Greek Revival 42 Italianate 43 Second Empire 44 Victorian Gothic 44 Richardsonian Romanesque 45 Neo Classical and Colonial Revival 45 Renaissance Revival 4 7 Art Deco 48 Commercial Style 48 III. Guidelines and Standards A. Alterations to existing buildings 50 B. New construction 71 C. Demolition or relocation of an historic building 83 D. Signs 85 E. Street-scape, landscape and off-street parking 93 Appendixes A. Glossary of Architectural terms 96 B. Lewiston Register of Properties Currently Designated as Historic 101 ---PAGE BREAK--- I. INTRODUCTION A. The purpose of this manual This Historic Preservation Design Manual is being published by the City of Lewiston to serve two separate but equally important audiences. The first audience is the Historic Preservation Review Board, an appointed city regulatory board charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the city's architectural, historic and cultural heritage; the second, the many owners of historic properties throughout the city that are as yet unlisted or outside designated city historic districts. The first objective of the manual, therefore, is concerned with providing the Review Board with illustrated guidelines to assist in their deliberations regarding the review requirements con- tained in Article XV of the Lewiston Zoning and Land Use Code. The Historic Preservation Re- view Board was established and its responsibilities delineated on January 11, 1991, when the City of Lewiston adopted Ordinance No. 90-16 as Article XV, "Significant Buildings and Districts." The stated purpose of Article XV is "to preserve, protect and enhance buildings and areas which represent or reflect distinctive and important elements of the city s architectural, archeological, cultural, social, economic, ethnic and political history; to safeguard the city s historic and cultural heritage; and to provide procedures for local review of changes to significant structures and of new construction, reconstruction, building alterations, and demolition, within historic districts. " (Lewiston Code, Supp. No. 14, p. 2290). Article XV includes detailed guidelines for the "desig- nation of structures and districts for preservation and conservation" (Sec. 3 criteria for determin- ing "standards for designation of structures and districts as significant" (Sec. and sets forth the procedure for the issuance of a "Certificate of Appropriateness" (Sec. which is required ifthere is 1) any change in the exterior appearance of a designated historic structure or contributing structure within a designated historic district; 2) new construction of a principal or accessory building or structure within a designated historic district; 3) demolition or removal of a desig- nated historic structure or contributing historic structure within a designated historic district; and 4) any change in siding materials, roofing materials, exterior door and window sash, and integral decorative elements of a designated historic structure or contributing structure within a desig- nated historic district. To accomplish the requirements set forth in Article XV, the legislation established a seven-member Historic Preservation Review Board, each member to be appointed by the mayor and to serve without compensation for a term of three years. A structure, district or site may be designated as significant by a two-thirds vote of the city council because of historical, architectural, geographic or archeological importance. At the time of this writing, only two historic districts are so identified: Kennedy Park, an area centered around the city park and extending along both sides of Knox Street to Birch Street that includes 30 contrib- uting buildings; and the Lisbon Street Historic Commercial District. This district is a one-block long strip situated along the west side of Lisbon Street from Chestnut to Cedar Street, with 12 of the 18 existing structures listed as contributing buildings The location and boundaries of the two districts are shown in Fig. 1. In addition to the structures located in the historic districts, 33 other properties (for a total of 75), are considered historic and were so listed as of July, 1993. The complete list, referred to as the Local Register of Properties Currently Designated as Historic, is included in the appendix, and will be updated as new properties are approved. 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- . _ - 0 Cl].. a1r olJ~ 1r:: : 1 D Fig. 1. The Kennedy Park and the Lisbon Street Historic Commercial Districts 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- It is possible, however, that this list will be greatly expanded in the near future. Two addi- tional historic districts, the DowntO\vn Lewiston Retail District and the Lewiston Mill System Historic District, are pending approval by the State Historic Preservation Office for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. National Register designation is one criterion that may be considered by the Review Board when designating additional structures or districts as significant to Lewiston. If the city council approves the designation of these two new National Register his- toric districts as city historic districts, approximately 150 contributing structures will be added to the list, tripling the number of buildings now included in Section 6 of Article XV as "Significant Buildings." Yet, as should be obvious to anyone who has traveled the streets of Lewiston, this list of "Significant Buildings," even if enlarged to 225 by adding the two new districts, is but the tip of the iceberg. There are literally thousands of other buildings, either standing alone or grouped in entire neighborhoods, that contribute to the visual and historic environment that makes Lewiston a unique place in which to live and do business. Because of the magnitude of these as yet unidentified properties, many may never become part of the city's list of "Significant Buildings," where they would be afforded protection from inappropriate change under Article XV Therefore, insuring that the visual and historic integrity of these individual structures and neighborhoods is retained will likely be the result of voluntary actions made by responsible, knowledgeable private property owners. It is the purpose of the Historic Preservation Design Manual to instill the necessary desire and to provide the knowledge needed to assist the owners of historic properties. The second, equally important, objective of this publication is that it be used as a reference manual by property owners considering either exterior changes to an individual older structure anywhere in Lewiston, or new construction within a city neighborhood that may have the potential of becoming a historic district under the provisions of Article XV The Historic Preservation Design Manual consists of