Henry Rowe (1812 – 22 July 1870) was an Irish architect who practiced in nineteenth-century Massachusetts, New York and Maine."Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 – 1940" One of his most noted designs is The Gothic House (also known as the John J. Brown House), in the Spring Street Historic District of Portland, Maine, which was built in 1845. It is believed to be Rowe's first commission in the state, Also contains pre-move 1971 nomination. and is described in city promotional materials as the finest example of Gothic Revival architecture in Maine.Guide to the Western Promenade Portland LandmarksMaine Catalog: A List of Measured Drawings, Photographs, and Written Documentation in the Survey, Historic American Buildings Survey (1974), p. 75
Although it is virtually unaltered, the house was moved west along Spring Street to its current location in 1971 to avoid demolition.The Gothic House – Greater Portland Landmarks It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Today's 49 Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine, was built the same year as The Gothic House.Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth, Maine 1636–1936: A History, William Hutchinson Rowe (1937)Architectural Survey Yarmouth, ME, p. 7 (Phase One, September, 2018 – Yarmouth's town website)
Rowe has sometimes been confused in literature with Henry Rowe, of Henry Rowe and Sons, who was based in Worcester, England.The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 92 (1907), p. 416
Early life After studying under George Richard Pain in Cork, Ireland, Rowe emigrated to the United States around 1840.
Career
Rowe began working in Boston, before moving to New York and, finally, Maine.
Notable works
The Gothic House, Portland, Maine The Sparrow House, Portland, Maine 49 Main Street, Yarmouth, Maine S. L. Carleton House, Portland, Maine (demolished in 1914)"The Way We Were: The Story Behind 118 Congress Street, Portland, Maine" – 118 on Munjoy Hill
Death Rowe died on 22 July 1870, aged 57 or 58. He is interred in Portland's Evergreen Cemetery.
References