Criterion A: Industry
Criterion A: Community Development and Planning
Criterion C: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1892-1930
Local Level of Significance
The Great Fire of 1911 Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1984 for its significance at the local level in the areas of Architecture, Commerce, and Community Planning. The Peirce Block is a significant part of the history of the City of Bangor at the juncture between the 19th and 20th centuries. Like its neighbors, the building was constructed in the aftermath of the Great Bangor Fire of 1911 and is a part of the new urban fabric along Franklin and Central Streets that was constructed to replace what was lost to disaster. Many of these buildings were built at nearly the same time by a small subset of architects, and so the great fire district has a stylistic and historic consistency that contributes to the architectural character of the downtown. The period of significance extends from 1892 to 1930, the dates from the earliest building to the final rebuilding. C. Parker Crowell, who designed the Peirce Block, was one of the leading architects working in Bangor at this time, and the buildings in the Great Fire District are among his greatest contributions to the local architectural milieu at the turn of the century. In addition to the Peirce Block, C. Parker Crowell designed other still extant buildings in the district, including the adjacent Kirstein Block, the Eastern Trust building located at 2 State Street, a restaurant block at 199 Exchange Street, and the Clark Block at 16 State Street. The Peirce Block is adjacent to the Great Fire District and would have been included in the district but for an unfortunate renovation in 1984 which altered the building's historic appearance before the district was created. Now that the building has been restored to its former historic condition, the district boundary should be increased to include this building as a contributing resource.