| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 5 — A Benevolent Bequest — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Construction of a public library was made possible in 1888 by a bequest of $20,000 from merchant Paul R. Hazeltine. He directed that a handsome, substantial, fireproof building be erected on a suitable spot. Built of red granite and trimmed with Somerville gray granite, it is the first Belfast structure to be built entirely of stone rather than wood or brick. When the library opened there were 2,033 volumes on the shelves. Joseph Williamson, Jr. (panel #6) served as President of the . . . — Map (db m59389) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 15 — Belfast City Hall — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Memorial Hall was built in 1890 by Civil War veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor their fallen leader Colonel Thomas H. Marshall. While in command of the 7th Regiment of Maine Volunteers, Marshall distinguished himself at the first Battle of Bull Run. The GAR Post used the large hall on the second floor for meetings and reunions, while the lower floors were leased to the city for municipal purposes. In 1923 the Post relinquished possession of the hall to the City and placed . . . — Map (db m59497) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 6 — Belfast Historian's Home — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Williamson House was built in 1845 for prominent Belfast lawyer, businessman, and State Senator Joseph Williamson. It was later the house of his son, Joseph Williamson, Jr., who followed in his father's footsteps as a country lawyer. Joseph Williamson, Jr. is best known for writing The History of the City of Belfast, Maine, in two volumes. In 1853, he administered the oath of office to the first mayor, Ralph C. Johnson (panel #19), under the newly adopted City Charter. The . . . — Map (db m59390) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 21 — Biggest Little City — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Despite the decline in ship building, the port of Belfast remained busy at the turn of the 20th century. Rapid industrial development took place all along the west side waterfront, and steamships and railroads became the primary movers of goods. Granaries and creameries, clothing and shoe manufacturers, a fuel company and granite works were among the varied industries that formed the economic base of the city. On the east side, ice houses, brickworks, a foundry, and a paper mill were the . . . — Map (db m59508) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 28 — Broiler Capital of the World — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Belfast in the mid-20th century was firmly established as "Broiler Capital of the World". Hundreds of thousands of chickens were raised in giant barns throughout Waldo County. At the peak of the industry 22,000 birds per hour were made ready for shipping at two plants situated on the waterfront. When Penobscot Poultry Company opened its state-of-the-art facility on this site in 1956, presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson was present at the opening ceremony. The plant closed in 1988 and was . . . — Map (db m59548) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 25 — Captain Albert W. Stevens — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Famed aerial photographer and Belfast native Army Air Corps Captain Albert W. Stevens captured his hometown on film in September 1923. It is interesting to see the newly built Memorial Bridge, the open fields of the east side and the steamboat heading away from the dock. Stevens served in WWI taking aerial photographs of German positions. On November 11, 1935, he commanded the flight of Explorer II, a helium balloon that ascended to a record altitude of 72,395' (13.71 miles). The first to . . . — Map (db m59530) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 8 — City Park — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Belfast Ladies Improvement Society lobbied the city council in April of 1904 to establish a seaside park for the benefit of the public. The purchase price of the 15 acre lot was $3,000 and, once secured, prominent Boston landscape architect E. L. Beard drew up the park plans. Through the next two years volunteers, using donated materials, planted trees and built the roads. In 1936, a WPA project added a sea wall and saltwater swimming pool (photo c. 1915). Inset: Edgar F. . . . — Map (db m59392) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 9 — Civil War Hero — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Colonel Philo Hersey, born in Canton, Maine, came to Belfast in 1861. He entered Civil War service as a captain in the 26th Maine Regiment. Severely wounded at the battle of Irish Bend, Louisiana, he returned to Belfast and in 1865 married Arabella Johnson. He and his family lived in this house for 20 years. Hersey was a man of many talents--teacher, soldier, merchant, lawyer, commander of the GAR post, state representative--and in 1875 built the shoe factory (panel #1). He left Belfast for . . . — Map (db m59395) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 13 — Downtown Main Street — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Downtown Historic District is recognized as a 19th century architectural gem that is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Main Street provided an early route through the dense forests, allowing the farmers and woodsmen to bring their goods from the outlying regions to the merchants and waiting ships. The neo-Gothic Belfast National Bank (right) built in 1879, and its new bank offices built in 1909 across the street are two of Belfast's most recognized buildings. Note . . . — Map (db m59495) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 10 — Education First and Foremost — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Original Town Hall (left) and Academy (right) were both built in the early 1800s on the Town Common and served as schools into the 20th century. As student enrollment increased, the buildings became over-crowded and out-dated (photo c. 1900). The school committee, recognizing the need for improved facilities, voted to build a new school and in August of 1923 construction of the William G. Crosby School began. Inset: The new school was named for Crosby, who served as Maine . . . — Map (db m59398) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 11 — First Church — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The First Church congregation built this meeting house and dedicated it on November 15, 1818. The frame was raised by men from Belfast and neighboring towns. The parish committee provided a barrel of punch for the workers. Notable features include a Paul Revere bell, the first church bell in Belfast, hung the following year, and the town-owned clock built in 1836 by Phineas Quimby and Major Timothy Chase. Over the years the church has been lovingly maintained by its congregation. In 1975 . . . — Map (db m59493) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 29 — Five-Masted Beauty — The Museum in the Streets |