seven sections and an appendix: 1 An introduction, including a discussion of historic districts and listed individual struc- tures, and an explanation of how to comply with Article XV A History of Development, which includes an analysis of the physical development and settlement patterns of the city, an illustrated discussion of various building design elements and architectural terms, and an analysis of architectural styles, with emphasis on how these components are combined to establish an identifiable style. Guidelines and standards for alterations to existing structures of historic significance, based on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Structures, as mandated by Section 31-215, D-3 of Article XV Guidelines and standards for new construction. Standards for the review of any proposed demolition or relocation of a historic building. Guidelines and standards for signage on an historic building or within a historic district. Guidelines and standards for streetscape features and off-street parking as they affect a historic building or a historic district. Appendix, including a list of those buildings within the two local historic districts, indiidual listed buildings, and a glossary of architectural and historic preservation terms. 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- B. What is a historic district? The Lewiston Code defines a historic district as "a delineated geographical area that in- cludes one or more buildings and/or places of historical value, and may include other build- ings, structures, and/or places which, though not of historic value themselves, may become the site of anything being built which may be deemed not to be appropriate with regard to any of the rest of the district. " National register historic districts are concentrations of properties considered to be of significance to the Nation, State, or a community. National Register Historic Districts may be nominated by the state historic preservation office, Federal agencies, local communities or inter- ested individuals. Once approved by the National Park Service (NPS), under the Secretary of the Interior, the district is included in the official list of the Nation's cultural resources. Listing in the National Register lends prestige and a recognition of the value of contributing structures within the district. Perhaps more important, however, is that any contributing structure, called a certified historic structure, within the listed National Register Historic District (as well as individually listed properties) is eligible for Federal tax incentives under provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (PL 99-514). At the present time, two tax credit programs exist: 1. A 20% tax credit for the certified rehabilitation of certified historic structures (a tax credit directly lowers the amount of income tax owed, as opposed to a tax deduction, which only lowers the amount of income subject to Federal income taxes). 2. A 10% tax credit for the rehabilitation of non-historic, non-residential buildings built before 1936. The 20% tax credit is available for any project that the Secretary of the Interior determines is a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic structure. As of July 1997, thecredit is limited to income producing properties, but a bill called the Historic Homeowners Tax Credit, defeated in the last congressional session, will be introduced in the coming tenn. If passed, this new bill will make the 20% credit available for a certified rehabilitation of an owner-occupied certified historic resi- dential property, either within a Register district or listed on the register as an individual property. The owner is responsible for the completion of Part 1 of the Historic Preservation Certification Application-Evaluation of Significance, (applications can be obtained at the State Historic Preser- vation Office, 55 Capitol Street, State House Station 65, Augusta, ME 04333. Owners of individu- ally listed National Register properties do not have to prepare Part 1 After review by the state historic preservation office (SHPO) and upon a favorable recommendation by the SHPO, the Na- tional Park Service will record the property as a certified historic structure. At that point, Part 2 - Description of the Rehabilitation must be submitted to the SHPO and the NPS for review. It is strongly recommended that Part 2 be completed before any work begins. Part 2 describes the work to be undertaken, including drawings and photographs as required to clearly explain the project, which will be reviewed by the NPS for compliance to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (described in Part 3 of this manual). When the rehabilitation project has been com- pleted, the owner submits Part 3-Request for Certification of Completed Work to the SHPO, which will review the project and make a recommendation to the NPS regarding certification. 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Conditions that must be satisfied to qualify for the 20% tax credit include: the rehabilitation must be substantial, that is that within a 24 month period the rehabilitation costs must exceed the adjusted basis of the property (basically the total value of the property minus the value of the lot) with a minimum cost of $5000; the building must be depreciable; and the building must be placed back in use as an income producing property. Generally, the 20% tax credit is taken by the owner in the year that the building is returned to use. The 10% tax credit is available if the building undergoing rehabilitation is listed as non- historic but was constructed prior to 1936. The building must be in an income producing, non- residential use, and may not have been moved. The rehabilitation project must result in the reten- tion of a minimum of 50% of the building's exterior walls as exterior walls; a minimum of 75% of the existing external walls must remain in place as either interior or exterior walls, and; a minimum of 75% of the structural framing must be retained. Like the 20% tax credit, the 10% tax credit is usually calculated for the year that the building was put back into service. A building that is listed in the National Register may not elect to take the 10% credit, as such listing identifies the property as historic. It is important to recognize that "listing a building in the National Register of Historic Places does not in any way interfere with a private property owner's right to alter, manage or dispose of a property." (National Park Service, (brochure), The National Register of Historic Places.) Designated local historic districts are districts subject to local preservation laws govern- ing changes to a contributing structure within the district. In the case of Lewiston, this law is entitled Article XV of the Land Use and