Francis H Fassett

• American

Francis H Fassett was born in Bath in 1823. He was apprenticed in the carpenter's trade and later studied architecture in Boston and New York offices. He began his own practice in 1850 in Bath. In 1864 he moved his practise and residence to Portland. He expanded his knowledge through visits to Europe to study the great architectural monuments across the ocean.

His works included rebuilding the city of Augusta and portions of Portland after disastrous fires in the years 1862 and 1866, respectively. Some of his famous buildings are the Maine General Hospital; Baxter Memorial Block in Portland; the Portland Public Library to which he donated his services as a gift to the people of Portland; and the church of the Sacred Heart. He was active in public affairs, and a member of the Fraternity Club in Portland and president of the Cumberland Club. His architectural designs showed his acquaintence with the major styles of the day. He devoted himself largely to the Queen Anne and Romanesque revivals based on European models and his office became a learning center for young architects from the city and much of the state. John Calvin Stevens, Maine's most famous architect began his studies with Fassett. In the later years of his career Fassett entered into a partnership with Frederick Thompson. Fassett died in 1908. - NRHP, 7 November 1976

Lineage

• Son: Edward F Fassett