The town of Waldoboro sat in the shadow of the Reed mansion for years since about 1815. On
April 2, 2017, it burned to the ground. The historic house, on the historic register, was reduced to charred wood, brick, and crumpled metal. I never had the chance to go inside the house. In my lifetime it was always a private residence or apartments. The current owners were investing in it to make it into an event center, although that idea had been put on hold when neighbors expressed concerns about traffic. According to the
Lincoln County News's story about the fire, the owners had changed tack and were planning live there. Now they are planning to sell the lot. Its a story too-often heard--historic landmarks going up in smoke or torn down, lost forever, with only photographs and historical records to remember them by. It changes the landscape of a town forever. I only have photos of the devastation. I never took a photo of it standing! I have linked to the news articles, and there are images of this beautiful home online. I've been sitting on this blog post for months because I didn't know what more to say about it. But it was a big newsworthy event in the life my small hometown, and therefore to me as well.
The house's name, Reed, is for Isaac Reed, who was a prominent citizen of Waldoboro, Maine, in the early 1800s.
According to an article written by Jean Lawrence,
Isaac Reed purchased the site of the mansion in 1811 from a minister
who had started but couldn't finish the house he had planned to build.
Reed enlarged the site and the building plans. He married a wealthy
widow, Jane Smouse, who had three children. They went on to have six
more children, and Reed began a successful law practice on Main Street.
According to the article, Jasper Stahl wrote about how Reed signed his
name into the wet foundation cement.
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The charred remains of the Reed Mansion and tangled
flag (above) appear in stark contrast to the beautiful views. |
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A wood fence stands guard around new landscaping cut
into the hillside lot of Reed Mansion |
The iconic house may be gone, but
historians and townspeople will remember it as a beautiful house with
historic memories as it is the place that the Maine state seal was
designed. Isaac Reed was a part of the committee that was charged with creating the state seal!
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| Click the seal to read more about the Maine State Seal! |
The house's name, Reed, is for Isaac Reed, who was a prominent citizen of Waldoboro, Maine, in the early 1800s. According to an article written by Jean Lawrence,
Isaac Reed purchased the site of the mansion in 1811 from a minister
who had started but couldn't finish the house he had planned to build.
Reed enlarged the site and the building plans. He married a wealthy
widow, Jane Smouse, who had three children. They went on to have six
more children, and Reed began a successful law practice on Main Street.
According to the article, Jasper Stahl wrote about how Reed signed his
name into the wet foundation cement. 
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