Contributed by Penobscot Marine Museum
Description
Traditionally Monhegan postmasters performed their duties out of their own home. However, not long after Elva Brackett (later Nicholson) became the island's postmaster, the post office moved to a designated building.
Elva began her job in 1919, when she was 24 years old and living with her parents. Her first post office was in the fish house north of the wharf that was referred to as "the Barnacle". Her father, Cass Brackett, bought land and built the Carina House for use as a store and post office by his daughter, Elva. The post office operated in this building from 1921 to 1929. Elva served as Monhegan postmaster until 1963.
Sidney Baldwin, a writer from Illinois, purchased the Carina in 1930 as a home for her gardener, Ira Achorn. This arrangement lasted until 1957, when Baldwin sold the Carina and her neighboring home back to Elva Brackett.
The building was a rental house for several years until the 1960s, when textile artist Robert Semple opened his studio and yarn shop and taught classes in librapoint there. Later the downstairs housed a general store, and the upstairs was an apartment and studio for the Monhegan Artist Residency fellow.
About This Item
- Title: Post Office, Monhegan, 1921
- Creator: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
- Creation Date: circa 1921
- Subject Date: circa 1921
- Location: Monhegan, Lincoln County, ME
- Media: Glass Plate Negative
- Dimensions: 12.7 cm x 17.8 cm
- Local Code: LB2007.1.101580
- Collection: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
- Object Type: Image
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Artists
- Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company
- Monhegan (Me.)
- Monhegan Island (Me.)
- Photographic postcards
- Post offices
- Postal Service
- Postcards
People
Other Keywords
For more information about this item, contact:
Penobscot Marine MuseumPO Box 498, 5 Church Street, Searsport, ME 04974
(207) 548-2529
Website
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.
Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.
