George M. Harding

George Milford Harding (1827–1910) was an American architect who practiced in nineteenth-century Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Life and career

Harding was born in 1827 in Chatham, Massachusetts. At the age of 17 he began his studies at the Lowell Institute in Boston, probably working in the office of a local architect as well.

In 1851, Harding established a partnership with Thomas W. Silloway. Silloway & Harding was dissolved by April, 1853, and both established private offices. Harding soon set his sights on northern New England, and was practicing in Concord, New Hampshire by 1854. By 1856 he was in Manchester. In 1858, he moved to Portland, Maine. He remained there until 1873, when he returned to Boston, though he continued to receive commissions to design buildings in Maine.

In the 1880s he relocated his office to Hyde Park, which was annexed to Boston in 1912.

Legacy Harding was one of several architects to rebuild important sections of downtown Portland after the fire of 1866. However, most of his work was made up of private residences and a large number of school buildings.

He was the teacher of several other architects, including Henry M. Francis of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and Charles H. Kimball, also of Portland.

A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Architectural works Year Building Address City State Notes Image Reference 1854 Benjamin Grover House 35 Pleasant St Concord 1858 James L. Merrill House 310 Spring St Portland Maine 1862 Joseph Drowne Houses 36-38 State St Portland Maine 1863 Morrill's Corner School 808 Stevens Ave Portland Maine Originally in Westbrook, then Deering. 1863 Portland High School 284 Cumberland Ave Portland Maine The original building has been obscured by later additions. 1863 Searsport Union Hall 1 Union St Searsport Maine 1865 William Allen Jr. House 9 Deering St Portland Maine 1865 First Universalist Church High St Portland Maine Demolished. 1865 Frye Grammar School 140 Ash St Lewiston Maine 1866 Bailey & Noyes Block 56 Exchange St Portland Maine Altered by the addition of several floors. 1866 Searsport Union School 23 Mount Ephraim Rd Searsport Maine 1867 India Street Fire Station 97 India Street Portland Maine 1867 Rackleff Building 129 Middle St Portland Maine 100px 1867 Woodman Building 75 Pearl St Portland Maine 100px 1868 Greely Institute 303 Main St Cumberland Maine 1868 George M. Harding House 6 Deering St Portland Maine The architect's own residence. 1871 Saco High School 34 Spring St Saco Maine 100px 1872 First Universalist Church Pequawket Tr Hiram Maine 1873 Haverhill High School 33 Winter St Haverhill Massachusetts Demolished. 1877 Masonic Temple 139 High St Belfast Maine 100px 1878 Belfast National Bank Building 108 Main St Belfast Maine 100px 1886 George M. Harding House 58 Oak St Hyde Park Massachusetts The architect's own residence.