Built in 1914 for Charles & Sadie Poor. Design by Charles O Poor.
Googins & Clark, builders.
An attractive Arts & Crafts in the Deering Center neighborhood
Charles Poor’s life was bracketed by tragedy.
Charles Oscar Poor and Sadie Gardiner White married in Wiscasset Maine in 1905. It was her hometown while Charles was a native of Goffstown NH. When Charles was not quite 3, consumption took away his father. 2 years later, it carried away his elder brother and his mother. He was raised, in Portland, by the family of his maternal uncle, Richard Gatley, who was a plasterer. The family lived on Danforth Street. Sadie White was the youngest of 4 daughters of Joseph & Julia White. The Whites were farmers.
Sadie Poor purchased the lot at the corner of Concord & Matthews Streets from Sadie Johnson in May of 1912. Sadie and Harry lived farther down Concord Street, at the corner of Lawn Avenue. The deed imposed a set of restrictions on the lot:
That within ten (10) years from the date hereof, no building or portion of building other than steps leading to said building shall be built, erected or maintained on said lot nearer than fifteen (15) feet from said Concord Street; nor shall any flat roofed building be built, erected or maintained on said lot within ten (10) years from the date hereof, nor shall any building greater than 2 stories be built, erected or maintained on said lot, within 10 years of the date hereof.
The Poors did not commence construction until sometime in 1914 as can be seen on the 1914 Richards Atlas where the lot is still empty.
1914 Richards Atlas. Portland Public Library Digital Commons
Charles & Sadie Poor had no children. At 2000 square feet, the house they built was big enough for children. The main block is 31′ wide on the street and 30′ deep. A 4′ deep stairwell projects from the rear. It is 2 stories and all covered in a very well scaled, hipped roof. The details are, mostly, Colonial Revival with some Arts & Crafts features in the shingles and window arrangements. The house shows the work of a skilled architect.
Charles Poor was Fred Tompsons draftsman for over a decade when he designed his home on Concord Street. There’s not a large known body of work for Poor but, according to a biography of his later partner, John P Thomas, he designed a cottage on Peaks Island for one FN Calderwood. The 1924 tax information lists a cottage on the “West side of Northeast end of Island Avenue” owned by a Mina F Calderwood. This is most likely the building Charles Poor designed.
The Calderwood Cottage today
A search of newspaper articles for the period yield 2 other homes from Poor’s hand. One is directly across the street at 3 Matthews and at 43 Highland Street for the Fred & Gertrude Martin around 1920 which we looked at in 2018 and had no idea of the designer.
1919 City Directory
On Wednesday, May 10, 1922, Charles Poor left the office of Thomas & Poor in the Brown Memorial Block, got into his Essex motor car and headed for home. Poor travelled out Forest Avenue to Woodford’s Corner where he turned left and headed out Woodford Street. When he got to the railroad crossing just west of the intersection at around 5:15 pm, it all went horribly wrong. The vehicle in front of Poor crossed and the driver, he later testified, shouted back that he could see a train coming. The crossing gates were not down it was later determined, and this allowed Charles Poor to attempt to cross and beat the train. He was not successful.
Poor’s car was struck by Train 15 from Union Station to Lewiston and dragged about 100′ down the rail line and was torn to pieces before the locomotive was brought to a stop. Poor had been thrown from the vehicle. He was immediately rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital just up Woodfords. He had a broken leg, various cuts and bruises and, it was thought, a skull fracture and internal injuries. He died the next day. He was 49 years old. Sadie Poor continued to live at 187 Concord Street along with various members of her family until her death in 1951. At that time, it was sold to Clayton & Gloria Wilcox.
187 Concord Street in 1924. Maine Memory Network
187 Concord Street is listed as a single family home. The owners are a veteran/peace activist and a marine composites and dynamics expert. The condition is very good.
Portland House Stories 