Now picture the first handful of residents: lumber barons smelling faintly of sawdust and cigar smoke, eager to impress. They built massive brick duplexes like the stately Hinkley House or the elegant Federal-style Fred Dickey House, keeping up with Boston’s finest fashions. But, in true Maine style, the locals soon decided, “We can go bigger!” Out went the bricks, and in came even grander wooden mansions-more porch for your rocking chair, and plenty of room for your lumber fortune to breathe.
Keep walking and the street leads you right into Broadway Park, where children once rolled hoops and socialites paraded bonnets big enough to catch a strong sea breeze. French Street, to your left, gave its elite residents an enviable perch to spy on bustling downtown Bangor-call it 19th-century people-watching.
But even prosperous neighborhoods face drama. The Great Fire of 1911 swept through part of this district, leaving ashes and anxious plans for rebuilding. Though some homes returned in style, a few families took their fortunes elsewhere, drawn to newer hotspots like Little City and Fairmount Park.
And then, in the 1920s, came the final twist: John Bapst High School rose up, right in the middle of things. A few old mansions gave way to halls of learning-let’s call that a trade-off: fewer ballrooms, more homework. Yet, despite every change, this neighborhood holds on to its spirit: a mix of grandeur, gossip, survival, and second chances-just another day in the life of Broadway.
