Sunday, May 2, 2010

Skowhegan #6

Another named building in downtown Skowhegan. It's interesting to me to think of the entire story behind such a building. What is the back story here? Who was A.B. Borden and what did they do? What was their connection to Skowhegan such that they not only built this building but decided to put their name on it? History is lurking everywhere.

5 comments:

  1. The A.B. Borden building was built in the 1840's as a two and a half storied storefront building.
    Dr. A.B Borden acquired the building in the early 1900's In 1909 he purchased a Mesker prefab zinc clad steel storefront through the mail and redid the building. I'm in the process of having the storefront refinished and the building will hopefully look new again this Fall - Bruce Fowler

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  2. Thanks Bruce for the info! I've heard of buying storefronts through the mail but didn't realize I was looking at one! Looking forward to seeing the refinished version. Thanks again!

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  3. Wow while doing research on this building I found this post. I did an extensive photo shoot of this building but for an entire different reason. I am AB Borden’s great grandson and we were in Skowhegan sadly to bury his granddaughter, my mother, in the family plot in the cemetery up the road. The Borden head stones are easily seen from the road. My son was amazed to see his great great grandfather’s name on a building. I have family pictures of the store front from the early 1900’s and wanted to do a now and then set of shoots which I have done for many of our early family photos. AB was an interesting and eccentric character , from family oral history, and well known optometrist in multiple citys in central Maine. His daughter was also an optometrist in Waterville (imagine a female doctor in those days – only two in her graduation class.) I would love to see a post of the renovated front end. We have a number of artifacts from his practice in our house in California.

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  4. Hi S.J.Callahan,
    Just now saw your post from Sept. 2011.
    I'm about to under take restoring the first floor storefront and would be very interesting in seeing photos of how it looked during your Great Grandfather's time. I will be meeting with the Architect later this month. they would also be thrilled to have photographic evidence since after restoration; plan is to apply to the department of the interior for National Register of Historic Placement
    Bruce D. Fowler
    bruce@winterromp.org

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