Bangor home nears landmark status

BANGOR – A French Street house constructed just after a 1911 fire that ravaged much of downtown Bangor is one step closer to becoming a historic landmark.

The home of Inez Boyd, at 251 French St., won unanimous approval for the listing at a meeting of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission on Thursday night.

The house does not lie in or near a municipal historic district, and now the City Council must approve a final designation as a historic landmark.

A revival of the architectural “colonial four-square” style, the three-story home might soon be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Deborah Thompson, who spoke Thursday on Boyd’s behalf.

“The [house] really sings. It has perfect composition,” Thompson said.

A friend of Boyd’s, Thompson wrote a book detailing the city’s historical buildings, titled “Bangor Maine 1769-1914: An Architectural History.”

Boyd’s father-in-law built the house in 1911, and the Boyd family has inhabited it ever since, she said.

Boyd, whose husband was born in and died at the French Street home, continues her work to discover the house’s architect. She predicts she will soon find the original plans, Thompson said.