Carrabasset Inn (1914- mid 1940s)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Constructed prior to the Civil War and formerly home to the North Anson's Carrabasset Inn, this two-story, four-bay frame building includes a mixture of Greek Revival and Colonial Revival style architectural styles. Today, most spellings of the word Carrabassett (the name of a Native American leader which became the name for this region of Maine) differ from the name this business used during its years of operation. The structure was initially built as a single-family home until a fire broke through the business district of Anson, Maine, in 1913. This tragedy led hotel owner N.W. Murphey, to acquire this home which had previously been the home of the Bunker family. Remodeling took place almost immediately, and by 1914 the Inn was open for business. In 1920, George I. Brown took over management and advertised the hotel as “A place where you’ll feel at home -- away from home.” From the day it opened until it closed its doors to the public in the 1940s, the inn was the only hotel in the area. Once ceasing operations in the mid-1940s, the structure was converted back into a single-family home.

Images

The Carrabasset House pictured in 1999.

The Carrabasset Inn pictured in 2018.

The Carrabaset Inn located in North Anson, ME. Photo appears to be taken in 1968 shortly after the Inn stopped operations.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Carrabasset Inn, located at the Northwest Corner of Union Street and Route 8/Alternate 201 in North Anson, Maine, was built as a single-family residence. Although the construction date is unsure, the Greek Revival characteristics of the building suggest that it was constructed in the 1850s. The earliest picture of the original home is a panoramic stereopticon view that was taken in 1875. This picture shows us that at that time, the front of the house was toward the road where a porch wrapped around the first story while a two-story extended at the back. In 1883, the property was owned by S. Bunker. The Maine Register lists Bunker as a manufacturer and seller of shoes, boots, leather, and bricks. The Atlas of Somerset County that was published in 1883, showed several outbuildings surrounding the home, and it can be assumed to be associated with Bunker’s businesses.

In 1883 and many years following, North Anson had three different hotels listed in the annual editions of the Maine Register. The largest and most famous being the Somerset Hotel, located in the middle of the business district. N.W. Murphey was the Somerset Hotel owner from 1902 to 1913 when a devastating fire broke through the business district. The fire caused twenty-three business blocks to burn down, including a dozen homes and his business, the Somerset Hotel. This called for the remodeling of the two-story-tall Greek Revival frame home, which became the Carrabasset Inn. The Carrabasset Inn is noteworthy locally for the renovation that utilizes a blend of Colonial Revival and Craftsman features. This includes the Palladian window of the front of the Inn and the varnished paneling, boxed beam ceilings, and stained glass.

In the year of 1914, the Inn was listed in the Maine Register owned by N.W. Murphey. He remained the owner until around 1920 when George I. Brown took over its management. An advertisement published in the 1921-1922 edition of the Maine Register stated, “A place where you’ll feel at home -- away from home.” It also recognized the Inn’s “Steam Heat, Electric Lights, and Cheery Open Fires.” Other advertisements described it as “THE HALF-WAY HOUSE BETWEEN BOSTON AND QUEBEC ON THE MAINLINE” and “A Homey Hotel for Tourists and Travelers.”

From the years of 1913 to the mid-1940s, it appears to be the only place to stay in the area that provided guest accommodations. Advertisements showed that the supportive local clientele and the growing tourist trade, helped the business thrive. After the Carrabasset Inn ceased operations in the 1940s, a portion of the rear wing was removed and moved to another site, and the Inn was converted back into a single-family home.

Sources

"National Register of Historic Places Registration Form." National Park Service. Accessed July 31, 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/00000376_text.

Maine: An Encyclopedia. "Anson." Maine: An Encyclopedia. Last modified July 21, 2020. https://maineanencyclopedia.com/anson/.

Bangor Daily News. "Five Historic Buildings in Maine Listed in National Register." Bangor Daily News Archive. Last modified July 21, 2000. https://archive.bangordailynews.com/2000/07/21/five-historic-buildings-in-maine-listed-in-national-register/.

LandmarkHunter.com. "Carrabassett Inn." LandmarkHunter.com. Last modified December 9, 2016. https://landmarkhunter.com/143455-carrabassett-inn/.

Historic Places. "Carrabasset Inn." Historic Places in the USA | Historic Places - Historicplaces.net. Accessed July 31, 2020. https://historicplaces.net/monument/carrabasset-inn-north-anson-maine/AMDAwMDAzNzY=/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)