Housing
This section of the BDN aims to help readers understand Maine’s housing crisis, the volatile real estate market and the public policy behind them. Read more Housing coverage here.
A 5,150-square-foot house in Rumford that a man had built as a gift for his wife nearly 130 years ago is on the market for $429,000.
George Pettengill had the five-bedroom, five-bathroom estate on Pine Street built for his wife, Edith Stratton Pettengill, in 1898.
The house was painted light yellow — Edith Pettengill’s favorite color — and was modeled after homes in the southern U.S., which she had a fondness for, according to Kristal Fecteau of Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate, the listing agent for the property.
Today, the home has been “very well preserved” over more than a century and still features many original details, such as wallpaper, carved woodwork, numerous stained glass windows and three fireplaces, Fecteau said.
“The care that this house has had is impeccable,” Fecteau said. “I’ve seen newer homes in more disarray.”
The house was designed by Coombs & Gibbs Architects of Lewiston, which also designed several other buildings throughout Rumford, according to records from the Maine Historical Society.
“The person who had it built did a lot of the tile work, so you see a lot of tile throughout the home,” Fecteau said.
The home was later owned for many years by the Puiia family, who were exceptionally wealthy and had a hand in several business ventures in the area.
Earlier members of the family were involved with the Oxford Paper Mill and operated a shoe repair business, then the next generation opened Puiia Hardware and Lumber Company, according to Fecteau.
Some of the furniture still in the home once belonged to the Puiia family, Fecteau said.
Aside from the home’s towering ceilings and beautiful details that have survived more than a century, Fecteau said the home’s wide grand staircase by the front door is likely her favorite part of the house.
“There are details you just don’t see in newer homes anymore,” Fecteau said.
The property spans nearly an acre and also includes a detached three-car garage and an in-ground pool with a pool house. There’s a large overhang off the side entrance to the home that once provided cover for horse-drawn carriages arriving to the house.
The sellers bought the home in 2024 with the goal of restoring it. They fixed some water damaged drywall caused by frozen pipes and improved the landscaping around the building, Fecteau said.
The property has only ever been a single-family home and is suitable to be lived in year-round.
The home has been on and off the market since late 2025 with asking prices ranging from $550,000 to $399,000, Zillow records show. Most recently, it was listed on July 25 for $429,000 and has already received some interest from both local and out-of-state prospective buyers, Fecteau said.
“It’ll take someone who really loves not only an older home but a big house,” Fecteau said. “Someone who grasps the history of homes would really love it.”