An English Country home on the most prominent street in town brings an earlier work from the architect James P Thomas.
Built for James C Hamlen II in 1920. An asymmetrical form somewhat out of character for the street. It is contemporary to and in the same stylistic family as the Louis Porteous house of 1924 and is by the same architect. I wonder if Porteus saw the Hamlen house and felt Thomas was the architect to put his wishes ‘on paper’.
The left side of the main facade has a strong resemblance to the house at 53 Chadwick in the intersection of the main block, cross-gabled end, and shed roof entry. Here they are handled in a much more agreeable manner. The end gable is better scaled to the main block and the entrance while keeping a balance with the bay on the right end of the facade.
A well-scaled English window bay combined with the suggestion of a gothic-like buttress created by the projecting chimney add to the old world feel of the building. The roofing seems to my eye to be suspect. It seems too modern. That being said, the 1924 tax photo seems to show what’s there now.
The drive and garage access on Western Promenade is a bit unique. This is well done with the pavers matching the materials of the house quite well. As is so often the case, the view of the house from the service road is as interesting as the front.
The house and garage in 1924
The current owner is a local real estate agent.
Hamlen family memorial. Evergreen Cemetery. Portland Maine
Portland House Stories 