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Thursday, October 25, 2018

Castle Tucker -- Is That a Person's Name, Castle or a Place?

Castle Tucker
2 Lee Street
Wiscasset, Maine 04578

 
Ever since my planned visit to the Wiscasset Library in 2015, I was intrigued by this house, a stone's throw away from the library. When my husband and I joined HistoricNewEngland.org, I was thrilled to see this was one of their houses, and as a member, we could tour for free. We visited in the summer, and all the interior photos were taken then, but I wanted to see the foliage, so we returned in late October for more photos. I guess by now, you realize Castle Tucker, built in 1807, is not a name, a castle or a place, but the name of a house owned by the Tuckers.
Visitors center in the old tool shed, so unique.
Our tour began through the door below.

Beautiful view, I thought.

"Dramatically sited on a hill overlooking the Sheepscot River, Castle Tucker tells the story of a prominent shipping family’s life on the coast of Maine over a period of 150 years. From 1858 until the end of the twentieth century, both the Tucker family and their imposing house survived economic upheavals, emotional turmoil, and a rapidly changing outside world.

Built in 1807, the house was later redecorated and furnished to satisfy modern Victorian tastes and sensibilities. A visit to Castle Tucker offers a glimpse into the everyday life of Mollie and Richard Tucker and their five children at the turn of the twentieth century. With three generations of family possessions on view, Castle Tucker is a time capsule that echoes with the voices of a remarkable Maine family."
Wikipedia has some condensed useful information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Tucker

The tour guide told us how the name came about. After Mr. Tuecker's death, the wife and daughters tried to find ways to make money. One of their methods was to raissquab for local restaurants, one restaurant was at the Poland Springs Resort. One day, while the crates of squab were being unloaded at the resort, somebody decided to write "Castle Tucker" on the boxes, and the rest is history.
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All the furnishings in this room were bought during the Civil War.


This room had many items displayed around the pool table. The bureau is not as it seems, but it's a Murphy bed, that can be pulled out and used as a bed.

Looking into the Piazza, which is two stories high.
In most of the old houses, visitors have to wear blue booties to protect the rugs and/or wood floors. The ceiling in the piazza had some water damage. The house is slated to get a new roof.

So much to see in a hallway.
Dining room, with a sewing machine, larger photo below.
Around the corner, we were taken to the kitchen. Wow, is all I can say.
Kitchen sink (see the very detailed description).
1905 Empire Crawford stove.

A Hoosier cabinet. I loved the message from Jane to her brother Dick.

Pantry, with everything a cook would need.
The stairs led us up to the 2nd floor.


I love the carpet above, and the wallpaper in the next bedroom.


Circular driveway for parking.
House and several additions, make it hard to capture in one photo.

Overlooking the Sheepscot River.


Wiscasset is probably most known for its Red's Eats, "the World's Best Lobster Shack." Since we were staying in this town for a couple of nights, I saw my first NO LINE. Seriously, the lines are always long. The Shack is shown below at the foot of the bridge, left side.

Google map, showing Castle Tucker on the lower left.


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