| | A brief shipbuilding boom following WWI put the shipyard owned by the Mathews Brothers woodworking mill back in business. The building of the Jennie Flood Kreger, Belfast's largest and only five-masted ship, was overseen by company president Orlando Frost. Frost's eleven-year-old daughter, Katherine, recorded in her diary the events leading up to the festivities of launch day. On Wednesday March 5, 1919 with a large crowd in attendance, Katherine wrote, "All of a sudden we heard a . . . — Map (db m59549) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 4 — Main and High — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The intersection of Main and High Streets formed the commercial crossroads of Belfast and in 1799 it was the site of the first store. Sometimes known as City Block in honor of the impending new city charter, the James Y. McClintock Block was built in 1850. It housed City Hall (a large social hall), the print-works of the Republican Journal newspaper, and street level storefronts. The cupola, removed in 1955, was used by Civil Defense plane spotters during World War II. . . . — Map (db m59388) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 1 — Making a Living — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Colonel Philo Hersey (panel #9) and two business partners built this imposing shoe factory during the post Civil War period of industrial expansion. At peak production, over 500 workers stood side by side producing several thousand pairs of shoes and boots every day. Making shoes was the economic mainstay of Belfast industry prior to the opening of the chicken processing plants in the 1940s. Plagued with an aging building and continuing labor difficulties, this factory was closed in 1962 . . . — Map (db m59382) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 22 — Memorial Bridge — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The first bridge to span the Passagassawakeag River at this site was built by private investors in 1806. Known as the Lower Bridge and made of wood, it featured a drawbridge which allowed schooners to travel up the river as far as the wharfs at City Point. In June 1920, three days before construction was to begin on a new concrete and granite bridge, a truck carrying movie films broke through the draw (see inset). The new bridge, known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge was dedicated to the . . . — Map (db m59527) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — On this site — (Belfast Commons) |
| | On this site generations of workers made windows, built ships, and processed poultry. Passengers and freight were carried by sailing ships and steamships to the four corners of the world. In 1999 Belfast Commons was generously given to the citizens of Belfast by the people of MBNA. — Map (db m59658) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 12 — Post Office Square — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Post Office and Customs House was built in 1857. Until then offices were housed in various businesses around town. The building still has many original features, including ornate fireplaces and iron fireproof shutters. Post Office Square became a central gathering place for Fourth of July celebrations, orations and parades. The Crosby Inn, seen behind the Post Office, was built by a group of investors in 1889. On the bitterly cold night of January 4, 1896 the inn was destroyed by fire . . . — Map (db m59494) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 30 — Regal Passenger Steamer — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Steamboats first made scheduled stops in Belfast in 1824, carrying passengers and freight along the coast. The Eastern Steam Ship Company of Boston built the wharf pictured here in 1888. The "Great White Flyer" steamer Belfast plied the waters of Penobscot Bay carrying passengers overnight to and from Boston. Built in Bath, Maine, in 1909 she was 320' in length and boasted a steel hull, triple screws and speed of 17 knots. Carrie Greenlaw, winner of a "Prettiest Girl in Belfast" . . . — Map (db m59550) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 18 — Stylish Lodging — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The Thomas Whittier house was built in 1803 as both a house and tavern. It was long considered the finest inn in eastern Maine, popular for drinking, dining and dancing. Famous for the abundant produce from her gardens, Whittier's wife was known as "Lady Bountiful." At the close of the War of 1812, the Whittier Tavern was the site of a grand ball hosted by the British general whose troops had occupied Belfast. In 1839, the building was purchased by Judge Alfred Johnson as his home. For the . . . — Map (db m59502) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 17 — The Belfast Historical Society Museum — The Museum in the Streets |
