Designed by John Kimball, Sr., an architect/housewright from Ipswich, Massachusetts, the McLellan-Sweat Mansion is an excellent example of Federal-style architecture. The house was built for shipping magnate Major Hugh McLellan. It is a three-story rectangular brick building laid in Flemish bond, a pattern that alternates the long and short sides of the brick. The symmetrical facade is dominated by an elaborate semicircular entry porch supported by Doric columns and topped by a balustrade or railing. Typical of the Federal style, the entry door is flanked by sidelights and topped by a fanlight. Above the entry on the second floor is a Palladian window, a large arched window framed by two narrow rectangular sashes. The windows decrease in size with each subsequent floor, giving the building the illusion of even greater height. Delicate brackets support the cornice and a balustrade outlines the roof. After passing through several other owners, the house was purchased by Lorenzo De Medici Sweat, a Maine Congressman, in 1880. After his death, his widow bequeathed the house to the Portland Society of Art (now the Portland Museum of Art). It has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
Year Listed: 1970
National Historic Landmark Designated: 1970
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=d5190125-7f2d-408e-b93e-cdd88c3d3e84