Hallowell's Water Street Mercantile: A Glimpse Of Commerce Past
Oldest, first, most talked about in Hallowell, most photographed for the Kennebec River flood levels recorded on the side of the building, even the tallest structure north of Boston and property of the Pilgrims are among the claims of the unique commercial building that spans numbers 132-134-136 on historic Water Street. Built in the 1700s, the five-story brick structure has served at various times as a tanning factory, the original publishing office of The Farmer's Almanac, law offices, a book store, a pharmacy, a storage area, and now home to Russell's Gems, Water Street Mercantile Antiques N' Things, The Wharf Most intriguing of all, however, is the building's original purpose as a warehouse where clipper ships on the Kennebec River were loaded when Hallowell was a leading international port and commodities such as timber, fur and ice were shipped to the far corners of the world. When current owner, Cliff Vining, purchased the historic building with everything in it two years ago, its contents revealed many clues to the past. The original large wooden wheel used to hoist merchandise to the fifth floor is still in place at the top of the building, along with the rope holes through the three lower floors. Signatures on the beams have dates in the 1800's. The old double doors with forged hinges through which the ships were loaded remain intact on the back of the building. And, throughout the interior, huge hand-hewn red pine beams and intricate brickwork "I've tried to keep everything as original as I could," Cliff describes of the repairs and renovations that are in progress. He is doing as much of the work as possible himself while his wife, Anne True, who has an extensive background in antiques and auctions runs the Water Street Mercantile store. More businesses and perhaps living space are their eventual goal. In the meantime, they are going through the unique contents of the property, piecing together history, and sharing their enthusiasm with customers and visitors for Hallowell's oldest commercial building.
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