A gorgeous Second Empire house in Bangor, Maine, the George R. Lancaster House was built as an Italianate style house in 1856, during the city’s heyday as “The Lumber Capital of the World.” It was remodeled into the Second Empire style with the addition of the Mansard roof around 1868.
This house features wood flush board siding cut to resemble ashlar stone blocks, and a fabulous bell-curve gable centered on the concave Mansard roof with slate fish-scale shingles. Bangor has a number of Second Empire style houses with the unusual bell-curve gable feature.
America’s tradition of building homes with wood is frequently noted and commented upon by visitors from other countries, where masonry construction is the norm. Few nations have had the abundancy of the vast old-growth forests found in North America by European settlers. This natural resource shaped the construction patterns of the United States and Canada. Our rich heritage of historic wood houses is an important part of the character of our nation and worthy of preservation.
All aspects of the repair and restoration of wood houses, from initial condition assessment to finish coat painting, are covered in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Select preservation titles by other authors are also available in our shop!
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
#antiquehome #antiquehomes #traditionalarchitecture #historicalhomes #historicalhouse #historic #oldhousecharm #oldhome #oldhouse #preservation #preserveourhistory #homerestoration #houserestoration #architecturelover #restoringyourhistorichouse #yourhistorichome #restoration #historicpreservation #secondempire #mansardroof #bangormaine