Georgian Elegance in Rural Maine
Dresden, Maine
Framed by dense woods and set in rolling hills overlooking a pristine section of the Kennebec River, the 1762 Bowman House is a rare survivor of domestic eighteenth-century elegance in a rural setting. Lawyer and later Judge Jonathan Bowman built the stylish house and furnished it with exquisite Boston-made furniture, Chinese export porcelain, and imported silver and glassware, creating a world of beauty and elegance far away from the rough reality and challenges of life on the Maine frontier.
In 1965, after decades of being empty, the house was saved by designer, historic preservationist, and entrepreneur Bill Waters and his partner, Cyrus Pinkham. The interior is a recreation of Bowman’s world, including objects original to the house and family pieces collected by Waters over his fifty years of stewardship.
Location:
22 Bowman Lane
Dresden, Maine 04342
(207)835-5876
Tour Details
Hours of Operation:
- June 1 to October 15.
- All group tours must be scheduled in advance by appointment. In addition to regular open days, group tours may be scheduled on days the museum is closed to the public, dependent on staff availability.
Specialty Tours
We are happy to work with you to customize your experience.
- Guided House Tour: Enjoy an approximately forty-five minute guided tour; please allow one hour for your visit.
Tour Details
- Up to 10 visitors can tour the house with each guide. Accommodations can be made for larger groups, but please allow 10 minutes extra for staggered start times for each group of 10.
- Please note that the tour requires a considerable amount of standing and climbing stairs. If members of your group need special assistance, please let the museum know in advance.
Cost:
- Guided House Tour: Regular open day tours $15 per adult, $13 per senior, and $7 per student for groups of 8 or more visitors. Outside regular open days $25 per adult, $23 per senior, and $12 per student. Prices subject to change.
- Receptive tour operator rates available upon request.
- The tour leader and bus driver are welcome to a complimentary tour with the group.
- A non-refundable deposit based on your maximum number is due upon booking. The outstanding balance must be paid when the group arrives for the tour.
- Please call two weeks in advance to confirm a guaranteed number of visitors.
Nearby Attractions:
- Visit the nearby Pownalborough Court House, built in 1761 for the newly created Lincoln County.
- Visit another Historic New England property nearby. Package discounts available
- Nickels-Sortwell House, Wiscasset – Tour one of the region’s finest examples of high Federal-style architecture and hear stories of the those who lived and worked here from an early 19th century international maritime family home to mid-century hotel and 20th century summer home.
- Castle Tucker, Wiscasset – 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 150 years. One of the most intact Victorian-era homes in New England, it is filled with the family’s furnishings, including an original parlor and four generations of kitchen technology.
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