| | When James Langworthy built this Federal style structure in 1835, Market Street, which the building faces, was little more than a cow path leading to a watering hole. But as both a home and store, it was one of more than thirty businesses in Belfast in the 1830s and over the years has housed a variety of commercial establishments and residential apartments (photo c. 1920). In 1975 the building was acquired by the Belfast Historical Society and is now home to the Belfast Museum. The Museum, . . . — Map (db m59501) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 2 — The Circus Comes to Town — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Circuses and Caravans of wild animals appeared in Belfast as early as 1816. In 1885, Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," featuring 16 elephants including Jumbo, pitched its tent on Congress Street where over 8,000 people enjoyed the spectacle, despite ankle-deep mud. Six locomotives pulled the circus train into the station where it was met with fanfare. In recent history, when the circus came to town, it was not unusual to see elephants strolling through downtown on their way to a refreshing . . . — Map (db m59384) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 26 — The Finest and the Fastest — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The abundant lumber, steam-powered sawmills and stretches of wide, flat beach, Belfast became a ship building center with shipyards lining the waterfront. In 1793, Robert and James Miller built the schooner Jenny Miller, the first of many ships to be built here. Over the years, more than 600 vessels, known for their size, speed and beauty were launched by Belfast area shipyards, and as many as one-third of the local men were employed as sailors or shipwrights. The largest of the . . . — Map (db m59531) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 19 — The First Mayor — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Ralph Cross Johnson built this house just as the War of 1812 was beginning. He and his brother, Judge Alfred Johnson, were active in all manner of Belfast's businesses and politics. Ralph Johnson was a representative in Maine's first legislature and later served as Belfast's first mayor in 1853. Alfred Johnson's granddaughter, Louise, married Belfast native Admiral William V. Pratt, who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1930-1933. The family used the house as a summer retreat, well . . . — Map (db m59503) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 24 — The Great Conflagration — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Belfast artist William M. Hall's drawing of the "Great Conflagration" was published in Harper's Weekly magazine a week after the fire. At 10:30 on the night of October 12, 1865 a fire that started on the waterfront rapidly spread. Despite valiant efforts by the fire department, by next morning the inferno had leveled one hundred twenty-five buildings in a twenty-acre section of downtown. The following year, the City passed an ordinance prohibiting the building of wooden structures in . . . — Map (db m59528) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 7 — The James P. White House — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Designed by Architect Calvin Ryder and built in 1840, the James Patterson White House is considered the finest example of domestic Greek Revival architecture in Maine. Born in 1800 in a log house not far from this site, James White enjoyed considerable success as a merchant, with interests in ship building, a paper-mill and banking. During the Civil War he served as Mayor of Belfast and later as state senator. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in the yard . . . — Map (db m59391) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 20 — The Nut House — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Originally a cigar making factory, the building shown became Perry's Tropical Nut House when owner Irving Perry started selling pecans in 1926. The business flourished as automobile traffic along Route 1 grew and it soon became Maine's #1 tourist destination. The reverse of this card reads "Most Interesting Place on the Maine Coast." Many travelers, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, have stopped to purchase nuts, homemade fudge, jams, jellies and souvenir trinkets. A nut museum and . . . — Map (db m59506) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 27 — The Oldest Manufacturer — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Mathews Brothers Company, started in 1854 by Spencer Mathews and his two brothers, is the oldest manufacturing company in Belfast. After fire destroyed the original factory in 1873 (panel #24), the company reopened just 70 days later on this site. The mill produced doors, windows, and sashes, as well as custom ordered mouldings and trim, for a wide variety of customers. In 1899, after the deaths of the brothers, female members of the family took charge, making it the largest business owned . . . — Map (db m59547) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 14 — The Opera House — The Museum in the Streets |
| | Hayford Hall was built between 1866 and 1868 by Axel Hayford, a local contractor and businessman. It housed businesses on the lower level and a ballroom/theater with a balcony on the second level. Renamed the Belfast Opera House in 1883, it was the social center of Belfast. Entertainment included fancy dress balls, concerts, orators, amateur and professional theater, and public meetings. The first movies were shown here when the building was among the first in Belfast to add electric power . . . — Map (db m59496) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 16 — The Silver Screen — The Museum in the Streets |
| | The burgeoning appeal of the silver screen led to the construction of the Colonial Theatre which opened the night the Titanic set sail from England in April 1912. A fire in 1923 following a showing of the film "Way Down East" leveled the building and a new theater (inset) rose from the ashes. In 1927, the introduction of "talkies" led to a widely expanding audience for movies. The Colonial Theatre also featured vaudeville acts, political rallies, concerts and boxing matches. In the . . . — Map (db m59500) HM |
| Maine (Waldo County), Belfast — 3 — The Windsor Hotel — The Museum in the Streets |
| | By the mid-19th Century Belfast was becoming a popular destination for travelers. The
Windsor Hotel, originally built as a private home in 1807, was enlarged to accommodate the influx of guests and lodgers. First known as the New England House, it was renamed the Windsor Hotel in 1885. In 1935, the Colonial Inn, far right, served the first legalized liquor in its "cocktail room" at the repeal of Prohibition. The entire complex was destroyed by two separate fires in 1958 and 1960. . . . — Map (db m59385) HM |
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