The Beginning

The Little Brick House of North Bridgton, Maine was built in 1840 by Boston engineer, Charles Griffin, for his unmarried* sisters. Made of three layers of brick in a brick kiln** just down the road from the house. The house was purchased by Mrs. Burnham by 1871 (the name appears on a map of Bridgton at that time). Elizabeth (Lizzie) Gould took ownership from Mrs. Burnham; and following her a blacksmith named Charles Thomas; a Bridgton-Saco railroad station agent, James (Jim) Bird purchased the house on April 16, 1904. In the 1930's Jim sold to a retired nurse, Ida March, who named the house "Elm's Shadow" for the great Elm trees that sheltered the property. This history has been passed to us from the previous owners (early 1980 until November 2008), Diane and Jon Ray, who interviewed long-time Bridgton resident, James B. Hamlin on February 25, 1985. Bill and I are now caring for and restoring this small piece of North Bridgton history, that we have fondly named the "Little Brick House". We invite you to follow us through this process. *historically called, "spinster", an unmarried woman past the age common for marrying. ** see: The Last Brick Maker in America, currently showing on the Hallmark channel for a nice little story about brick-making.