Welcome to the Ruggles House v Thomas

Welcome to the Ruggles House

v Thomas Ruggles left Massachusetts in 1795 to seek his fortune in the wilderness that would become Columbia Falls, Maine.

v In 1796 he married Ruth Clapp and brought her to Maine v He purchased land, harvested and sold timber, became a successful merchant. v And in 1818…

He built a house.

v Built in, what was then, the latest style, the Ruggles House is a great example of classic Federal architecture. v Clean lines, simple but still elegant.

But with a few touches of country whimsy.

And the famous Flying Staircase

v Tragically, Thomas only lived in the house a short time. He died in 1820. v His wife Ruth lived there for another 39 years.

v When Ruth died in 1859, ownership of the house passed to Thomas and Ruth’s son Frederick Augustus Ruggles.

Frederick and his wife Caroline had two daughters. Emily Lizzie

v Over the years, the fortune Thomas Ruggles made dwindled away. v Frederick and Caroline lived into old age and there was little to no income.

The house fell into disrepair

v Emily had died young (age 37). After her parents died, Lizzie lived alone in the house until her death in 1920. v She did her best to save what she could and dreamed of restoring her grandfather’s home to it’s original grandeur.

v In 1920 Mary Ruggles Chandler came to the rescue. v Together with other family members, she began the long process of rescuing and restoring the house.

v. A true “modern” woman, Mary Chandler was the first licensed woman pharmacist in the state of Maine. v She enlisted preservation experts in Boston and secured financial backing in Bar Harbor.

Many family items remained in the house and others were returned by descendents.

v And in 1950, after 30 years of work, the Ruggles House was opened to the public. v “Aunt May” as she was known, was one of the first docents and gave tours until her death in 1955

v The Ruggles house Society is pleased to be able to present the house as if the family has just stepped out. v Over 50% of the collection is Ruggles Family items.

v We celebrate Aunt May and her use of medicinal plants with an herb garden beside the house.

v The newest exhibit includes the less glamorous working side of history, with a period laundry room and tool display in what was the original kitchen of the house.

Please plan to visit the Ruggles House and see Thomas’s legacy, Lizzie’s dream and Aunt May’s accomplishment in person. Open daily June 1 to Oct 15. 9: 30 -4: 30