The Hartland House served as a hotel and stage coach stop for traveling passengers along the route for many years.
*
Hartland House – c1870
*
Built around 1827 on Elm Street at the corner of Warren Square, the building would eventually become known as the Hartland House. While its early history in currently unknown, it later served as a hotel, tavern and stage coach stop for passengers traveling along the Lancey Stage Coach Route from Pittsfield. A large livery stable to service stage coach teams was also built at some point attached to its Elm Street side. The Hartland House was one of two early hotels located in Hartland along with the Park House on Main Street.
*
An edited stereoscopic photo taken from the Baptist Church Steeple shows its impressive facade and livery stable on the right.
Hartland House & Livery Stable – c1877
*
Over the course of its history as a hotel, numerous people owned and operated the Hartland House as noted in the Maine State Yearbook listings. Among some of the proprietors beginning in 1870 were Greenleaf Church (operating as The Sebasticook House), Isaiah B. Littlefield & William Goff, Isaiah B. Littlefield (following Goff’s death), Ira W. Page, Thomas French, Hosea Q. Worthen, Samuel B. Brooks & Son, John Hunt, Mary (Linn) Fuller (operating as a boarding home) and William Sullivan.
Hartland House – c1880
*
Hartland House – c1895
*
Hartland House – c1900
*
Hartland House – c1910
*
By 1911, the Bandstand was built on the island at Warren Square.
Hartland House with Warren Square Bandstand
*
Hartland House – c1919
*
Between 1919 and 1920, the former James Fuller, Jr Store building in Warren Square was moved to Water Street and by 1920 Fred Davis and his wife Lena Webber along with Lena’s brother Perley Webber replaced it with the Davis & Webber Block going into the grocery business on the 1st floor as “Davis & Webber”. Fred & Lena also purchased the 2 remaining houses in Warren Square with the larger corner house becoming their residence. Although the exact year is currently unknown, by 1943 Lena had purchased the Hartland House.
Soon after 1943, Lewis H. Barden purchased the Hartland House from Lena Davis and in 1945 rented the 1st floor unit facing Warren Square to Donald Shorey of Pittsfield who moved his Hartland funeral parlor business from across the street at the former James Fuller, Jr house.
Following Lena’s death in 1948, Lewis Barden purchased the rest of Lena’s Warren Square properties in 1950 including the Davis & Webber Block, the corner house and the small former doctor’s office building between them.
Hartland House with Davis & Webber Block – c1930
*
The livery stable was eventually torn down and the entire porch facing Warren Square removed as the former Hartland House continued its existence as a 4 unit apartment building into the 1950s. Unfortunately, by the 1980s the buildings age and lack of major repairs or renovations by new ownership were beginning to show.
Hartland House – 1987
*
After standing proudly for 170+ years as a well known landmark in Hartland’s history, the old building was in very rough shape. In 1999, it was sold to Bangor Savings Bank as part of their expansion project into Hartland. A recent fire in Warren Square had destroyed the former Davis & Webber Block which was also purchased by the bank along with the entire Warren Square lot. The first step in the new expansion was to raze the former Hartland House in December of 1999.
Hartland House Demolition – 1999
*
Hartland House Demolition – 1999
*
Hartland House Demolition – 1999
*
Hartland House Demolition – 1999
*
Hartland House Demolition – 1999
*
Following its demolition, the former Hartland House lot and the remaining area of Warren Square were replaced with a new branch building of Bangor Savings Bank opening in 2000. The Bandstand was saved and landscaping improvements were completed around it during the project.
Former Hartland House Lot & Warren Square replaced by Bangor Savings Bank – 2000
*
In 2016, Bangor Savings Bank closed its Hartland location. Following the sale of the Hartland Town Hall, lifelong Hartland resident & Hartland Historical Society Co-Founder Myrtle (Lovely) Marble purchased the building and lot in 2017 then donated both to the town for the specific purpose of relocating the Hartland Town Office into the building.
Former Bangor Saving Bank building now occupied by Hartland Town Office – 2017
*
Hartland Town Office – 2019 (Photo courtesy of Will Bunker Photography)