Bangor House, historic former hotel at 174 Main Street in downtown Bangor, Maine
Bangor House is a four-story brick and stone building located at the corner of Main and Union Streets in downtown Bangor. The structure is shaped like a U with a granite ground floor, upper brick walls, and architectural details including large archways, columns, and decorative pilasters that reflect both Greek Revival and Italianate styles.
The building was constructed in the early 1830s and opened in 1834, the same year Bangor was officially established as a city. It was designed after the Tremont House in Boston and served as an anchor for the growing community.
Bangor House was named for its location on Main Street and served as a gathering place for wealthy travelers and businesspeople passing through the city. The building reflects the ambitions of a growing community that wanted to rival the grand hotels of major cities.
The building is located directly in downtown at a slightly sloped street corner, bordered by May Street and Gallagher Place, making it easy to locate. The site can be explored on foot with exterior architectural details clearly visible from the street.
The building originally featured an advanced water system with a well and rooftop tanks, long before such systems were common. It survived a major downtown fire in 1911 and its own fire in 1954, both of which were contained.
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