A condo in a restored Hallowell mansion that was once home to a former Maine governor is for sale for $329,000.
The one-bedroom, one bathroom condo is on the top floor of the Second Empire-style home that was built in 1850 and owned by Joseph Bodwell when he served as Maine’s governor in the late 1880s.
Bodwell renovated the house in 1875 to give it its Victorian details that remain on the building’s exterior today, according to the Maine Memory Network. The home is among the most recognizable in Hallowell and stands out from the less ornate homes along Middle Street.
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Born in Massachusetts in 1818, Bodwell was a farmer and businessman who founded Hallowell Granite Works before launching a political career, according to Friends of the Blaine House. He served as Hallowell’s mayor and a State Representative before he was elected Maine’s 40th governor and sworn in on Jan. 6, 1887. His term lasted until he died in the Hallowell home on Dec. 15, 1887.
The home fell into disrepair long after Bodwell’s death and was placed on Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2000. The organization’s list began in 1996 and seeks to call attention to derelict historic buildings throughout the state.
The mansion was slowly restored within the last decade and broken into four units, all of which are occupied except the unit for sale. The current owner bought the condo in 2022, according to local property records.
With an asking price of $329,000, the condo is less expensive than the price of an average home in Hallowell, which rested at nearly $374,000 as of Tuesday, according to Zillow. Like elsewhere in Maine, home prices in Hallowell spiked dramatically during the pandemic, but have started to drop slightly in recent months.
The home is perfect for “someone that appreciates classic architecture blended with modern efficiencies,” said Tyler Gaudet of Sprague & Curtis Real Estate, the listing agent for the property.
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“The units are quite energy efficient and they have updated systems throughout them, but they did a really good job of preserving the exterior and the original woodwork,” Gaudet said. “They really preserved the past.”
With more than 1,200 square feet of living space, the condo has an open floor plan with large windows that let in natural light, cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors and granite countertops. The unit has access to the widow’s walk at the top of the building that could be used as an art studio, office or space for guests, Gaudet said.
With more than 1,200 square feet of living space, the condo in the historic mansion offers large windows, cathedral ceilings, and access to the widow’s walk at the top of the building. Credit: Courtesy of Sprague & Curtis Real Estate
“This is the only place I’ve ever sold with an accessible widow’s walk,” Gaudet said. “It’s pretty unique.”
The buyer would also have access to one spot in the detached garage and the shared courtyard on the property, Gaudet said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WABI) – Maine veterans returned home Sunday after a weekend in Washington, D.C.
Giving local veterans and their loved ones a visit to the capital of the nation they dedicated their lives to is the aim of Honor Flight Maine.
Marking their second trip of the year, the nonprofit provided about 70 Pine Tree State veterans a free trip to Washington to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service.
For many, this was this first time seeing the capital in person.
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“Unreal,” “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” and “tear-dropping” were among the sentiments shared by veterans about the Honor Flight. Others remarked on the memories revived by visiting the ceremonial spaces.
“I have some friends that’s over there, so it really was nice,” said Edward Lee, a Vietnam veteran from Bangor.
Lee was able to find one friend’s name engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Using graphite and a piece of paper, he made a rubbing of the name to take home.
Rose Marie Curtis, a Navy nurse who served in Vietnam, said seeing the three nurses depicted at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial sent her back in time.
“For so many years, you don’t think about something. You’re doing this and doing that and having children, whatever. But this really brings you back,” Curtis described.
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Not only does the trip give veterans the opportunity to see these sites, it allows a chance to connect; with perhaps a past or present self, and with fellow veterans.
“It’s what makes Honor Flight Maine special because you’re with your own kind,” explained Charlie Paul, a Vietnam War veteran who has been involved with Honor Flight Maine for a decade. “We’re a segment of society, they remember us on Memorial Day. They remember us on Veteran’s Day. They remember us on Armed Forces Day. But then they forget about us. And so for us as an organization to take them down here and see their memorials, it just lets them know they’re that special.”
For Lincoln veteran Richard Rollins, the visit gave him “closure,” considering, “…when I got out of the service, I mean, to be honest, even in ’79, I was never thanked.”
Among former servicemembers of all ages, father-son veterans James and Michael Sherman said the trip opened up conversation, sharing stories they had never told each other about their service.
“It means the world that people care, and we shouldn’t wait a moment to tell the people that are important to us what they mean to us,” Michael Sherman remarked.
After Maine’s first Democratic gubernatorial debate, I commented that the candidates seemed to be vying with each other to be agreeable. Would it last? Back then, I thought I’d be happy with any of them as Maine’s next governor.
Not so now, as I observe the cronyism of Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson and Hannah Pingree, whose plan to rank each other when they vote provides a blueprint for gaming the ranked-choice voting system in the primary. The political insiders are forming an alliance against the outsiders, Nirav Shah and Angus King III.
Shah’s campaign responded that it would stay focused on winning voters’ support, a more principled approach, in my estimation.
I prefer a governor who listens and learns from his constituents over one experienced at alliances and deal-making. I want integrity and leadership, not manipulation and exclusion.
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I no longer believe that Bellows, Jackson or Pingree would make a good governor.
