William H. Stevens

American architect

William Henry Stevens
Born	March 22, 1818 West Gardiner, Maine
Died	August 20, 1880 Lewiston, Maine
Nationality	American
Occupation	Architect

Practice	William H. Stevens, Fassett & Stevens, Stevens & Coombs
Buildings	Worumbo Mill, Roak Block, W. P. Frye House

William H. Stevens (1818–1880) was an American architect from Lewiston, Maine.

Life

Stevens was born in West Gardiner, Maine in 1818. He learned the carpenter's trade, and moved to Lewiston in 1849, acquiring land on the outskirts of town. in 1851 he and five others went to California, to try their hand at prospecting. He returned to Lewiston in 1855, continuing to work as a carpenter. In 1864 he took a position with the Franklin Company, and became the in-house architect and engineer, a position he retained until 1870. That year, he opened an independent office as an architect.^[1]

Stevens worked alone until 1873, when he formed a partnership with Edward F. Fassett, son of Francis. The firm, Fassett & Stevens, was dissolved in 1874, in the wake of the Panic of 1873. Stevens resumed his independent practice, and Fassett returned to his father in Portland.^[2] After a brief period, Stevens and George M. Coombs formed a new partnership, Stevens & Coombs. They remained together until Stevens' death in August 1880, after a period of illness.^[1]

Stevens served on the Lewiston city council, and was elected mayor in 1870.^[1]

Architectural works

William H. Stevens, 1864-1873:

1864 - Worumbo Mill, Canal St, Lisbon Falls, Maine^[3]
- Burned in 1987
1867 - Lincoln Boarding House, 100 Main St, Lewiston, Maine^[1]
- Demolished in 1964^[4]
1868 - Bates Street School, 255 Bates St, Lewiston, Maine^[1]
- Has lost its Mansard roof
1868 - Savings Bank Block, 215 Lisbon St, Lewiston, Maine
1870 - Bonnallie Block, 249 Main St, Lewiston, Maine^[1]
1870 - Pilsbury Block, 200-210 Lisbon St, Lewiston, Maine
1871 - Roak Block, 156 Main St, Auburn, Maine^[5]
1872 - Farwell Mill, 244 Lisbon St, Lisbon, Maine^[1]

Fassett & Stevens, 1873-1874:

1873 - William P. Frye House, 457 Main St, Lewiston, Maine^[6]
1873 - Pilsbury Block (Addition), 200-210 Lisbon St, Lewiston, Maine^[1]
1874 - Webster Grammar School, 45 Spring St, Auburn, Maine^[1]
- Demolished

William H. Stevens, 1874-1875:

1874 - Goodwin R. Wiley House, 39 Church St, Bethel, Maine^[1]
- Demolished

Stevens & Coombs, 1875-1880:

1876 - William Bradford House, 54 Pine St, Lewiston, Maine
- Demolished in 2007
1876 - Farwell Bleachery, 39 S Canal St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[7]
- Burned in 1994
1876 - Odd Fellows Block, 182–190 Lisbon St, Lewiston, Maine
1877 - Edward Little High School, 30 Academy St, Auburn, Maine^[8]^[9]
- Demolished
1878 - Charles Gay House, 64 Highland Ave, Auburn, Maine
1878 - Lewiston Water Works, 38 Island Ave, Lewiston, Maine^[10]
- Only the gatehouse remains
1879 - Auburn Engine House, 158 Court St, Auburn, Maine^[11]
1879 - Squirrell Island Chapel, S Shore Ave, Squirrel Island, Maine^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Maine: William H. Stevens, 1818-1880". http://www.state.me.us/. 1995. Web.
^ Pythian Opera House NRHP Nomination. 2008.
^ Gay-Munroe House NRHP Nomination. 2001.
^ "Atwood Hotel in Lewiston". https://www.mainememory.net/. n.d.
^ Roak Block NRHP Nomination. 1987.
^ Main Street-Frye Street Historic District NRHP Nomination. 2008.
^ Skulski, Ben. Images of America: Lawrence, Massachusetts. Vol. 2. 1997.
^ Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the City of Auburn, for the Fiscal Year Ending February 29, 1879. 1879.
^ Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the City of Auburn, for the Fiscal Year Ending February 29, 1878. 1878.
^ Historic Lewiston: A Self-Guided Tour of Our History, Architecture and Culture. 2001.
^ Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the City of Auburn, for the Fiscal Year Ending February 29, 1880. 1880.
^ Shettleworth, Earle G., Jr. Images of America: Victorian Augusta. 2008.