Built after Lincoln County was set off from York County in 1760, the Pownalborough Courthouse is a large three-story, clapboard-sided structure with a shallow hipped roof. The east and west elevations are identical, both symmetrical with a central entry. Reflecting the Georgian style that was popular at the time, the doors of the otherwise fairly plain building are framed by pilasters supporting an entablature and projecting cornice. The third floor windows are smaller than those on the lower floors and are placed just below the overhanging eaves. Two massive internal chimneys sit on either side of the building.. The building has never been electrified or fitted with modern plumbing. The town of Pownalborough, named for Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall, encompassed modern-day Dresden, Alna, Jefferson, and Wiscasset. Overlooking the Kennebec River, the Courthouse was constructed on the grounds of Fort Shirley, built in 1752 to defend colonists against Native American conflicts. In addition to serving as a courthouse for Lincoln County (the state's third county), the building has also been a tavern, post office, meeting house, company house for the Plymouth Company, and living quarters for the fort commander. Courthouses were not routinely built in pre-Revolutionary New England. Court proceedings often took place in meeting houses, taverns, or private homes. Located on what was essentially still a frontier, the Pownalborough Courthouse signified the intentions of the Kennebec Proprietors to develop the lands around the Kennebec River. It is currently owned by the Lincoln County Historical Association and open seasonally for tours.
Listed: 1970
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=78167bf3-a947-49dd-a852-e43539f13c17