This stately home is one of the most ornately detailed Federal-style houses in Maine. It was built in 1803 by Nathan Codd (who also built the nearby St. Patrick's Catholic Church) for James Kavanaugh, who along with Matthew Cottrill, were among the first Irish settlers in this area. James arrived in Boston with Cottrill around 1780 from County Wexford, Ireland - ten years later both were in Newcastle. James invested in land and soon became a prominent lumber and shipbuilding baron. The two-story house is square in plan with a low-pitched roof, which is partially obscured by a balustrade at the eave. Dentils, or small blocks, are placed under the cornice line and the corners of the building are accented by pilasters. A rare octagonal cupola extends through the roof and features louvered shutters on each face. The house has a grand entrance with a semicircular portico leading to a paneled door with a fanlight and flanking sidelights. Atop the portico is a rounded balustrade above which is a Palladian window featuring a louvered fan. Edward Kavanaugh, James's son, would become a prominent politician, including serving as the first Catholic governor of Maine in 1843. He was likely the first person of the Catholic faith to hold public office in New England. In addition, he served two terms in the U.S. Congress and later helped negotiate the 1842 Webster-Ashburton Treaty, which finally settled Maine's northern boundary with Canada.
Year Listed: 1974
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=08a56f23-0860-47d1-b8b2-3dc49148cdb3