National Register Listing

Continental Mill Housing

a.k.a. Pathways Building and St. Mary's School Building

66-82 Oxford St., Lewiston, ME

Lewiston's cotton textile mills, such as the Continental, long dominated city life. Their combined demands for Labor were what drew so many people, particularly French-Canadians, to the city in the first place. "Little Canada", that richly ethnic, st111 largely French-speaking neighborhood, exists literally in the shadow of the Continental Mill. Originally a small structure called the Porter Mill, built in 1858, it was purchased in 1866 by the Continental Company and greatly expanded, employing 1200 persons by 1895.

To accommodate the rapid influx of people attracted by Lewiston's employment opportunities, mill owners constructed special tenements called mill blocks. Each mill block was under the strict supervision of a director who kept a careful eye on the moral and physical condition of the tenants.

These buildings are all that is left of the many substantial mill blocks that once lined Oxford Street. Originally fronted by elm trees and a lawn between them and the canal, these substantial brick structures gave dignity and character to the neighborhood which may hopefully one day be restored.

These mill blocks were constructed in 1866 in an architectural style that is a transition from the Greek Revival to the Italianate. The very plain almost severe treatment of the windows indicates the Greek Revival influence as do the doorways with brick pilasters supporting granite lintels. The buildings are very restrained and consciously balanced. The flat roof and overhanging eaves with their supporting brackets illustrate the Italian influence. The belfry and cross are later additions, indicating the religious and educational functions these buildings have served in more recent years.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.