Zoning Code. At the present time, only two districts have been designated as historic, the same two districts that have been entered in the National Register. However, listing in the National Register does not automatically mean that the city council will designate the district as a local district, nor does the designation of a district at the local level insure that it will be listed in the National Register. It is the review of proposed actions that may affect designated local historic districts that is the focus of this manual. C. How to comply with Article XV of the Lewiston Code Section 5 of Article XV requires that a Certificate of Appropriateness must beobtained if an owner of an individually listed, or a contributing structure within a historic district intends to make any changes to the exterior of the building or structure, plans to construct a new building within the district, wishes to demolish or move an individually listed structure, or a contributing structure within a historic district, or is considering the replacement of an exterior building materials and/or architectural details that contribute to the historic value and integrity of the building or a district. 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- To obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness, the property owner (or his agent) must first submit an application for a building permit to the Code Enforcement Office (CEO) at City Hall. The application will be dated, and if it is determined that an individually listed building or a build- ing within a listed historic district (Contributing or otherwise) is affected, it is forwarded to the historic preservation review board. The written application must include the applicants (and owner, if different) name and address, the present and proposed use of the property, and a descrip- tion of the work for which a certificate is requested. The applicant must also provide scale drawing(s) clearly identifying the proposed work, photographs of the building and of adjacent buildings, and a site plan that relates the structure to its lot and to such existing features as walks, driveways and off-street parking, terraces, major plantings, accessory structures and other site im- provements. The review board has thirty (30) days from the stamped date of submittal to either approve, modify, or reject the application, based on criteria contained in Sec. 5 ( d) of the code. If the original application, or an amended version, is approved by the review board, the review board will immediately issue the certificate. The application, along with the certificate is than returned to the code enforcement officer for his determination of compliance with all other city codes and ordi- nances. If an application is denied by the review board, the board must inform the applicant regarding the reasons for such action. The applicant may re-apply within forty-five ( 45) days with an amended application. If the new submission meets with approval, the certificate is issued. Any action taken by the review board that asks an applicant to make certain changes is subject to formal appeal to the Board of Appeals. The appeal board has the option to approve, approve with modi- fications, or disapprove the findings of the review board. 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- II. HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT A. An analysis of the physical development and settlement patterns of the city The purpose of this section of the Design Manual is to trace the development patterns and physical expansion of Lewiston, primarily through map research, from its incorporation as a tovvn in 1795 through the middle of the 20th century. By understanding when a particular section of the city was developed, it is easier to identify particular architectural styles that are likely to be found in a particular part of the city. Therefore, the analysis is divided int-0 time phases that roughly correspond to the periods in which the major architectural styles that permeate the city were in favor: Early settlement, 1770-1840; The development of the major mills and the coming of the railroad, 1840-1875; Post Civil War expansion, 1875-1920; and The First World War through the 1950's. Early settlement, 1770-1840: despite a 1768 land grant from the Pejepscot Proprietors to Jonathan Bagley and Moses Little calling for a settlement of at least 50 families, the construction of a cabin by Paul Hildreth in 1770 at a site now occupied by the Continental Mills, and the con- struction of a series of saw, grist and fulling mills at the falls during the last quarter of the 18th century, Lewiston was essentially a small agricultural settlement when it was incorporated as a town in 1795. The first census, taken in 1790, recorded only 532 settlers. Population gradually expanded after the town received its charter so that by 1800 there were 948 people, the number expanding to 1000 by 1810. A map drawn by Amos Davis and dated 1776 shows a saw and a grist mill at the falls and locates Hildreth's cabin, but does not indicate any roads or trails. Davis also prepared a map showing the allocation of approximately 167 lots when the town was incorporated as Lewiston in 1795 (the present day limits of the city), the lots laid out in a grid pattern without reference to any existing roads or trails. Despite the omission of roads or trails on these two maps, at least what is present day Old Lisbon Road, Webster Street, Ferry Road (running from Lisbon Road to a ferry landing at the Androscoggin River some 4 .3 miles from the falls), and Main Street had to have been in existence in the 1790's, as farm houses dating from this period remain in their original locations along these roads today. (The 1768 land grant required that a "new road" be built to connect with the existing road from Topsham, a town at the tenninus of the Androscoggin River settled in 1730. The Topsham Road is the present day Lisbon Road - Old Lisbon Road, while the connecting "new road" was likely what remains of Water Street, the rest of the new road obliterated when the canals and mill sites between Lincoln Street and the river were developed in the late 1840's - early 1850's.) A Plan of Lewiston Falls and Vicinity (Fig. 2 on the following page), drawn from a survey made by William B. Little in 1832 is the first map to show Main Street and what is labeled as the road from Topsham, which closely paralleled the river. This map also indicates that the entire area bounded by the river and what is now Hammond Street, Bates Street, Birch Street and Cedar Street (today's downtown) was undeveloped pasture land, part of the Harris Farm. Main Street, however, was the exception. It became the first commercial area as early as 1812 when a store at Lowell's Corner (Main and today's Hammond