This is a picture of the Corinna House. It was on the north side of Main Street in Corinna, Maine toward the Dexter Road. I’ve read that this hotel had 20 rooms and the capacity to seat 25 people in its dining room.
The railroad tracks are just visible running across the photo, near where the men are standing. The railroad came through Corinna in 1866, so this photo must have been taken after that date.
Here is another picture from the different position.
My guess is this picture of Main Street was taken later than the photo above. Notice the railroad signal on the white post just on the right edge of the photo. That was not in the first picture. This picture must have been taken before 1897, any later and the Stewart Library Building would be visible.
The next picture is from a post card you may have seen before.
The presence of the completed Stewart Library Building tells us that this hand-colored post card (printed in Germany) was made from a photo taken after 1898. The Corinna House is still there.
Just behind the person with the bicycle there is a building with an awning on the front and the high mill section. That is the Ireland Brother’s Grist Mill. It was completed in 1905. The Odd Fellows Building, which is not in this picture, was built in 1907. So, if all that is correct, this photo must have been taken around 1906.
Does anyone know more about the Corinna House? Can anyone verify the dates? Please leave a comment below if you can tell us more about these pictures and these interesting buildings.
Picture credit: David Leavitt Collection
Wonderful photo’s Ken. Really enjoyed the Cattail Press.
Thanks, Lorna. I’m thinking I’ll reuse some of the old Cattail Press content along with some new (old) photos.
On Corinna Memories Lorna Fanjoy said,”Corinna Hotel, also known as Corinna House. The hotel owned by A.L. Grant and later Percy Lander. The Corinna fire started on 9/29/1911 at the Ireland Bro’s Gristmill on the left. The hotel and livery stable were also claimed in the fire.
I found this reference to the Corinna House and Jotham Pratt.
Mr. Jotham S. Pratt was appointed postmaster in Corinna June 8, 1849. “Mr. Pratt erected and was the first proprietor of the old Corinna House which was burned only a few years ago. He also ran the carding mill.”
From: Lilla E. Wood, “A Brief History of Corinna, Maine 1804 – 1916”, (J. P. Bass Publishing Company, Bangor, Maine 1916) p. 41.
Unfortunately Ms. Wood does not provides dates for when the Corinna House was built or for when it burned.
This is a copy of a comment posted by Carl Smith on Facebook about the Corinna House.
“In teasing Ronnie Simpson about not commenting on the Corinna House, he says he has a guest book of the inn I believe his and Ken Veazie’s grandmother, Edna Lander Simpson’s brother, Percie Lander purchased it from Asa Grant in 1898 and operated until his death in 1904. His sister sold to Fred Welch in 1907 who in turn sold to Ireland Bros in 1910. I assume the buildings were torn down or burned as Corinna Manufacturing then built their mill.”