Union Hotel (Cundy's Harbor, Maine)

The Union Hotel is a historic hotel building at 926 Cundy's Harbor Road in the Cundy's Harbor village of Harpswell, Maine. Built in 1862, it is believed to be the oldest purpose-built summer resort hotel in the state. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1] It now houses the Captain's Watch Bed and Breakfast.

Union Hotel
Location926 Cundy's Harbor Rd., Cundy's Harbor, Harpswell, Maine
Coordinates43°47′32″N 69°53′36″W
Area1.8 acres (0.73 ha)
Built1862 (1862)
Architectural styleItalianate, Vernacular Classical
NRHP reference No.85002179[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 12, 1985

Description and history

The Union Hotel building stands atop a rise in the village of Cundy's Harbor, located near the southeastern tip of Sebascodegan Island, which forms the eastern part of the town of Harpswell. The building, which looks like a large house, stands on the west side of Cundy's Harbor Road, just north of the village library. It is a two-story wood frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboard siding. The roof is topped at its center by an octagonal cupola. The building trim is a vernacular Italianate style, with corner pilasters rising to a broad entablature, and deep eaves. Early photos of the building show that it once had roof balustrades and a porch.[2]

The Union Hotel was built in 1862 by Daniel Weeks Simpson, a native of nearby Brunswick who married into a local family. It is believed to be the oldest resort hotel building in the state; an earlier instance in Harpswell, built in 1835, was destroyed by fire in 1868. Simpson's hotel was a financial failure, and the building has seen a variety of uses over the years. In the 19th century, in addition to several stints as a hotel, it as house a local school and church, and in the 20th century it was converted into a private residence.[2] It now houses the Captain's Watch, a bed and breakfast inn.[3]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Union Hotel". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  3. "Captain's Watch B&B". Captain's Watch B&B. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
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