street) and a tannery across the street were in existence. A second store was built here in 1815-1816, with most of the early houses built during this period concentrated along Main Street, from the bridge to approximately Holland Street. After the construction of the first bridge across the river (1823) and the expansion of the existing mills at the falls, retail, and later banking, uses drifted to lower Main Street, effectively eliminating the southeastern section of Main Street from residential settlement. Instead, based on 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Plan of Lewiston Falls & Vicinity-1832 ' Fig. 2. the location of the few residences of this period that remain, it would appear that most of the new settlers who came to Lewiston during the 1830's and 1840's took residence either along outer Main Street, from Holland Street to Barker's Mills (along the west side of Main Street between today's Northwood and Switzerland Roads), or in two small concentrated areas, one at either side of Main bounded by today's Ash and Blake streets, the other between Hammond and Bridge str-eets. Growth of the town was slow at best, with a population of only 1549 by 1830, increasing margin- ally to 1801 by the 1840 census. It had taken 40 years for the population to double the 948 recorded in 1800. By 1850, the population would increase by 250%, reaching a total of 4,584, and the town would begin to take the form that it has today. Architectural styles likely to be found in the areas developed prior to 1840 include: Post Colo- nial Vernacular Georgian, Greek Revival, Federal, Capes, and Early Gothic Revival. The development of the mills and the coming of the railroads, 1840-1875: recognizing the virtually inexhaustible water power available to them and their ability to harness the Androscoggin River as evidenced by the success of the early mills at the falls, a group of local property owners and investors engaged an engineer in 1833 to prepare "A Plan of the Millsites, Building Lots, and 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- other Land at the Lewiston Falls " While the plan was never executed, the property owners did incorporate for the purpose of developing the mill sites and building the canals, first as the Lewiston Falls Manufacturing Company in 1834, and in 1836 as the Great Androscoggin Falls Dam, Lock and Canal Company. The Great Androscoggin Company hired a second engineer to prepare a plan for the canals and the mill sites in 1836. This plan (Fig. 3) not only allocates lots for the mills along an extended canal system, it also, for the first time, indicates the grid pattern of streets that eventually dictated the development pattern of downtown Lewiston. Construction on the canals began in 1850, after the Company had been reorganized as the Lewiston Water Power Company in 1845 (later to become the Franklin Water Power Company) . ~ · . ' . . . ~ . / ~ . . . ' . · ~ - ~ ' J. . t : . ' , J . . . , ~ ~ ~ . - . L J. l. · ~ - LE'WISTOlf ·FALLS. ; ~ I. . • . 1 i l1 .a • ~ \ I 11 I J: Fig. 3, Plan for the canals and mill sites, 1836 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- Concurrent with the development of the mills and the canal system, and of critical impor- tance to the development of the town, was the coming of the railroads. With the Androscoggin River unnavigable because of its numerous falls, Lewiston before the railroads was a landlocked settlement. Any shipment of goods had to be made by wagons traveling over dirt roads. Without the railroads it would have been impossible to move the vast quantities of needed raw materials into, and the finished product out of, the town. This logistical problem was partially satisfied in 1848 with the construction of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad. The A & K RR ran from Portland to Augusta, with the tracks in Lewiston running along the upper section of the town be- tween Main Street and the river, crossing Main at Barker's Mills and continuing on to the town of Greene. Its depot was located at the head of Bates Street. Rail service provided by the A & K RR was augmented in 1861 by the Androscoggin Railroad (both lines would become a part of Maine Central in the 1870's). The Androscoggin Railroad ran from Brunswick to Lewiston, with the right-of-way in Lewiston Falls located between the rear of the Bates Mills and Lincoln Street, terminating at a depot on Main Street, just above Lincoln. A Plan of Lewiston Falls-Village drawn by Wm. A Williams in 1851 clearly illustrates the street pattern laid out for downtown Lewiston and the surrounding area, almost all of which was undeveloped. The plan shows the beginnings of the extensive grid, extending from Canal Street to the intersection of Sabattus and Webster streets (Pine Street ends at Bates, Lisbon Street ends just before Main Street, and while the streets between Pierce and Jefferson are delineated, they are not named). The grid pattern spills across Main Street to the A & K Railroad right-of-way, an area that includes Chapel, Middle, Bates, Hammond and Lowell streets, and into an area bounded by Main, Holland, College and Sabattus streets. These last two areas, along with a cluster of buildings between upper Lincoln Street and the river, are the most densely settled sections of the town, a holdover from the development of the 1830'-1840's. The 1851 plan also shows outer Main Street, College Street (to just beyond Montello), the entire length of Sabattus, Webster Street (to Mitchell), East Avenue (from above Russell Street to Pleasant), Pleasant Street between East Avenue and Mitchell, a road that follows the river to Locust Street where it becomes today's Lincoln Street, a path now occupied by South Avenue, and Pettingill and Montello streets (between Main and Col- lege). All of these roads traverse large fann lots, with one house indicated at each farm. A plan published in 1858 (Fig. 4) as a part of A Topographical Map of Androscoggin County Maine is likely a more accurate representation of the extent of built streets within the present day downtown, indicating that the grid between Canal and Sabattus extended only as far as Pierce Street, with no Birch Street and with Walnut Street ending at Pierce. Lisbon Street is now connected through to Main, Lincoln Street runs to South Avenue, where it becomes River Road, but Canal Street stops at Chestnut Street. The 185 8 map also shows that almost all of the important outlying roads were in place, and all were dotted with residences indicating large farm lots - River Road, Ferry Road, Cottage, Dyer, Cotton, Montford, Gayton (all west of Lisbon Road) and Lisbon Road, Old Lisbon Road, the entire length of Webster, Crowley, Randall and Grove, Pond, Old Chadborne, Bradbury and No Name Pond Road in the area between Lisbon Road and the Sabattus