One man who made it through the fire relatively unscathed is Charles Miller, who owned a livery across the street from the Wilcox Saloon.
While his stable burned to the ground, he was the first businessman to rebuild. He commissioned a two-story brick structure, with Italianate details like arched windows and decorative cornices under the eaves. High above the street, on the roof above the door, Miller crowned his new building with a triangular pediment, and posted his name prominently along the front. Years later, when Bert Fish bought the building, he would replace Miller’s name with his own.
For the next 26 years, Miller sold farm goods, specializing in hardware, hay, grain, and fertilizers. He also served as the agent for the Clyde steamboat line, selling passage to all points north and south along the St. John River.
Today, the building looks just like it did when Charles Miller opened his doors in 1887.
While most of the buildings here are historic, there’s something special and unique about this particular intersection. It’s a liminal space, a gateway between the future and the past, that invites us to step between worlds. And while we stand here, contemplating our direction, both the past and the present hold equal fascination.
Next location: Stay here, but turn around to look at The Table Pantry and Provisions store on the southeast corner of Woodland and New York.
