A two-century-old home near downtown Belfast that once housed a former Maine governor is now on the market for $635,000.
The redbrick Federal-style home at 152 Church St. was first built in 1824 by the ship Captain Hutson Bishop.
It then later became the residence of Gov. Hugh Anderson, a Democrat raised on the midcoast who led the state from 1844 to 1847 and then owned the Belfast home from 1855 to 1875 — although he apparently spent some of that time working outside of Maine in Washington D.C. and San Francisco, according to the Megan Pinette, president of the Belfast Historical Society and Museum.
At 3,192 square feet, the home is now being sold “as is” given that it needs various renovations and upgrades, according to its listing by the Worth Real Estate.
The midcoast property was last put up for sale last year, but it was temporarily taken off the market so that winterization work could be done, according to listing agent Collin Brewster Cunning. It was again listed for sale late last week.
Among the work that’s needed is repairing the roof of its garage and replacing the mortar on its red brick. None of its fireplaces are currently functioning, either.
Cunning noted that the initials “W.H.A.” are carved into the brick beside the back door, which may have been done by Anderson’s grandson, William.
In the last century, the home also belonged to the Vickery family, which included Doris Donnell Vickery, the sister of Jean “Jeff” Donnell, a moderately famous film actress who visited the city on several occasions, according to Pinette. Donnell was for a time married to the actor Aldo Ray and it was “a major event” in Belfast when she visited, Pinette said.
Alex Johnson, who owns the property along with his two brothers, lived there for six years as a kid, but he said they are selling it now because they all live outside Maine.
“There’s lots of history, to say the least,” Johnson said. “The memories for everybody, whether they went up there once or 10 times, family and friends always felt like it was a wonderful, magical place to spend time.”