town line, and the entire length of Montello, Hogan Road, Stetson, Switzerland, Taylor and Merrill Road in the Main-College Street corridor. Significant concentrations of residences are indicated at River and Ferry roads, along Old Lisbon Road, at South Lewiston, adjacent to Sabattus Village, at Lincoln and South Avenue, Pleasant and South, at Taylor and Main and at Barker's Mills. Each of these village like groupings also had a school indicated. The 1858 plan is the first map to docu- ment the existence of these roads and small villages, but most of the rural roads were in use before 10 ---PAGE BREAK--- Fig. 4, A Topographical Map of Androscoggin County, 1858 1820, as evidenced by the presence of extant late 18th-early 19th century residences along a num- ber of such roads. The census of 1860 showed an increase to 7,424, with some of the new residents coming first to complete work on the canals and the mills, most to work in the just opening cotton mills. Bates Mill began operations in 1852, the Hill Mill in 1854 and the Androscoggin Mill in 1861. Many of the mill workers were housed in mill blocks, primarily along Canal Street and at the intersection of Lisbon and Canal, but the tenement houses that dominate the visual character of the downtown area were yet to come. The managers of the mills and others of means were busy constructing residences along Main and College streets and in the area north and west of the "Pub- lic Square" (Kennedy Park). Lincoln Street became the major retail area, with the early banks and other facilities necessary for the mills to function remaining at lower Main. With the opening of Lisbon Street in 1849 and the construction of the Lisbon Block (later renamed the College Block) 11 ---PAGE BREAK--- in that same year (at that time the largest retail structure in town), retail and office uses began to move to this area and away from Lincoln Street. By the 1860's, when the Central Block was completed at Main and Lisbon, the shift from Lincoln Street and lower Main Street would be complete. Lisbon Street, with the widened Haymarket Square at its head, would become the permanent shopping and business street in Lewiston. Bates College was founded as the Maine State Seminary during this period (1855), leading to the partial development of the area between College, Campus (then called Skinner), Nichols, Cole (now Holland) and Elm streets. New resi- dential construction was taking place during this period along Ash Street and along Park, Middle and Bates streets, between Ash and Main. Other residential expansion occurred in the existing neighborhoods along Lincoln, between Lincoln and the river (with Water Street now in existence), the area at the intersection of Lincoln and Lincoln Terrace, and in the Lowell - Bates Street area. The central area of the town was fully laid out by 1871, as shown on a map of that date entitled City of Lewiston (Fig. 5) (Lewiston had become a city in 1861) as well as in a lithograph Lewiston & Auburn published in 1875. The entire area bounded by Lincoln, Avon, Riverside, Campus and East is laid out in a grid, most of which was eventually built in that pattern. Streets added since the 1858 map include sections of Shawmut, Howe and Horton between Sabattus and Pine, with Pine Street now running from Bates to Sabattus. Bartlett Street now connects to Pleasant . L E ·W:C S T O N Fig. 5, City of Lewiston, 1871 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- Street, and Avon, Winter, Summer, the north end of Spring, Holland, Whipple and Cottage streets were added. In the surrounding area, part of Campus Street has been added, along with Grove between Sabattus and Randall, Jordan, Ware, Central from Sabattus to Russell, Franklin, Bardwell and Frye streets. Population by 1870 rose almost 84% to 13,600, almost all of which can be attributed to the prosperity of the mills brought on by the Civil War. The Lewiston Bleachery was completed in 1860 across from the site qf the 1861 Androscoggin Mill, Bates built Mill #3 in 1863, the Hill Mill added Mill # 2 the following year, and the 1858 Porter Mill was expanded and reopened as the Continental Mill in 1866. Prior to the early 1870's, almost all of the mill labor force was made up of Yankee girls drawn from the surrounding towns and villages. By 1871, however, 2,000 French Canadians were working at the mills, a number that would double with the construction of the Grand Trunk spur line in 1874. During this period mill agents, especially those from the Continen- tal Mill, actively recruited workers from Canada, who settled primarily along Lincoln and Oxford streets. The influx of French Canadians would reach its peak during the late 1870's-early 1880's, at which time Little Canada, a three block triangular area bounded by Lincoln, Cedar and River streets that housed up to 1,000 was developed with its signature four and five story, densely packed frame tenements. Zoning Board records show that numerous, relatively small residential subdivi- sions were platted and submitted for approval between 1866 and 187 4, notably in the area between Avon and Spring streets, from Bates to Riverside, between Main and College, from Sabattus to Frye, in the triangle bounded by Webster, Sabattus and Orange streets, along both sides of Walnut, from Jefferson to Webster, and in a narrow band between Russell and Friend (now Pettingill) streets above Bates College. The 1875 lithograph shows additional new development along Webster, from Sabattus to Farwell, and along Sabattus between Webster and East Avenue. The print also shows that three and four story tenements now occupied much of the grid plan area, especially along both sides of Ash, Pine and Walnut streets, from Bates Street to Howard, and the entire neighborhood bounded by Lisbon, Birch, Blake and Willow streets. Architectural styles likely to be found in the areas developed between 1840 and 1875 in- clude: Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Romanesque, High Victorian Gothic, First Renaissance Revival, early tenements (two and three-story), and Vernacular Greek Revival residences. Post Civil War expansion 18'75 to 1920: Despite the depression that followed the Civil War, Lewiston continued to expand as more and more French Canadians came to work in the mills. The population in 1880, when the mills were once again operating at full capacity, totaled 19,083, a rise of 40% over the previous decade. By 1920, the total would reach 31, 791, and it was in this period that the character of Lewiston changed from that of an agricultural and mill town to that of a progressive manufacturing city. Between 1880-1910 fifty-three major commercial buildings were constructed on Lisbon Street, St. Mary's Hospital at Pine and Webster Street (1889), Central Maine General Hospital opened on Main Street in 