The Dr. Moses Mason House is a good example of the Federal style. Built facing the Bethel Common, the house is side gabled with clapboard siding. The facade is symmetrical with a centered entry. The door features sidelight windows and is topped by an elliptical filled fanlight. Pilasters supporting a band of molding frame the entry. Two internal chimneys are placed on the rear side of the roof. The front hall and stairway of the house contains Rufus Porter style murals, attributed to Jonathan D. Poor, a nephew of Rufus Porter, a prolific mural painter. The murals, likely painted in the mid-1830s, depict distant seascapes and lush landscapes, typical of Porter's style. Dr. Moses Mason was a prominent citizen of Bethel in the early nineteenth-century. In addition to practicing medicine and owning businesses, he served as the U.S. Representative to Congress from Maine from 1833-1837, as well as being appointed Bethels first postmaster. The house was restored in 1972-73 and is now owned by the Bethel Historical Society. It is open to the public during July and August.
Year Listed: 1972
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=504d9cbd-54f9-4885-97ad-629f973e973e