Out of the ashes of homes destroyed in the great fire of 1886, Joseph C. Holman purchased land on Main Street in Farmington Maine in 1894. Over the course of the next three years, the Holman House was built for this successful lawyer and his wife, Mittie (Currier) Holman.
At the time, Joseph was wrapping up a term in the Maine Senate, was about to become Chair of the Governor’s Executive Council, and had been pondering a run for Governor of Maine. Therefore, he sought a house befitting a man of this position. Interestingly, he is distantly related to William Howard Taft, president of the United States between 1909 and 1913.
Three generations of Holmans lived in that house, including Joseph C. and Mittie, their son Currier and his wife Rosa, and youngest grandson Joseph F. Holman. From the very beginning, Old South Church and the Holman House were inextricably linked: Eugene Gibbs designed the Holman House, while his partner, George Coombs, designed the church next door. Moreover, the three Holman men and their families were active members of the Old South Church and all enjoyed careers in law and state politics.
Following the death of Rosa Holman in 1992, the house was purchased by The Pierce House Farmington Home for the Aged before being bought by Old South Church in 2002. In addition to at one time having the church offices located in the Holman House, Old South Church has previously hosted a variety of non-profit organizations therein, including Sexual Assault Prevention And Response Services (SAPARS), Farmington Friends (The Quakers), Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR), Poverty Busters, Annie’s Bean Pole, and Buttons for Babes.
The architect of this masterpiece, Eugene Gibbs, designed the Queen Anne style corner tower as a nod to earlier Colonial Revival designs, but showed an evolution to newer tastes through the inclusion of gabled dormers, a pedimented entry porch, and clapboard sheathing. The Holman House shares an architectural style with several other great Farmington homes of this era, including the famed Chester Greenwood House. Importantly, the Holman House is specifically mentioned in The National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Farmington Historic District.
Today, much of the house has been maintained in its original condition, including a granite foundation, ten foot ceilings, pocket doors, spacious kitchen with butler’s pantry, and formal dining room. Of particular note is the beautifully carved woodwork, beginning with the huge, solid oak doors at the front entrance and continuing throughout many of the rooms. The natural oak woodwork has been preserved and looks as impressive as it did more than a century ago. The formal dining room boasts cypress paneling, while the gracious central staircase is built from golden oak. Other striking features include the stained glass windows. The woodwork adorning these windows and the stairway banisters are all original to the Holman House. Built-in bookcases and a fireplace grace the library, while across the hallway the front parlor is located in the large turret, opening onto a back parlor. The Holman House includes 14 large, spacious rooms, wide central hallways on both floors, and a full attic on the third floor. Over the past 20 years, Old South Church has updated and renovated several aspects of the Holman House, including the kitchen, porch, insulation, electrical rewiring, lighting, and a boiler.
The Holman House remains a visible presence of the past here in downtown Farmington. Understanding the history of our surroundings helps to provide a clearer picture of the world around us.
Written by Dave Spenciner
