The Somerset reporter., 1907-07-25
Merrill Block Finished.

devoted to merchantile purposes of
the town of Skowhegan, occupying
the Coburn hall lot in the very centre
of our business district, has been re-
Gently completed.
Coburn hall, the property of the
Skowhegan Hall Association, was de-
stroyed by fire on the morning of
December Is, 1904. Edward y. Mer-
rill succeeded to the ownership of the
lot by acquiring all of the stock of this
association in the fall of 1905. Oper-
ations were begun by him in October
of that year and werecontinued with
out cessation until the completion of
the building, period of about a year
and min e months. The lot has an area
of about fourth of an acre. If re-
duced to square its sides would
measure something like 100 feet.
The Merrill block shows fronts of
pressed brick on both its Water and
Russell street sides. Copper has
been used for the copings and cor
window frames SO that no wood is ex-
posed at any point. Plate glass is
used in every part of the building the
total amount used reaching the
astonishing total of twelve tons.
Iron supports were literally used and
the lath work is of that metal through
out. The finish is oak, slash sawn and
the hardware is of solid bronze. The
wiring was done by the Skowhegan
Electric Light Co., and under the
restrictions recently imposed by the
New England Insurance Exchange.
The basement is cemented with Port
land cement and crushed stone and
the roof is of tarred gravel draining
at the centre. AS a result of all this
substantial construction, an insurance
rate of three fourths of one percent is
obtained, which is less than one third
of the rate on the building which for
merly stood on the same lot, por-
tion of the reduction, however, be-
/ ing accounted for from the fact that
the new structure contains no theatre
and stage settings. The plans were
by Coombs & Gibbs of Lewiston and
the work was by day labor with Chas.
A. Plummer as master builder.
The ground floor is divided into
! four stores, all running through from
Water to Russell streets and one of
them connected with the upper floor
where the area on the Russell street
side could be utilized, thus adding to
the facilities of the lower floor an
area of 5000 square feet, this combi-
nation the owner designing for the
requirements of department store.
On the second floor, the south side OF
the building, facing Water street, is
devided into six office suites, there
being in all sixteen rooms. The
northern half of the second floor, to
the rear of the hallway from which
access is had to the Office suites, is the
area already mentioned as connected
with one of the stories below. The
second floor is thirteen foot posted.
the ground floor apartments being
| fourteen feet. The second suite of
offices to the left of the stairway is oc-
cupied by Merrill q Merrill, the law
firm made up of the owner of the
Merrill block and his eldest son.
This firm moved to its present quar-
tiers, about the first of the present
month, from their offices on the south
side of Water street. 1t would nata-
rally be expected that the owner
would provide the correct thing for
his own use in such a finely appoint
ed building and he has certainly done
So The law business now continued
by this firm was founded by VIM. Fol-
son, the fatherin law of the elder
Merrill in 1867. 1t has always been
comfortably housed but never with
quite the perfection and luxury which
it now enjoys. The suite at the end
of the corridor is occupied by the
Griffin Insurance agency, these apart
ments being fully described at the
time that Mr.. Griffin transferred his
business to them on the first of the
month.
The Merrill block is an ornament to
the streets on which it faces and
should be a source of pride to its owe
er. 1t impresses the observer with
sense of permanence as we'll as beau
ty and will doubtless perpetuate the
name of its present owner for many
generations.