Criterion A: Commerce, Politics/Government, Entertainment/Recreation
Criterion C: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1837 to 1963
Local Level of Significance
The Ellsworth Commercial Historic District located in the town of Ellsworth, Hancock County, Maine, is significant at the local level under National Register Criterion A in the areas of Commerce, Entertainment/Recreation, and Politics/Government, and under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. As the most populous municipality in Hancock County, and the county seat, Ellsworth’s commercial downtown has served as the regional center of commerce since the early-nineteenth century and into the second half of the twentieth century. As the largest city in the area, it has also been the entertainment destination for the local population with a movie theatre, bowling alley, and various billiard halls. The many successful businessmen formed social organizations such as the Masons. The buildings in the downtown feature examples of the popular architectural styles over the period of significance, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Renaissance Revival, Classical Revival, and Art Deco. The 30 contributing buildings within the district have largely retained their original design features and form a cohesive group of commercial buildings constructed between 1837 and 1956. The buildings maintain a high degree of historic integrity. The character defining features of the district include predominately masonry construction, recessed entries on the commercial storefronts, flat roofs, defined cornices, the use of granite for lintels and sills, uniform setbacks, and full use of lot. The buildings all contain storefronts on their first floors and office space on the upper floors if present. The period of significance for the district is 1837 – 1963, beginning with the construction of the oldest extant commercial building on the eastern side of the Union River while the end date recognizes the shift to automobile-centric commercial development located outside of the downtown.