Cumberland County, Maine - John Calvin Stevens
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Biography
John Calvin Stevens
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 165-166


John Calvin Stevens, a prominent architect of Portland, Me., was born in Boston,
Mass., October 8, 1855, son of Leander and Maria J. H (Wingate) Stevens. He is
of pioneer ancestry and of Revolutionary stock, his great-grandfather, Jotham
Stevens, who was a soldier of the Revolution, having been born and bred in
England. When a young man he came to this State, locating in the town of
Kennebunk, which was then almost a wilderness. He cleared a tract of land, on
which he engaged in farming and lumbering, living there until his death, which
was caused by an accident while he was yoking oxen to go to the woods for a load
of lumber. he being then ninety-eight years of age, but remarkably hale and
hearty.

Mr. Stevens's grandfather, Calvin Stevens, son of the above-mentioned Jotham,
was reared to mature years in Kennebunk. He subsequently learned the cabinet-
maker's trade in Concord, N.H., but established himself permanently in business
at Standish, where he resided until his demise in March, 1877, at the age of
eighty-four years.  He married Lydia Moulton daughter of Captain Jonathan
Moulton. She passed to the higher life in 1856, leaving three children, one
being Leander, the father of John Calvin.

Leander Stevens, whose birth occurred March 8, 1822, in Standish learned the
trade of a cabinet-maker, as well as that of fancy carriage and house painter.
He spent his boyhood days on the parental homestead, about two miles from the
village of Standish: and this property is now in his possession. Desiring to
enter upon a mercantile career, he went to Boston when a young man and was there
employed as clerk in a grocery store for three years, after which he spent two
years similarly employed in a hardware store in New York City. Returning then to
Boston, he opened a hotel, which he successfully managed for three years. His
next venture was in connection with Mr. Poland, they forming a partnership under
the name of Poland & Stevens, and selling groceries for the following three
years, when the partnership was dissolved.  Mr. Stevens was engaged as messenger
for the British American Express Company for the next six years, running from
Portland to Montreal, via the Grand Trunk Railway.  On July 12, 1861, he took
charge of the office of the Preble House in this city, resigning the position in
1871 to take charge of the Falmouth Hotel, then the largest hotel in the State,
continuing until it was closed in 1875. During the year 1876 he had control of
the Poland Springs House office, being afterward head clerk at the American
House, Boston, for twelve years. Going again to Poland Springs, he had charge of
that hotel for two years, when he retired from active pursuits. He married Maria
Jane Hancock Wingate, daughter of John Wingate, their nuptials being celebrated
in November, 1848. Four children were born to them, namely: Leander L., who
lives on the old homestead; John Calvin; Lydia Maria, wife of S. E. Winslow, of
New York City; and Henry Wingate, who is in the office with his brother, John C.

John Calvin Stevens was but a year and a half old when his parents removed to
this city, where he was educated, being graduated from the high school in 1873.
Having artistic taste and mechanical ability, which he was desirous of putting
to practical use, he entered the office of F. H. Fassett in the fall of 1873,
remaining with him as an assistant until 1880, when be was taken into
partnership, the firm name being Fassett & Stevens. Having established a
reputation as one of the leading architects of this vicinity, Mr. Stevens
decided to try his fortune elsewhere. Going to Boston, he opened a branch office
there, remaining a year and a half, and in that time built Hotel Pemberton at
Windmill Point, Hull. In 1883 the partnership of Fassett & Stevens was
dissolved, Mr. Stevens opening an office for himself in the First National Bank
Building, he being the first tenant, and continuing alone until 1887, when he
entered into a copartnership with Albert W. Cobb, the firm carrying on a
substantial business for eighteen months, under the name of Stevens & Cobb. Mr.
Stevens has built many of the finest residences in this and neighboring cities,
as well as some of the most prominent public buildings of the State, including
the Physical Laboratory at Colby University, the Ricker Classical School at
Houlton, the new buildings at Hebron Academy, and the Maine Eye and Ear
Infirmary at Portland. He also erected the Oxford Building, where he has had his
office for the past seven years. Among the beautiful private residences built by
Mr. Stevens is that of the Hon. F. E. Richards; and he is now at work on the
Biddeford City Hall and the new Insane Hospital at Bangor, and supervising the
erection of some very handsome residences. In his office he gives constant
employment to six competent draughtsmen, the largest force in any similar office
in the State.

In 1884 Mr. Stevens was made an honorary member of the Architectural League of
New York, one of the leading organizations of the kind in the Union, and three
years later was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He
belongs to many of the local social societies, having been one of the half-dozen
men to organize the Portland Athletic Club, of which he has since been one of
the Executive Committee, also being President of the Portland Society of Art and
one of the Executive Committee since 1881. In 1889 he was elected President of
the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association; and in 1883 he became a member of the
League of American Wheelmen, which has a membership in Maine of four hundred and
thirty-two persons. He is prominent in cycling circles, being President of the
Wheel Club; and he is a member of the Maine Lodge of Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, besides belonging to the Ancient Landmark Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Mount
Vernon Chapter, the Portland Council, Portland Commandery, Knights of Templars,
and having taken all the degrees up to and including the thirty-second degree.

On December 24, 1877, Mr. Stevens was united in marriage with Martha Louise
Waldron, daughter of Howard D. Waldron, of this city. Their residence,
pleasantly located at 52 Bowdoin Street, is made cheerful and homelike by the
presence of their four children -John Howard, Caroline Maria, Margaret Louise,
and Dorothy Wingate.