A portal to the past: Maine’s oldest home entrusted to Old York Society

YORK, Maine — Maine’s earliest surviving structurally unaltered home is under the stewardship of the Old York Historical Society, thanks to a donation from the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis.

The Old Gaol has for years been Old York Historical Society’s clearest window into York’s colonial history, according to the organization’s Executive Director Joel Lefever. Now, the society has acquired the McIntire Garrison, a well-preserved home built in the early 18th century on Cider Hill Road surrounded by acres of preserved farmland.

The Davis heirs – Malcolm “Mal” Davis, Daniel Davis and James Davis – have transferred the property’s deed to the Historical Society and $50,000 from their mother’s estate for short-term maintenance. The property has passed through eight generations of the McIntire family, which goes back to 17th-century Scottish highlander Micum McIntire.

To the Historical Society, the acquisition is a “transformative moment.” The organization, which maintains 16 buildings and 20 properties in York, plans to stabilize the home structurally, so it is safe for the public, as well as examine the property for further archeological significance.

“This generous gift by the Davis family greatly enhances our ability to share the history of early Maine,” said Lefever.

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McIntire Garrison a historic structure in York

The McIntire Garrison has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 1968. It was built in 1713 when colonists in northern New England had been in continuous conflict with the French in Canada and their native allies, according to the Historical Society.

Being on the end of settled territory, York’s residents were particularly vulnerable to attacks. In February 1692, much of York Village was destroyed due to a coordinated attack by the French and Wabanaki, commonly referred to as the Candlemas Raid.

While the McIntire Garrison was not an official military garrison, its thick log construction would have protected its occupants from musket fire during a surprise attack, according to Lefever. The home was lived in until 1875 and since then has been cared for meticulously by the family.

It is not a large house, he said, with its four bedrooms, a stairwell and no bathrooms. The home remains without any electricity or modern amenities.

Unique about its architecture are its jetties, which are overhangs that give the second floor more space on all sides. Lefever said that goes back to medieval architecture in the British Isles. While this type of house was relatively common in southern Maine and New Hampshire, only a few survived into the 19th century.

The others include the Junkins Garrison in York, as well as the Old Garrison in Newmarket and the Field-Meserve Garrison in Dover. Those three fell into disrepair, though. The McIntire Garrison is the only unaltered home with full second-floor overhanging jetties to survive into the 21st century.

Also preserved are 240 acres of farmland, a McIntire family cemetery and marshes, now known as the Smelt Brook Preserve, acquired from the Davis family by the York Land Trust between 2009 and 2011. The property and preserve are bounded by Route 91 and the York River.

“The preservation of this historic natural setting is nearly unparalleled in the United States,” said Lefever. “There are very few first-period American colonial houses in their undeveloped original settings.”

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Garrison to become new exhibit for Old York Historical Society

Lefever said the building needs some improvements before it is open to the public. Those include a drainage issue with the building, as well as one wall of the cellar that needs to be rebuilt. The barn also needs a new roof.

Before any of that work can take place, the building needs to be checked for any more archeological value so it can be properly recorded.

“Everything—from the land and plant materials to the archaeology, structures, and architectural fragments—needs to be studied and stabilized before the building can be opened to the public,” the Historical Society said in a statement.

The Davis family approached the Historical Society in 2023 about taking over the property. Mary McIntire Davis died in 2004, and Lefever said the garrison is the last piece of her estate remaining with the family. Other land owned by Davis includes several acres that have since been developed into the Woodstone at York Village off York Street.

Mal Davis reflected on the significance of his family history. His ancestor Micum McIntire was a Scottish highlander who became a prisoner of war following the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. Like many other prisoners of the Scottish uprising, he was deported to Massachusetts.

McIntire was sold as an indentured servant to a New Hampshire sawmill owner and afterward obtained land in York’s Scotland District in 1668. His son, John McIntire, built the house in 1713.

“My family settled in the colonies about 375 years ago. There is a straight line back from me and my brothers to our forebearer, Micum McIntire,” Mal Davis said. “This is an amazing journey.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine’s oldest home entrusted to Old York Society