Henry Rowe (architect)

Henry Rowe
The Gothic House, Portland, Maine
Born	1812 Kinsale, Ireland
Died	22 July 1870 (aged 57–58)
Resting place	Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, Maine
Nationality	American
Occupation	Architect
Design	The Gothic House

Henry Rowe (1812 – 22 July 1870) was an Irish architect who practiced in nineteenth-century Massachusetts, New York and Maine.^[1] One of his most noted designs is The Gothic House (also known as the John J. Brown House), in the Spring Street Historic District of Portland, Maine, which was built in 1845. It is believed to be Rowe's first commission in the state,^[2] and is described in city promotional materials as the finest example of Gothic Revival architecture in Maine.^[3][4]

Although it is virtually unaltered, the house was moved west along Spring Street to its current location in 1971 to avoid demolition.^[5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.^[6] Today's 49 Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine, was built the same year as The Gothic House.^[7][8]

Rowe has sometimes been confused in literature with Henry Rowe, of Henry Rowe and Sons, who was based in Worcester, England.^[9]

Early life

After studying under George Richard Pain in Cork, Ireland, Rowe emigrated to the United States around 1840.^[1]

Career

49 Main Street, in Yarmouth, Maine, was built in 1845

Rowe began working in Boston, before moving to New York and, finally, Maine.^[1]

Notable works

• The Gothic House, Portland, Maine
• The Sparrow House, Portland, Maine
• 49 Main Street, Yarmouth, Maine
• S. L. Carleton House, Portland, Maine (demolished in 1914)^[10]

Death

Rowe died on 22 July 1870, aged 57 or 58. He is interred in Portland's Evergreen Cemetery.^[7]

References

1. "Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 – 1940"
2. Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. (September 16, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: The Gothic House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved May 31, 2015. Also contains pre-move 1971 nomination. Photo (1971)
3. Guide to the Western Promenade Archived 2011-03-07 at the Wayback Machine Portland Landmarks
4. Maine Catalog: A List of Measured Drawings, Photographs, and Written Documentation in the Survey, Historic American Buildings Survey (1974), p. 75
5. The Gothic House – Greater Portland Landmarks
6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth, Maine 1636–1936: A History, William Hutchinson Rowe (1937)
8. Architectural Survey Yarmouth, ME, p. 7 (Phase One, September, 2018 Archived December 20, 2022, at the Wayback Machine – Yarmouth's town website)
9. The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 92 (1907), p. 416
10. "The Way We Were: The Story Behind 118 Congress Street, Portland, Maine" – 118 on Munjoy Hill