The Salmon Falls West Historic District is comprised of ten properties with five dating back to 1820 or earlier. The district is one of two architecturally significant areas in the village of Salmon Falls (see Salmon Falls East Historic District) that is bisected by the Saco River. Its late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century houses are reminders of a bustling community of small scale manufacturing and mercantile establishments that served the town and the surrounding areas. The oldest known building in the district, built in 1794 by a local merchant, is the Isaac Lane House, a two-story Federal-style dwelling. Settlement lagged until around 1820 when Lane was joined by other families that include a farmer, doctor, and general store owner. Due to the proximity of the river, Hollis became a significant trading center and in Salmon Falls a shingle mill, grist mill, and several shoe shops were opened. Despite these early manufactories, residents in this area never fully harnessed the potential of the Saco River's water power and manufacturing and trade declined in Salmon Falls by the late 1800s.
Year Listed: 1987
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=f587cf06-d939-496e-8444-dd0d55c0c4fe