Historic Hallowell

Historic Hallowell, a book giving a detailed and richly illustrated account of the life of the community, was published in 1962 as part of the city’s bicentennial celebration. But just six years later much of the architectural and cultural heritage of the city was threatened with demolition.

A State highway construction plan proposed widening Water Street to a four-lane highway, by razing all the buildings between the Kennebec River and Water Street, including the commercial areas known as Merchant’s Row and Kennebec Row. Opposition to the plan was immediate. Citizens marched in protest from Hallowell to the state Capital and called for the creation of a National Historic District to preserve the downtown area. On October 28, 1970, the 205 acre Hallowell National Historic District was entered on the National Register of Historic Places. Its nomination document read in part:

In Hallowell, Maine, is represented a 19th century riverport that has retained, in remarkably complete form, its architectural integrity through the 20th century to the present day. Events in her history point up the fact that Hallowell contributed to the economic, social and political history of the state and nation in areas reflective of American ingenuity and resourcefulness. Of the 450 buildings in the proposed district 85 per cent were built during the 18th and 19th centuries. Neither fire nor flood nor urban renewal have altered significantly this remarkable grouping that developed at the riverfront during Hallowell’s heyday.

Next step in our journey.