Lovell Historical Society holds first-ever house tour

The Lovell Historical Society will be hosting its first Historic House Tour on Sunday, Aug. 12. Four historic houses will be open for the tour from 1 to 4 p.m. After all tours have concluded, refreshments will be served at the Kimball-Stanford House between 4 and 5 p.m.The four houses to be toured are Fairview, the Stearns-Severance House, the Whiting-Chubb House and the Garcelon Mansion. The 1839 Kimball-Stanford House, home of the Lovell Historical Society, will also be open for viewing during the refreshment hour.Fairview, also known as Conifer, is a gracious home set at the end of a long, maple-lined lane. Originally a farmhouse built in 1828 by Moses Kilgore, it was rebuilt as an inn around 1861 by Dean McDaniels. It was the first place of its kind to be designed for vacationers.The Stearns-Severance House, originally built on Route 93, was moved and reconstructed in Center Lovell, Maine. The colonial style home, erected by Joshua Stearns, is considered to be the oldest structure in the Center. The house has undergone many expansions, but the original Rumford-style central chimney and many other features still remain. The location offers a spectacular view of Kezar Lake and 40 peaks of the White Mountains.The Whiting-Chubb House was the home of one of Lovells original settlers, Oliver Whiting. The original 18th-century, Cape-style home is located on a prominent hillside, upland of Kezar Lake in North Lovell, Maine. In 1898 Mr. and Mrs. Percival Chubb became one of the first summer people to purchase an established residence. With the addition of wrap-around porches and other alterations, the Chubbs created one of Lovells most interesting summer homes.The Garcelon Mansion is a neoclassical-style home located at the north end of Kezar Lake. It was built in 1908-1909 by Italian craftsmen for Charles and Esther Garcelon Sr., retired manager of the Pullman Company and son of former Governor of Maine Alonzo Garcelon. The setting of the property offers magnificent views of the mountains and lake.To sign up for the tour, send $20 per person to The Lovell Historical Society, P.O. Box 166, Lovell ME 04051. While preregistration is preferred, tickets for the tour will also be available on the day of the tour. Maps, directions and tour tickets will be distributed at the Kimball-Stanford House (across from the Lake Kezar Country Club on Route 5) from 12 to 1 p.m.For more information, call Meghan Nyberg at (207)928-2165.