Situated on the east side of the Presumpscot River, the Great Falls Historic District consists of three residences and several industrial ruins. All three buildings are of frame construction and represent either the Federal style or the Greek Revival style. The oldest building is the Federal-style Trickey-John White House (pictured) that features a low-pitched hipped roof, clapboard siding, and a central entry topped with a louvered fan and flanked by sidelights. Though the building has a c.1798 date of construction, it is possible that the rear ell may have been constructed as early as c.1788 when Zebulon and Mary Trickey first acquired the property. The Trickey's were the first European-American settlers in Great Falls. They established a farm and sawmill. By 1800 the village of Great Falls included over fifty individuals who farmed and ran additional mills. The arrival of the Oxford and Cumberland Canal further boosted the village economy throughout the nineteenth century. The canal allowed Great Falls merchants and farmers to efficiently and cheaply move goods to market in Portland. Eventually railroads replaced the canal in the latter part of the nineteenth century and a severe fire in 1872 destroyed several buildings in Great Falls, greatly limiting its further growth. The historic district remains a recognizable example of rural architectural and industrial development along the Presumpscot River.
Year Listed: 1995
For more information:https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=2759cfe2-0add-4c37-ba59-5edda02a6eeb