“Nickles-Sortwell House Captivates WMHS History Students”
WMHS American students gained a deeper appreciation of the Nickles-Sortwell House and the opulent history of Wiscasset.
Kirra Lahaye, a WMHS American History student shared, “When I visited the Nickels-Sortwell House, I was amazed by the architecture. It has a beautiful spiral staircase and unbelievable woodwork. When you get to the top of the building it's incredible how high up you are.”
Nickels-Sortwell House Built in 1807 by a wealthy ship's captain is one of the finest Federal styles of architecture. The period exemplifies when shipbuilding and the maritime trade brought prosperity and sophisticated tastes to Wiscasset.
Braylon Day and Landin Shirey valued the various historical eras of the house. Day mentioned, “I learned as we were visiting the Nickels- Sortwell House that it was a hotel for at least 80 years. The architecture of the house was very interesting and massive and there's many rooms in it with several bathrooms and bedrooms.”
Frances Sortwell, the daughter of Alvin and Gertrude Sortwell, bequeathed the property to the Society for the Historic New England in 1958. Tracy Blake Bell gave an informative tour of this historic Wiscasset landmark.
Michelle Farrin, WMHS student appreciated the guided tour, “While visiting the Nickels-Sortwell House, Tracy Bell gave very detailed information on the History of the building. I was fascinated by the advanced architecture, specifically by the flooring's improvement within a couple of decades. This building has significant historical value, and made a powerful impact on how Wiscasset is to this day.”