Mallett Hall // 1886

Built in 1886, Mallett Hall is one of the most interesting and significant buildings in the small town of Pownal, Maine. The town is located equidistant to the larger cities of Portland, Brunswick, and Lewiston, but retains a very rural charm. This hall was built following a town meeting on March 15, 1886, where an article was approved to appoint a committee charged with developing plans and estimates for a new town hall. The hall is named after Edmund Mallett, a businessman who partially funded its construction. The architect is not officially known, but estimates guess it was the work of Francis Fassett, a popular architect at the time in the area. In addition to housing town offices and functions, it has also served as a community center, hosting social events. The Colonial Revival style building takes strong cues from Greek Revival meeting houses in the area but exhibits a Palladian window and fanlight in the pediment.

Boothbay Harbor Opera House // 1894

Historic meeting halls can be found in nearly every town and city in Maine. The Boothbay Harbor Opera House was built in 1894 to a design by the prominent Portland architectural firm of Francis H. Fassett and his son, Edward F. Fassett. The wood-frame building was built as a multi-functional space by the local Knights of Pythias Lodge who hired local shipwrights, who constructed the building in just 70 days. The Queen Anne style building was converted to a local opera house and has been a cultural institution for the region ever-since!