1891, Bates College unde~ent major expansion 1900-1914, and the State Auto Road, the first major paved road in the state, was built in 1912, connecting Lewiston to Augusta and Portland. The Lewiston and Auburn Horse Railroad Com- pany started operations in the late 1880's, with 14 miles of track in place and 20 cars and 90 horses by 1891. Tracks ran along Main Street to the site of the Fairgrounds, down Lisbon to Pine Street, and along College Street to Bates College. The horse drawn trolleys were replaced in 1914 when 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- the Portland-Lewiston Inter-Urban Trolley Company began operations. Tracks for the electric trolleys replaced those on Main Street, College Street and Lisbon, with new track installed along Sabattus to beyond Russell Street, along the full length of Pine Street, on Campus Avenue from College to Sabattus, and along Cedar Street, from Lisbon Street to the lower bridge serving Auburn. The new trolley lines would contribute greatly to the location of new residential areas, beginning in the late 1870's with the Googin and Central Avenue area between Russell and Pettingill and the Germaine-Barron-Caron Street neighborhood. By the 1890's the remainder of the Spring-Summer-Winter Street area would be in-filled, along with the three block section between Sabattus and Walnut, Bartlett to Holland Street, the triangle at East, Sabattus and Russell, Columbia, Newman and Homefield streets, the St. Croix-Baird Street area, Mower Street and Loring Avenue, Shirley Avenue, a neigh- borhood bounded by Farwell, Webster, Nancy and Reservoir streets, the Elliot-King Av- enue section, and the Rideout-Fisher Street area. Lisbon Street beyond the Androscoggin Bleachery was beginning to be developed during the 1890's, with the Rosedale-Prospect- Webber Avenue area south of Lisbon Street first, followed by the contiguous area across Lisbon in 1914. The large neighborhood between Lisbon and Bartlett streets, from Jeffrey Street to the intersection of Lisbon and Bartlett was platted in 1918. The remaining house lots in the Avon-Bates Street neighborhood, between Holland and Riverside, and the area between Main and College, Holland to Frye were in-filled between 1900-1910, along with the strip between College and Bardwell, from Sabattus to Campus. The last section of the grid plan, from Bartlett to Howe, Walnut to Birch Street was developed in this period. An area between Lisbon and Bartlett, from Maple to Will- iam Street a small neighborhood east of the Androscoggin Mill, and an area along Sylvan Avenue and Pine Street, from Sabattus to Webster complete the residential expansion prior to onset of World War One Architectural styles likely to be found in the areas developed between 1875-1920 include: Queen Anne, French Gothic Revival, Second Renaissance, Richardsonian Ro- manesque, Eastlake, Stick, Shingle, Early Colonial Revival, Early Neo-Classical, Early Bungalow, Vernacular Victorian, and 6-10 family tenements (ie: Little Canada) The end of World War One through the 1950's: Even before the national depression of 1929 the somewhat obsolete mills were faced with growing competition from the south, yet they continued to operate throughout World War Two. Population in 1920 was 31,791 and the num- ber would continue to rise by about 10% each decade until 1950, when at 40,974 it leveled off and remained around this number to the present day. With the expansion of the trolley lines in the 1920's (the trolleys continued until 1932), and the introduction ofreliable bus service, resi- dents began to relocate from downtown neighborhoods to the suburbs, many of whom purchased their first single family home. Between 1920 and 1940, all of Main Street had been in-filled with residential uses, as well as the entire area between Main and College, from Ware to Brooks Street. The Buttonwood Lane area, Bardwell and Franklin Street, East Avenue from Burbank to Warren, and Sabattus, from East Avenue to Randall Street were all now developed, along with the area between Lisbon and Bartlett, from the Bleachery to East Avenue and Arcadia and St. Croix, and Shawmut Street to South Avenue, south of Lisbon Street. Zoning records indicate that a number of small subdivisions were platted in this period, including such areas as 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- Campus and Webster streets, Nichols to Golder, the Sylvan-Webster- Sabattus area, Delcliffe Lane, and Stillman streets, Walker Avenue, Bearce and Buttonwood Lane, the Lord- Perley-Genest Street area off Sabattus, Thorne Avenue, Rachel Street, the Highland-Tampa- Haley Street neighborhood, the Scribner-Valley Street area, Lucille Street to Olive Street, Weybosset and Drew streets at Lisbon near the current entrance to the turnpike, and the Edward-Goff Street area. Post World War Two residential development continued the move to the suburbs, facili- tated by the first real infusion ofresidential mortgage money by the city's banks (over $2,000,000 in residential loans were made in 1956 alone). During the later part of the decade 1940-1950 the Androscoggin-Arkwright Street area off Lisbon was developed, along with the Russell-Harold Street area, Labbe Avenue, Robert and Theresa avenues, and the Maplewood Road neighbor- hood. Architectural styles likely to be found in the areas developed between 1920-1950 include: Colonial Revival, including period revivals such as English Tudor and Gothic, Neo-Classical, Bungalow, Craftsman, Moderne, Art-deco, and Vernacular. B. Design elements and basic architectural terms The material that follows is presented as an introduction to some of the more common terms used in the restoration and preservation of existing buildings and in the design of compatible new construction located within a historic district. It consists of illustrated explanations of a num- ber of design elements and details that contribute to defining a particular style for a building and help establish that building's character. These design elements are often used by the Review Board during its deliberations, and are a key component of a design vocabulary of architectural terms that is used to determine compliance to the review standards that are the basis of this manual. This section elaborates on definitions found in the Glossary of Architectural Terms included in the appendix, which should be consulted when questions regarding specific architectural terms arise. Restoration: the act of returning a building or a facade to the form and visual appearance it had at a particular time. Restoration must be based on thorough research and documen- tation, with authenticity the goal. It may require the removal of work that post-dates the desired period which may be of intrinsic value in its own right. Therefore, restoration should be limited to projects where adequate documentation exists to insure that replace- ment work is valid and that the new work is an improvement to and does not detract from the overall integrity of the building. Preservation: the act of conserving and retaining a building or facade in its present form and appearance by treating the structure to prevent further deterioration and decay. Little or no architectural modifications are made during a preservation project other than that re- quired to stabilize the building. 