Gorham Historical Walking tour 2020
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1. South Street Historic District homes (there are several on Green and Preble)
   1. James McLellan/Sampson House 77 South St. built in 1803. It was given to the town in 1938 and previously housed the Land Trust and the Gorham Times.  It was sold a few years ago, refurbished and is now a dentist’s office.
   2. 79 South St. built in 1802, a center chimney cape.
   3. 90 South St. built in 1790, birthplace of Gorham historian, the Honorable Hugh D. McLellan. He wrote an extensive book on Gorham History, it was printed by his daughter Katharine Lewis in 1902.
   4. 91 South St. Pinecrest Inn - built in 1753.  In 1825 the house was owned by the local physician and a fire, possibly set by a servant girl, burned the house and few outbuildings. The house was rebuilt by townspeople and is the same today, minus a veranda and a large barn.  It serves a Bed and Breakfast today.
2. Municipal Building- Formerly known as the Charles C. Shaw School was dedicated in 1939 as a three year high school.  It started with 135 students. Before becoming the Municipal Center it was used as a Junior High School. 
3. Founders Monument - First located on the corner of College Ave. and School St. in 1805. It was moved from the corner of Church and School Streets to its current location in 2011.   The monument was erected for the cost of $50.  The red sandstone monument was set on its current base in 1886.  Memorable dates are inscribed in the sandstone and plagues are set up to show what is written on the monument.
4. Baxter Memorial Library - A gift to the town by James P. Baxter in memory of his father, Elihu Baxter, to serve as “a suitable place for the town to acquire knowledge”. It was dedicated with the Baxter museum in 1908. The original structure is the pink granite part of the building on South St, the addition was done in 2003.
5. Baxter Museum - Built in 1806 by Isaac Gilkey, a carpenter of note during the time.  It was home of the Baxter family for 20 years.  In 1907 James Phinney Baxter donated the building to the Town to be used as a museum.  It was moved back to make room for the Library.
6. Phinney Park - This was given to the Gorham Library Association in 1890.  It was the site of an old brick school, the town pound, a fire house and was proposed for a free library. In 1936 the land was presented to the Town and named Phinney Park. There are 4 memorials here. One is dedicated to veterans of World War, One is dedicated to the veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam.  One plaque is about the park itself.
   1. The fourth is a piece of ledge “Phinney Rock”. The ledge was moved from the landing place on Little River of the first settlers Capt. John Phinney and his son Edmund. They landed here in 1736, Capt. Phinney was coming to work the 200 acres of land that was granted to him as a veteran of the Narragansett Indian War as known as King Philip War in the late 1600’s. The township that was to become Gorham, known as Narragansett #7, had 120 veterans that were each granted 200 acres.
7. Old Train Station - Elm St. The original train station was built in 1850. It was later moved to another location and the current building was built. The railroad from Portland to Gorham was first known as York and Cumberland.  In 1865, it was extended to Rochester NH and renamed. In 1881, Boston and Maine took over the line.  Parts of the route can still be seen.  There used to be a bridge over the tracks on South St until 1964. After being idle for many years the building has been used as a few different restaurants.
8. Old Yard Cemetery - In 1770, Jacob Hamblen gave the Town this ½ acre lot which was part of his 30 acre lot. Many of the early settlers of Gorham are buried here.  Also Stephen Longfellow and his wife are buried, their homestead is in East Gorham on Longfellow Rd.
9. Robie Gym and Lawn- In 1868 the High School was built on the area next to Robie Gym.  It was later used as a fire station in 1950 before it was torn down in 1975. The Gym was built for the high school in 1932 with funds from the Charles Robie estate. It helped develop the 1939 Class B state champion team.  It is still in use as a gym by the Gorham recreation department.
10. Masonic building - The site of RG Hardings dry goods store before the Brick building, called the Narragansett Block, was built in 1875.  It was renamed the Masonic Block in 1922.  It has housed the Post office, Gorham Savings Bank, CE Carll insurance agency, restaurants, hair salons and dance studios.  It was destroyed by fire in 1916 with only a brick shell remaining.
11. Old Methodist Church/Spire 29 - In 1840 the early Methodists built a house of worship on High St.  In 1880 they decided to build a larger one so they sold the old church and built on School St. The house next door was torn down in 1963  and the church expanded. 
12. 28 School St. - Historical Society building - Built in 1845 for $750 on land purchased from Simon McLellan.  It housed the Maine Mutual Insurance Co. until 1868 then Gorham Savings Bank was started there.  In 1924, funds from Marcia Parkhurst enabled the town to buy it.  It was used as a town office until a new municipal center was built in 1974.   It is now home to the Gorham HIstorical Society archives.
13. School St/College Ave/Church St homes (there are several in this area)
    1. 24 School Street - Lewis Mclellan House built in 1812. Third story, cupola and trim was added to the original Federal style house in 1870.
    2. 8 College Ave - Alexander McLellan house - A classic style Federal style home built in 1803, restored in 1948, ruined by fire recently.
14. First Parish Church - Built in 1797.  A steeple was added in 1848 and the clock was donated to the town by Hon. Toppan Robie in 1868.  The clock was rededicated in January 2009.  The Revere Bell can still be heard on the hour.  It weighs 1,228 pounds and is the work of Paul Revere’s son Joseph from the Boston Foundry.  It is marked Revere-Boston 1822. 
15. USM buildings

1. Free Meeting House - Built in 1821 for religious groups, then in 1850 it became the Town Hall for 100 years. In 1960 it reverted back to the Robie heirs and they presented it to the State of Maine for use by the Gorham State Teachers College.  It is now used as an Art Gallery by USM. 
2. Civil War Monument - Inscription “To the memory of the sons of Gorham who sacrificed their lives for their country in the Great Rebellion of 1861”. Take time to read the names and battles and honor them.  This 22 foot monument was a gift from Hon. Toppan Robie in 1865.
3. President’s House - Built in 1906 with the generosity of former governor Robie, who contributed $7,000 of the approximate $11,000 it cost.
4. Corthell Hall - this “Recitation Building” was built with town appropriations and deeded to the State in 1878 for the new Normal School.  In 1926 the Alumni asked the State that it be named Corthell Hall honoring the school’s first principal.
5. Robie Hall - built in 1897 as a dormitory to replace the female seminary, named in honor of Governor Frederick Robie.  The female seminary building was across from the Academy building, where Ridgewood apartments are now.  The female dormitory burned down in 1894. 
6. Academy Building - Built in 1806 it opened with a class of 33 male students. The land was given by Thomas McLellan.  It is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in New England.  It was leased to in 1878 for use by the Gorham Normal School and belongs to the Gorham Academy Association.  The University uses it for art classes and is working on restoring the building.
7. McLellan House - This brick house was built from 1769-1773 with handmade bricks from the clay in Tommy’s Brook at the bottom of the hill. The framework is held together by wooden pegs and hand wrought nails.  This is the oldest brick house in Maine.  It was acquired by Gorham State Teachers College in 1966 and is now part of USM.

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