Lyceum Hall
49 Lisbon St., Lewiston, MEBy 1872, the construction of Lyceum Hall was complete. Erected during a flurry of building activity on Lisbon Street, this brick block was distinguished by the incorporation of an entertainment hall on the third floor. The hall held a capacity crowd of 1000 with the stage located at the street end and galleries on the other sides.
Until the construction of Music Hall, Lyceum Hall acquired the distinction of being the city's only theater. Subsequently, the space also served as a meeting hall for various organizations and societies.
Architect C. F. Douglass came to Lewiston in 1870 from Norridgewock, where he had established an active practice. He maintained an office in the Savings Bank Block, on Lisbon Street until his removal from Lewiston in 1873. During that brief period, he completed plans for a surprising number of commercial and residential structures including the Journal Block (demolished), the Continental Mill, and the R. C. Boothby house on Frye Street.
Recent renovation has entailed restoration, preservation and, despite some new construction on the storefronts, this structure eminently contributes to the depiction of early commercial development on Lisbon Street during the 1870s.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.