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- Rehabilitation: in general construction, the term rehabilitation is the act of improving the physical condition, usefulness and quality of a building without necessarily considering the original form or architectural detailing of the property. Under this definition, insensitive rehabilitation work can seriously diminish the architectural value of an older property. As used in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, the term infers that the architectural integrity of a building is recognized and is retained as far as practical during new work. It is this definition that is used by the Lewiston Review Board in its delibera- tions. Reconstruction: the act of re-creating a building or structure that no longer exists, based on thorough historical, architectural or archaeological evidence alone. Reconstruction is generally limited to projects of a commemorative nature, where no standing building of that period or type remains, ie: Hildreth's log cabin of 1770 or the first schoolhouse erected by the town in 1775. 2 stories 3 stories 1 story Building height: the number of full sto- Fig. 6 Human scale . · · · Monumental scale Fig. 7 16 ries in a building, a full story defined as having sufficient head-room at the roof eaves for a person to stand erect.(Fig. 6) Building scale: the visual appearance of a building or a facade as it relates to the scale of an adult, or the relationship of various ar- chitectural components to one another. A standard six foot eight inch tall door is said to be of human scale, while a three story por- tico that overwhelms the size of a pedestrian is said to be of monumental scale. (Fig. 7) ---PAGE BREAK--- Simple massing Fig. 8 Comlex massing . 1 ~ \Vindow r:u ! f!..6:6 Fig9. 6:4:3:4:3:4:7:6:7:4:3:4:3:6 Fig. 10 17 Building massing: the three dimensional vol- ume and shape of a building. A house without any side or rear additions is considered to have simple massing, while a Queen Anne house, with its towers, rear ell and wrap-around porches is of complex massing. (Fig. 8) Proportion: the relationship of height to width of a particular design element, and the com- parative relationship of these design elements to the facade. (Fig. 9) refers to the regular occurrence of building elements and the spacing be- tween them, such as established by the placement of windows at regular inter- vals in the facade of a building that sets up a of solids (wall surface) to void (window opening), Fig. I 0. can also refer to the spacing of individual buildings in a street-scape. ---PAGE BREAK--- Horizontal Fig. 11 Fig. 12 DD on D Vertical Axial symmetry 18 Directional emphasis: refers to the propor- tion of a building facade. A one-story, five bay wide cape has a horizontal directional empha- sis, while a three-story, two bay facade has a vertical emphasis. (Fig. 11). Balance and symmetry: the balance and order of a building facade can be defined by a symmetry of design elements, such as two windows at either side of a centered door (axial symmetry), or through a balance of three dimensional forms (asymmetrical balance). (Fig. 12) ---PAGE BREAK--- Architectural terms (see Glossary for a more complete listing) I I ~ A. E. Fig. 13 A. Five Bays Fig. 14 I 0 ' l I I \ B. F. B. Three Bays 19 Roof forms: A, end gable, B, front gable, C, cross gable, D, gambrel, E, hipped, F, man- sard, G, shed, H, flat or low sloped. (Fig. 13) c. D. G. H. Bays: the number of window and door open- ings in a facade, usually counted at the ground floor of a residence, at the upper floors of a commercial building that has a storefront. A, five bay facade, B, three bay facade. (Fig 14) ---PAGE BREAK--- Fig. 15 DD DD DD A E Fig. 16 OD DO e CJ CJD Window parts, double hung sash: A, Top rail, B, meeting rail, C, bottom rail, D, stiles, E, muntins, F, sill, G, glazing or lights, H, window casing or frame. (Fig. 15) Doors: A, 18th - early 19th century six panel door, B, first third of the 19th century to c.1860 four panel door, C, circa 1850-1900 two panel door, D, early 20th century glazed upper panel door, E, mid-20th century solid door. (Fig 16) 20 I l ---PAGE BREAK--- ~ Fig. 17 C. An analysis of architectural styles Brick bonds: A: English bond, alternating rows of stretchers (the long side) and headers (the ends), B: Flemish bond, alternating stretchers and headers in the same row, C: American or common bond, five to eight rows of stretchers to a row of headers (the bond- ing course). (Fig 17) The following describes the major architectural styles that remain today in Lewiston. The various styles are discussed in chronological order, beginning with the general term Ver- nacular and ending with the styles that were popular in the mid 20th century. Each discussion includes a listing of design elements and characteristics that combine to create a specific style as that style was interpreted in Lewiston. The listings will become part of the criteria used by the Review Board in determining the compatibility of proposed rehabilitation work and new con- struction. They should also be of benefit to property owners by providing a framework of refer- ence during the project planning phase, prior to submittal of a specific project to the board for approval. In the case of existing buildings where rehabilitation work is proposed, it is likely that some of the older buildings in the city will not fall within one of the major styles discussed below. Many such buildings have been altered over time and now exhibit characteristics of two and even more styles, each change having its own level of design integrity. Others were con- structed during a transitional period, when building fashions were changing from one style to another. Such examples will have to be judged on an individual basis. Also, even within distinct architectural styles often more than one element- a particular roof shape or building material, as examples- may be appropriate, depending on a structure's existing form and fabric. For this rea- son, most of the design elements listed with each style contain more than one entry ( ie; roof forms for a Federal house may be listed as gable or hip, windows in a transitional Federal/Greek Revival structure may be listed as having 9/6, 616, 2/2 sash). The discussions of styles is primarily con- cerned with