Atkinson Building

Designed in 1892 by Elmer I. Thomas of Auburn, the Atkinson Building is one of Lewiston's earliest and best Romanesque Revival structures, and her tallest Victorian business block. When completed in 1893, the six-story building was also the tallest commercial block in Maine, and one of the state's first Romanesque Revival "flatirons". Bangor's Columbia Building by W. E. Mansur and Rockland's Syndicate Block by Thomas were also erected that same year, but unlike the Atkinson Building, both have been substantially altered on their ground floors, and the latter has been seriously altered in its upper stories.

The building occupies half of the lot previously taken by the Lewiston City Building, which burned in 1888. In 1890-92, a new City Building was constructed on half of the old lot, and the other half, abutting a busy intersection of the main commercial street, was sold with the stipulation that any building erected must be of brick, iron, or stone, and not less than three stories tall. The Atkinson Home Furnishings Company's building actually rose to the unprecedented height of six stories, adding its presence to an already strong grouping of buildings: The City Building with its nine-story tower, next door; the unusual mansard-roofed Sayings Bank Block across Lisbon Street; and the massive tower and walls of the Bates Mini, visible at the end of Pine Street. The City Building and Sayings Bank Block are currently listed on the National Register.

The relationship between the Atkinson and City Buildings goes beyond mere height and presence.' Thomas chose a number of architectural devices for the former which replicate those used in the latter. The red-grey North Conway granite used to face the first story of the City Building - but rarely seen elsewhere in Lewistonwas also used to trim the Atkinson Building. The major granite and brick separating courses of the Atkinson are roughly equivalent to the separating courses of the City Building. The Atkinson's Romanesque windows are of the same height and character, and in the same position in the facade, as the single Romanesque window in the facade of the City Building. Of widely different sizes, styles, and bearings, the two buildings were nonetheless made to cooperate.

While the Romanesque Revival style is usually characterized by heaviness - either in material, or massiveness of decorative and architectural features, or both - the wall surfaces of the Atkinson building are pointedly light and thin. The granite and terra-cotta courses are extremely narrow, as is the detailed cornice. The bays between the pilasters and arches of the middle stories have a very shallow recess. The pilaster capitals and arches are so thin and unadorned that they seem not to be supporting any weight - the pilasters look to be stretched rather than compressed. Even the paleness of the brick is in contrast to the robust coloration of contemporary Romanesque buildings. Architect Thomas either was not attuned to the spirit of the Romanesque Revival, or he deliberately sought to "lighten" his walls to emphasize the building's uncommon height.