HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-12-10 85-55 ORDINANCE85-55
Introduced by.Cowcilor Cott, December 10, 1984
CITY OF BANGOR
(TITLE.) 9n}Ilt2i WV Amending_Chaptgr VII, Article 4, Section 5 e£_.._
the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Bangor - Creation of the
Beit ordaiud by the City Coanoit of City ofBanw, ae folio n:
THAT, Chapter VII,.Article 4, Section 5 of the Laws and Ordinances
-ef the City of Bangor be amended by adding the following thereto:
5.1.7 Great Fire District. An area generally bounded on the
east by ParkStreet and PrenCE Street, on the north by the properties
n the northeasterly side of Harlow Street, on the west by the pro-
perties on the northwesterly side of Central Street, and on the south
by the properties on the northerly side of State Street and the
properties on the northerly side of York Street; said area being
described more particularly on a plan entitled Historic Districts -
Great Fire of 1911 Historic District" on file in the office of the
City Clerk.
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this amendment to the so called
Historic Preservation Ordinance is to create a
w historic district to encompass buildings
erected in the downtown area subsequent to the
Great Fire of 1911. A facsimile of the afore-
mentioned plan being attached hereto.
IN CITY COVNC IL
December 10, 1984
Referred to Historic
Preservation CO i -
CO ider next seed TH.
CITY IUc W�
IN CITY COUNCIL
December 26, 1984
Referred to Historic Preservation
c considez exmg.
Cl"
In City Council ]anauty 14,1985
Passed,,
vete 9 Yes
Voting Yes Brnwn,Cox,eayis,fxankie
Caac,Me Catchy Tilley, wheeler,
Willey
ty Cls
85-55
ONOINANC2
( TITIE.) Scenting Mapter VII, Article 4,
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Section 5 of the Daws and Ordinances of the
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City of senior - Creation of the Greet Fire
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District
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GREAT FIRE OF 1911
HISTORIC DISTRICT
(NATIONAL REGISTER)
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January J, 1985
TO: Bangor City Council
FROM: Bangor Historic Preservation Commission
SUBJECT: Inclusion of the Great Fire District under the Bangor
Historic Preservation Ordinance
The Great Fire District is nationally recognized a
pique collection of early 20th Century commercial architecture. It
has been included in the National Register of Historic Places by the
National Park Service. In addition it forms an extremely important
part of Bangor's.i age - N the leading commercial center for northern
Maine. (Attached i6 the statement ofsignificance included in the
national registratidn nomination form.)
The BangorHistoric Preservation Commission held a
informational meeting on the proposed district on November 13, 1984
and a public hearing on November 27, 1984. A mailing was sent to
all property owners within the district before each of these
meetings. At both meetings there was general support for the
district. Some who had already done work on their properties
considered it an important protection for their investment. Some
who hoped to do work on their property felt it would be an incentive
to rehabilitation. No one present expressed any opposition.
The Commission voted unanimously to recommend inclusion
of the Great Fire District under the Bangor Historic Preservation
Ordinance.
William s
Chairman W. Phillips
cnaizman
WWP/rp
Attachments
S. Significance
Period
areas of Slanmcancs--elwok and justify below
Prehistoric;
oologygreecorlc
_X community planning
_X- landscape architecture—
religion
—1400-1499
ercbeolc Y'istodc
nmlon
—law
science
—1500.1599
—agriculture
_ economics
Ilkmture
x audience
IB00-im
X architecture
1' education
—military
wflav
—1]00.1799
_ad
—melnearins
_music
humeMWlen
- l- ia99
V commence
dplormlcnyettemenl
phllowphy
—timer
�19d0.
�cdmmunlwtlons
—Industry
X pollllcwgoyemmenl
_uanspoNaon
_magnitude
—amw(epedly)
BuTWWINmuam
Stelement of Signllldenae (in nem learatira old
The "Great Fire of 1911 Historic District" preserves Maine's most significant collection
of early 20tia-century commercial buildings, and comlarorates an urban re -building Will
anatched only, by Facileness after its cam onflagratim of 1866.
On April 30, 1911, a fire which sWrtel in a dockside war house laidlreste almst Wlf
of MAjor's commercial dowattowm (100 business blacks), as well An 7 churches and 285 Window.
