Name/Title
William M. Nash House | River Road, Cherryfield, Maine | Cherryfield Historic DistrictDescription
ARCHITECTS
William A. Allen
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
Queen Anne
From Sunrise County Architecture (2nd revised and enlarged edition) 1996, p.94:
WILLIAM M. NASH HOUSE
One photograph (after 1865) remains of the original Cape Cod style cottage~ with four columns supporting both triangular pediment and entablature. The original owner, James W. Moore, then remodeled it as a Greek Revival"temple" house. Moore's lumberman son-in-law, William M. Nash, used designs by architect William A. Allen, of Cherryfield, for master builder Charles A. Allen, of Cherryfield, to reconstruct it into a 2-1/2 story Queen Anne/MansardlHigh Victorian transitional style building with two pavillions, porch and tower. Pillars support a porc~ with pediment, leading to the first floor entrance. An extra Mansard story rises (above the second floor) with a balcony, flanked on each side by arched windows (with lintels). The building is crowned by the tower, with several kinds of arched dormer windows opening in all directions. There are two ells, as well as two detached out-buildings -- a cedar-shingled pitched roof barn as well as a similar carriage-house. This house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. KFM, JCB
William M. Nash House 1840-1888: 2nd Empire. Considered to be one of Maines Most distinctive late 19th Century dwelling houses, this building is the largest in the district and is also one of the most lavishly ornamented. It is one of local builder Charles A. Allens masterpieces. His work was actually a major remodeling of a temple style Greek Revival dwelling which had been occupied by James W. Moore. Further, tradition recounts that a Cape preceded the Greek Revival building and its structure remains somewhere within the volume of the present house.
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7, Pages 23-24:
58. William M. Nash House, c. 1840, 1888 - C River Road Charles A. Allen, Contractor for Remodelling N.R. 1/4/83
As noted in the individual National Register nomination, this rambling three-story Second Empire style house is considered to be one of Maine's "most distinctive late nineteenth century dwelling houses." It is by far the largest building in the district, and ranks with the (Second) Samuel N. Campbell House (2) as the most lavishly ornamented. The house has a broad three-bay facade composed ofa projecting central pavilion that rises to a third story balcony and a pyramidal roof punctuated by elaborately ornamented dormers with Queen Anne features. A handsome porch with turned posts and balusters shelters the doorway and the flanking recessed windows. The second story windows have pronounced hoods whereas the dormers are pedimented. Deeply recessed side bays are of full height, and a telescoping effect is achieved with the series of rear ells. Weatherboards cover the body of the house and shingles are used on the third story of the pavilion. The Nash house is one of local builder Charles A. Allen's masterpieces.
It is sumptuous not only in detailing but also in its scale. Constructed five years after he built the house (2) for Samuel Campbell, it shows a clear pattern of direct borrowing of details, especially in the porch and Queen Anne elements in the dormers. Other characteristics are Allen hallmarks as well including the treatment of the second story windows and, of course, the mansard roof. Allen's work on this house, which is documented in local newspaper accounts, was actually a major remodelling of a temple style Greek Revival dwelling which had been occupied by James W. Moore. Tradition further recounts that a cape preceded the Greek Revival building and is somewhere within the volume of the present house. Although little is positively known about Moore, Nash (Moore's son-in-law) can be considered one of Cherryfield's leading businessmen. He appears to have begun his manufacturing career as a tanner and shoemaker, and is enumerated in both the 1860 and 1870 census engaged in that business. In 1885, however, he acquired the J. W. Coffin and Company, a lumber manufacturing enterprise, eventually taking into partnership his sons James, W. M., and Frank C., the latter of whom established his residence (57) next door.