Tag Archives: Porter

Kezar Falls, Porter

9/15/2025 – Lost Buildings: Frank Holmes Dry Goods Store

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This month we move on to the intersection of Rt. 25 at the Porter end of the bridge as we look at another lost business building of Kezar Falls. There have been many changes over the years at this location but today we will focus on the former Frank Holmes Dry Goods Store at the edge of the Ossipee River in the turn toward New Hampshire.

This is what you will see at this location today. The traffic pattern was improved when the bridge was reconstructed in 2001 to replace the old cement bridge. There is no trace of any buildings left at this corner today.

The intersection of River Street, Bridge Street, School Street and Rt 25 just before the bridge going to the left past the parking lot

In the picture below the building to the far right was built here circa 1900 by Allen Garner, Sr. The ground floor first housed a harness shop operated by William Chapman and son, James. Herman Pike also had a blacksmith shop at this location. Part of the second floor was used as an office for George E. Davis and F. Albert Fox, attorneys. In later years a Kezar Falls Men’s Club had rooms in the building and Kathie (Lamphrey) Stacy had dressmaking rooms on the second floor. Notice the 1869 covered bridge in this picture that was replaced by a cement bridge in 1927.

Frank Holmes and his mother Nettie French relocated here from their original store on River Street, and ran a dry goods store here from 1923 – 1955; eventually adding a little gas station seen in the picture here and below.

Cecil and Delbert Gilpatrick purchased the gas station in 1954 and built a garage that was operated by various people until it was taken down to make way for the new bridge in 2001.

In 1961 the Gilpatricks purchased the store building and moved it to Durgintown in South Hiram to become the home of the Raymond Marley family who had lost their home to fire in February. It eventually burned at that site.

NOTICE

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The next meeting is at History House on September 27 th at 2:00 pm. Sylvia Wilson will present a program “The Jose Fenderson Story – Part 2. His story continues as World War II Begins.” (Based on audio taped interviews with Jose.)

Porter

7/15/2025 — Lost Buildings: 71 Main Street Porter, the location of the old Porter High School Building.

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We have pretty well covered former business and public buildings that still exist in Kezar Falls Village. Let us now return to the Porter side of the village and take a look at buildings that no longer exist. Each were an important part of the community for many years and were either destroyed by fires or taken down to be replaced.

Let us start with 71 Main Street, the location of the old Porter High School Building. This is what you will see here today…. the new Porter Town Office building that was erected in 2019. The Town certainly needed a new building but it was a bitter sweet day for former PHS students when the old building was demolished.

This is the original building erected in 1919 for the new Porter High School. By that time there was a desperate need for a building for the high school grades separate from the elementary school classes. Porter High School served the students of Parsonsfield, Porter, South Hiram and an occasional student from Effingham, NH for many years. In 1952 a business course was offered and in 1955 an addition was built on the eastern side of the building to house shop classes (woodworking and
automotive).

Porter High School continued through June 1967 after which classes were moved to the new Sacopee Valley High School building in South Hiram – for all of MSAD #55.

After 1967 the building was converted to an elementary school which was used until the opening of South Hiram Elementary in Sept 1986. After that this building was used as the Porter Town Office as well as facilities for Early Head Start and Adult Education. until it was demolished to make way for the new building.

A small monument was placed near the driveway at the east end of the building commemorating Porter High School and all of the students who attended here . We miss seeing the old brown high school building, but appreciate the advantages of the new municipal building for Porter.

NOTICE

PPHS will be holding their annual Yard & Bake Sale on July 19 th from 9 am – 1 pm at History House. We welcome donations of goods to sell and invite you to come find your “treasure” on sale day.

The next Meeting of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society will be held on June 26 at History House, at 92 Main St., Porter. The meeting starts at 2:00 pm, and the program at about 2:30 pm. The program will be “Highways into History” presented by Mike Davis, local historian from Bridgton. He will talk about the history of transportation and the old stagecoach days of pre-Civil War Maine featuring stories of rival coachmen, mail drivers, thieves and highwaymen operating from Oxford Hills to the Saco River Valley.