Jane Austen was born one year before the American Revolution and died three years before Maine became a state in 1820. Visitors to Maine can find traces of a Regency (Federal) style architecture in a number of buildings that would be recognizable to Austen herself. Before the Revolution, Maine’s pine forests supplied crucial material for the British navy. Americans in the late 18th and early 19th century still copied English style in many matters of taste—in building and architectural styles, garden design, dress, and reading. Each year in June, JASNA Maine organizes an historic house tour for it’s members, exploring these hidden gems.
Here is a brief gallery depicting key historic sites and building styles of Austen’s era. For more information about each photo, click on the image.