Tne majority of the hurtled Wildings being woollen and crowded closely rcgether, Bangar's
small fire department - although bolstered by units from as far away as Portland - scored no
victories in fighting the blaze. The Bergner Fire was Maine's last, and me of her most
devastating, urban conflagrations, a phenomenal virtually unique W the period before
4brld War I.
Although only 2 people ware killed, the city's ecomnry and services were naturally
paralyzed following the fire. The post office, customs Muse, telephone exchange, central
fire station, telegraph station, library, arc] a number of banks and perished. only 608
of the commercial loss was insured, ubnnetheless, the first new louse began rising on burned
ground within days, and on May 11th the first new, comercial Wilding (Graham Building)
ai. Mere began a perm re
of -Wilding which, although typical of the
nismnet�nthcentury in its trmendom spa ], was unprecedented in its employ, of national
tslerrts and Lire attention given W city planning. The result was Maine's fire[ (rated
still mast significant) oompleWly 20th -century Brinell space.
Barger in 1911 fund lcog been divorced frau the lumber Waitress, her raised afire through
rest of the 19tH century. 'fhb city's emnrny had remained dynamic mt only because Bargor
comercially serviced a large rural hinterland (The automobile had mt yet tapped ler full
potential in this respect), Wt because of dreap electric prefer provided by the pioneer
plantof the Berger Hydro FMectric Company at Veol Boasting that she was "The hest-lightal
city on earth" in 1911, verb 11 light bulbs per person tan derma ion average at the tine),
Bangor provided small manufacturing firms wit1t a cheap and easy alternative to waWe-poser.
Stall local factories manufactured everyrluing from shoes and moccasins W fishing rads and
good 5d cigars. Bangor had We of the largest and most productive [rvnlc-manufacturing
planes in New England. It was lot surprisirg drat the first Wilding commissioned after the
fire, and one of the largest oxmstructed in the reWildiM, was fine Graham Black, adnal
by John R. Graham, president of the Bangor Hydro (a subsidiary of General Blatric Corp.).
Graham, wino lost fus won Muse in the fire, was one of the prime answers in the rebuilding,
constructing 7 new buildings, including a new Muse for himself, a new pmt office and tw,
small factories, in addition W company Wildings. line Hydro's new electrical sub -statim,
a praire-style WW1e by Jardine, Kent, and Hill of New York, was one of the cost progressfve
and stridently modernistic designs of the rebuilding.
TW dwmtvm tluat was burned had been a conglameraW of well busimmes in wooden
buildings which were beginning W share space with Wick office blacks. rine post -fire
downtown that areae in tie burned area was quite dominated by office Wildings, with Wit-
nercia� spas available only m the groomedflours of mrlti-storied structures. rhe
larger buildings was corporate-wmsd, either by the Hydro, banks, trust companies, or real
estate firms. Many of the ground -floor retailers Weral W office workers: druggists, rem -
grocers, beauticians, etc. she area had bernll An office a business, me distim
firm a anmereial district, a character it still retains today. It is the perfect paysical
W, I IIIII'. M, ;._..,024-0018
United States Department of the Interior EXP. 12/31/84
National park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory—Nomination Form
THE GFFAT FISH OF 1911 HISICRIC DIS'PRICf
CwnimMNion esso than number 8 Pogo 2
representation of the -Office- arld" that was just being created in Arerim at the turn of
the century.
A powerful yet benign Presence was exercised by city gwernnent. Imrediately following
the blaze, a mmicipal planning comatose was form d, and they in turn retained a Landscape
architect. In his report to the crnmittee and city fathers, Warren H. iwmLg of Boston
made the first mipzehensive proposals ever offered in Maine on the design of a city center.
Mannings suggestions included the widening of certain streets to awavodate the m;tor
trafficthathe forsaw as inevitable, the closing of select streets, re-routing of trolly
liras, siting of the city high school and library side-by-side on thea lots they no,; oempy,
and, asst importantly, the creation of parks m the two artificial malls in the Readuslmag
Stream. The parks were envisiared as providing unique breathing space for the district's
office workers as well as serving as a break against future fires. Although it is unclear
what part Manning played in the actual design of the Ke duskeag and Ncrunbega malls (1914
and 1933 respectively), he must be credited with their conception, and thus providing Mine
with a unique urban park.
