RESTORATIVE House Work
by JODI BLACK Supervising Preservation Manager
T
ime and weather have taken a toll on Hamilton House in South Berwick, Maine. The roof of this National Historic Landmark needs to be replaced, the paint is starting to peel, and it has lost some decorative elements on the dormers. But all is not lost. Historic New England has raised half of the $330,000 needed for repairs through a grant from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures (SAT) program. SAT recognizes nationally significant properties and Hamilton House, built c.1785, fits the criteria. This striking Georgian mansion is perched on a picturesque bluff at a bend in the Salmon Falls River. The
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Historic New England Summer 2021
square residence is finely balanced with symmetrically placed wood windows and has wood clapboard siding. The main door is framed by pilasters and topped by a Doricstyle triangular pediment. The three dormers feature alternating triangular and circular broken pediments and the elaborate cornice line includes dentils and modillion adornment. The building is topped by a steeply pitched wood shingle hipped roof and four soaring brick chimneys. A large arched window sits centrally located above the entrance on the north elevation, providing views to the river and forests beyond. Although the property changed hands many times
