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Pownalborough Courthouse: 1761
Stately, authentically restored, but most of all impeccably-maintained, the unique 18th century Pownalborough Courthouse in Dresden stands on its original site on the bank of the Kennebec River. It is a wonderful outing for all ages, not just for the history of the building/museum itself but for the scenic country surroundings, the Nature Trail that adjoins the grounds, and the nearby cemetery where heroes of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War are buried. As described in the Lincoln County Historical Association visitors' brochure, the Pownalborough Courthouse was designed by the famous Boston architect, Gershom Flagg, and built in 1761 by the Kennebec Proprietors. It has received such notables as John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Benedict Arnold, William Cushing, and two governors of Massachusetts, David Sewall and James Sullivan. Numerous trials were held in the building, including the trial of Judge North, which was featured in the Pulitzer Prize winning book and PBS documentary The Midwife's Tale, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, which was in turn based on the diary of local resident Martha Ballard. The Courthouse also served as a tavern, a meeting place, and from 1807-1855, the Dresden Post Office. Tourists today can sit in the large second floor courtroom, walk through the first floor tavern room and kitchen where visitors were once entertained and fed by the Courthouse family, see exhibits on area artifacts and historic Maine industries — ice harvesting, carpentry, shoe-making, farming, and weaving — and admire the furniture and furnishings, the many fireplaces, and the antique windows of the three-story structure. 
In addition to its important role in Maine's legal and legislative history, Pownalborough Courthouse was always also a family home. From 1761, when Captain Samuel Goodwin, one of the original Proprietors and captain of the guard at Fort Shirley, moved his family from the guardhouse into the Courthouse until 1954, when a descendant sold the building to the Lincoln County Historical and Cultural Association (as it was then known). One family for almost 200 years — Loyalists, Patriots, ship captains, businessmen, farmers, artists, and gold prospectors! The Lincoln County Historical Association, "an organization of passionate people dedicated to keeping the past alive for the future," has been restoring the house to its original 18th century condition. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 
The Pownalborough Courthouse is open in July and August Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 4 pm. Admission is charged. All tours are guided. Please call ahead to arrange group tours and to verify Sunday hours. The Pownalborough Courthouse is located on Route 128, three miles off Route 27, South from Augusta. For more information, call 882-6817, write to LCHA@Wiscasset.net, or visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org. | ||