residential construction. Where important commercial or public buildings of a particu- lar style exist, their defining characteristics are listed after those of the residential examples. Examples of late Georgian Vernacular and Federal styles remaining in the city are few in number. Greek Revival residences occur more often, but along with the Gothic Revival they are still relatively rare, as they were put up just before and during the early days of the development of the 21 ---PAGE BREAK--- major mills when the town was just beginning to blossom. As expected, Lewiston is espe- cially rich in buildings dating from the 1860's through World War One, the most prosperous period of the city's economic history and development. The quality and diversity of the building stock constructed during these 60 years is unparalleled. In sheer numbers, however, the numerous resi- dential styles that flourished in the suburban neighborhoods developed between 1920-1950 account for the largest number of buildings in the city. The focus and scope of this manual precludes a discussion of every building style that exists in the city. Therefore, where examples of a particular type and style are limited in number, they have been omitted from the general discussion. This category includes such exceptional build- ings as the Kora Temple (Moorish Style), the Stick Style Grand Trunk Railroad Station, the Ba- roque Revival City Hall, the Beaux Arts Public Library, and the John D. Clifford House (Mediter- ranean Style). Also, because of their uniqueness of design, no churches, with the exception of the Clough Meetinghouse, have been included in this analysis. RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION Vernacular construction, 1795-1950, is by definition "a mode of building based on re- gional forms and materials" (Cyril M. Harris, Historic Architecture Sourcebook), an indigenous style whose main distinguishing characteristic is that it has no distinguishing characteristics. Vernacular architecture is the everyday building form used by builders throughout history who Figs.18,19 ~ were concerned with providing shelter rather than a work • of art. Examples in Lewiston include many of the small houses in the Gas Patch section of Lincoln Street, and much of the two to five story tenement houses put up to . house the flood of mill workers that came during the ~ third quarter of the 19th century. In some cases, a builder " has incorporated a single design element from a style contemporary with his construction, giving rise to the terms Vernacular Greek Revival (which might include a surround and transom at the entrance), or Vernacular Italianate (often with a bracketed hood at the entrance as the only form of embellishment to an otherwise stark facade). Despite the austerity and simplicity of vernacu- lar architecture, it should not be dismissed as a valid style. Vernacular, as the background for the stylistic build- ings that surround it, represents the typical building style of a working class community like Lewiston, where as many as half of the buildings built between 1795 and 1950 would likely fall into this category. (Figs. 18,19) Late Georgian Vernacular, 1790-1810, is a Post-Colonial interpretation of traditional En- glish building forms that persisted after the Revolution throughout much of New England, and in 22 ---PAGE BREAK--- particular Lewiston between 1795 and 1810. The term Georgian when used as an architectural style, refers to the period beginning in 1735 that ended with the Revolution. The term Late Geor- gian Vernacular is used here to describe the few buildings constructed in Lewiston before the introduction of the more refined designs of the Federal period that followed. Unfortunately, it appears that no examples of this style remain within the downtown, but a number of excellent residences built in the 1790's exist in surrounding areas, notably at Ferry, Larrabee and Old Greene roads and at upper Main Street in the Barkersville area. Late Georgian Vernacular residences in Lewiston are of two types, the traditional "cape", and the larger houses, often but not always later, most being farmhouses. (Fig. 20) Fig. 20 Capes (built continuously from 1770's through 1950's) Plan: center chimney (hall and parlor plan), center hall plan with four rooms Height: I or I 1/2 stories Massing: rectangular (or less common square) in plan, often with additions to the rear or side; 3, 4, or 5 bays in width Materials: timber frame through balloon frame; riven (split) clapboards up to 1840, sawn thereafter, or wood shingles Entrance: simple enframement, sometimes with a flat transom (3 to 5 lights) above the door; door may be six-panel (rarely four-panel) or board and batten, usu- ally with a board storm door as protection from the elements Windows: relatively small in proportion, 9/6 or 6/6 sash; wide (early) to medium width (later) muntins; solid panel shutters or fixed louver blinds with wrought iron hardware Foundations: usually ashlar granite blocks; rarely brick, if so laid in Flemish (or, extremely rare, En- glish) bond Roof: always gable, the gable end to the side; roof pitch low to moderate; low eaves, the earlier houses with the eaves set just above the top of the window openings, appearing as a cap to the house; originally covered with split shingle, later standing seam metal, now may be asphalt shingle Chimneys: originally large center chimney, later two smaller chimneys set well within the end walls; normally of brick construction, rarely of stone, the brick usually corbelled at top 23 ---PAGE BREAK--- ~ ~ Fig. 21 Distinguishing features: austere, almost to the point of no added ornamental trim other than functional flat comer and sill boards, and a simple cornice at the eaves and the rake boards at the gable ends to seal construction joints; sometimes may have simple, molded caps at the top of the windows and door Larger houses (Fig 21) Plan: same as above. Height: 2 or 2 112 stories . Massing: rectangular, box-like; almost always five bays; facade has a horizontal emphasis, is symmetrical and has a solid appearance Materials: same as above, with most covered with clapboards Entrances: centered, often with a pedimented hood; often has a pronounced enframement and a 3 to 5 light flat transom; may or may not have sidelights; oor is six-panel Windows: first floor windows usually taller (9/6 sash) than those at the second floor (6/6 sash); wide to narrow muntins as age decreases; usually have simple ogee molded trim with projecting caps; may have had solid panel shutters or fixed louver blinds Foundations: same as above Roofs: same as above Chimneys: same as above, but may have four chimneys, two at each end wall. Distinguishing features: same as above, but may have wood quoins at the comers instead of comer boards; cornice may be enriched with