City gmrermant's presence was also felt in two of the district's major camdssions,
the High School and Public Library, both constructed in 1912. A remarkable groeth in the
poets and responsibilities of city government had been occurring since the 1890's, den
city hall moved Eras a small wooden Federal -era structure to an imrence Renaissance edifice;
non those responsibilities included educating youth to Serve business and providing an
aver -increasing and literate middle-class with reading materials. The Boston firm of
Peal ly s Stearns drew the plans for both the nes High School and Library, dual essays in
Renaissance styling and monstrously expensive. The library ranks with Maine's cost
aspired works of the early 20th century, and was the croon jr..el of the re -building.
The range of architectural talent employed in the caned ares wide and surprising.
Loral architects, rarely Wilfred Mansur, C. Parker CYo ell, Victor Hodgins, and Frederick
Patterson, remived wort of the m nussions, with the first three being particularly active.
'ihe Graham Building, Eastern Trust Building, and Mrse Building are perhaps their nester -
pieces respectively. Close to a o en buildings, hoe:ver, were designed by prestigous
Fast Coast fins, acre with no history of practice in Maine. Peabody and Stearns of Boston,
that city's leading designers, planned the progressive Exchange Building in addition to
their work for the city. The Bargor Savings Bank was designed by retrace S Hastings of
New York, rivaled in stature at tlffi time only, by McKim, Head, and White. Other large Eirus
who shared their talents included Sardine, Rent, 6 Hill (Murdock) of Flaw York, and Parker,
Thetas and Rice a Basten. New York designer Louis Tiffany supplied a number of artistic
finishings, although only one of his works survives: the splendid stained glass wiMaa in
the First Baptist Murch (1912 and outside of the district). Rationally known architatswe
also recruited for church designs in the residential burned areas (also outside of the
present district), namely Cram and Furgueon (All Soul's Congregational Murch, 1912) and
Hobart Upjdm (St. Johns episcopal Coach, 1912). Significantly, not even in the face of
300 razed buildings did a Portland architect atteapt to practice in Bangor.
Stylistically the Renaissance Revival predaninatee in the district as a unifying
there. The Bangor Savings Berst is perhaps its purest expression in Maine. horetheiess
the area shwas a kaleidoscope of other influences, fascineting in their conge oranity.
Praire Style decorating occurs on Parker, Thous and Rice's stetson Building as well
as the Bangor Hydro Sub -Station already nentioned. Bangor architect Wilfred Mansur, persists
in using arched Rarenesque windows on otherwise Renaissance facades. Colonial winder
cornices appear on the block of the Rirstein Agency, prominent developers of Bangor's two
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory—Nomination Form
(01 T = OF 1911 HISICRIC OISTRIC number
4
"streetcar suburtm", who probably wanted to give their building a dnrestic feeling.
Victor Hodgins seated, in the Frey, Dugan, Staples Block, a bcM stat9R11t with Abita
terra cotta argil Chicago- style wirrIews that may have been the first in the state to
eso all historical associations and ornment, Most polgnent, h».aver, is the use all
architects made of brick. !Phedistrictis aglow with every oanceivale sbace of the
arterial, fron 1lxnmstdn cod, to Flanish Black, to wheat, honey, beige, aryl dark brawn
colorings. kklitimelly, bricks are laid in every conceivable direction and pattern, with
tkdgin's Morse Building being outstaMing for its range - round circles to diagonals to
herrimlocce, etc.
Also enclosed by the district are to buildings which survived the fire and three
(excluding the intrusions) built after Nbrld War I. sere of these are important in their
right. The Nichols Block (Wilfred Mansur, architect, 1892) is ane of aahgor's earliest
and best Bruanesque Revival works. The Tarratim Club (Parker, lhmms, std Rice of
Boston, architects, 1907) is an ornate and very wall -preserved early 20th century eea's
clubhouse. The Telephone t charge (1930) is Maine's finest (and virtually singular)
exasgle of the fullyd lofed Art reco style. Tyro other small buildings were wrmtructed
slwrtly after the war to replace original structures which had barnei, yet closely eon
in omracter the district's post -fire buildings.