Saco in York County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
Charles Henry Granger 1812 - 1893
Saco Museum Main Street Walk
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2021
1. Charles Henry Granger 1812 - 1893 Marker
Unfortunately, the marker has weathered significantly and is hard to read.
Charles Henry Granter (1812 - 1893) was an artist, musician, poet, translator, historian, outdoorsman and environmentalist. He was born in Saco as the son of Saco Collector of Customs Daniel Granter and Mary Jordan, daughter of Tristam Jordan, one of Saco's wealthiest merchants. Charles Henry attended Thornton Academy from 1822 to 1828 and West Point from 1828 to 1832.
[Unreadable] portrait studio in Saco in 1833 where he worked as an itenerant artist traveling to New York in [unreadable], Philadelphia, 1839, Baltimore, 1839-40, Frederick, MD 1840, and Washington, DC and New York [unreadable], Eastport, 1842, Boston, 1843-44, Kennebunk, 1845, and Boston 1856, and 1858. He was a regular exhibitor of painting, drawing and sculpture of at the York County Fair, frequently receiving the highest awards for artwork. In the 1860s, the City of Saco commissioned Granger [unreadable] patriotic portrait to adorn the wals of City Hall. [Unreadable] portraits of Washington, Lincoln, Grant, Governor [unreadable], and Judge Ether Shepley [unreadable]. One of Granger's fine portrait [unreadable] String-Bean Muster, also [unreadable]
this page online
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His diaries provide a rare insight into the professional life of a mid-19th century painter. A portion of Granger's income was derived from commissions to paint portaits of the recently dead. Granger found the work distasteful and in 1848 placed an ad:
Please read this!! The subscriber is frequently called upon to paint portraits from persons after death. Now this subjects him not only to an extremely disagreeable taste out to risk the failure in producing a satisfactory resemblance. Hitherto he has gone into the rooms of the dead and dying without any regard to the disease, whether contagious or not He would therefore respectfully request the public, if they will not come themselves and send their friends while alive and in health that they will at least refrain from making his eart, instead of a pleasing and delightful occupation to one or pain and, too often of discust, by requiring him to look upon the ghastly and distorted featuresGranger's connections to the prominent Jordan family sparked his interest in local history and he contributed material to the family genealogy published in 1882. In 1866, he joined with the [unreadable] Professor John Johnson, George [unreadable], Stephen Goddale [undreadable], George A. Emery, John [unreadable], and old associate, Marcus Watson, in founding the York [unreadable] Saco Museum. He contributed natural [unreadable] in his hunting trips and donated most [unreadable] as well as his own drawings as artowrks. He served in the hsitorical and scientific community as a frequent leturer. In 1874 the museum commissioned Granger [unreadable] portrait for John James Audubon to compliment the many [unreadable] birds and natural specimens.of the deadPhotographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 20212. Charles Henry Granger 1812 - 1893 Marker
Despite his many talents, Granger struggled to make a living producing art and music in an industrious New England town, whose citizens were preocupied with producing cotton cloth and [unreadable] lumber. He spent much of his adult life in a modest [unreadable] on Summer Street. Charles Granger died in 1893 and is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Erected by Saco Museum.
Topics.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2021
3. Charles Henry Granger 1812 - 1893 Marker
Location. 43° 29.948′ N, 70° 26.688′ W. Marker has been reported unreadable. Marker is in Saco, Maine, in York County. It is on Main Street (Route 9) just north of Cutts Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Main St, Saco ME 04072, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Southern Maine Coast. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Rev. Jesse Lee (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Masonic Hall (about 300 feet away); Sarah Fairfield Hamilton, 1831-1909 (about 400 feet away); Dr. Laura Black Stickney, 1879-1961 (about 700 feet away); Jacob Cochran, 1782-1836 (about 700 feet away); Samuel Brannan and the Gold Rush (about 700 feet away); Site of The Olympia Fruit Store (about 700 feet away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Saco.
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Murder of Mary Bean (was about 800 feet away but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 19, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 435 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
