History of the Ruggles House

Thomas Ruggles came to the coast of then Massachusetts to seek his fortune. He found it in the many opportunities the area had to offer.  About 1795, Thomas Ruggles (1770-1820), builder of the House, moved to Maine from Massachusetts. Maine was rich in timber, and Ruggles saw opportunity in harvesting it to meet the demands of a growing nation. He made a fortune in the lumber trade, and settled in Columbia Falls. Ruggles also became postmaster and served as Chief Justice of the Washington County Court of Sessions in Machias. In 1818, he commissioned a house appropriate to his success. Though he died in 1820, the year the Ruggles House was completed, Ruth Clapp Ruggles, his wife,

and their children continued to live there. Later, son Frederick became the owner. Frederick married Caroline Bucknam

when he was in his forties and they had two daughters, Emily and Elizabeth (Lizzie). Although the family fortunes diminished over time, Frederick and his family lived in the house for the rest of their lives.

Over the years, the family grew. Thomas & Ruth's children and grandchildren lived in the house for the next 100 years. Many of the Ruggles children and grandchildren settled in Columbia Falls on Thomas Ruggles original land.  The homes and building along Main Street were homes and businesses of Thomas's ancestors.  Many of these homes have been preserved and are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including he Samuel Bucknam House, the old Union Church, The Bucknam House, the Columbia House.  Additional buildings of interest were also built in the 19th century including the General Store and the old schoolhouse behind the Museum.  At your visit, you can learn about how the Ruggles influenced the establishment and growth of Columbia Falls, Maine.  

Emily and Lizzie, daughters of Frederick, never married. They lived out their lives in the house. Both girIs were wonderful artists. Above is a print of a charcoal portrait of Lizzie by Emily and this horse and sleigh sketch is the work of Lizzie. Many examples of their beautiful artwork now hang in the Ruggles House and prints are available in the gift shop. Emily died at the age of thirty-seven, leaving Lizzie to care for her aging parents until the end

of the century. By 1900 Lizzie was living alone in the house, in just one room, with no electricity and no running

 water. At the time of Lizzie's death in 1920, the house was in a state of total disrepair. 

Fortunately, in 1921, Mary Ruggles Chandler (1875-1955), pictured here, great-granddaughter of Thomas Ruggles, and three grandchildren joined forces to save the Ruggles House. "Aunt May," as many residents of Columbia Falls knew her, was an extraordinary woman. The first female graduate of the University of Maine School of Pharmacy in I 904, she ran

her own drugstore next door to

the Ruggles House until 1945, when the store burned.

In 1922, the Ruggles Historical Society was formed, starting with a donation of $250 to restore the building.  Thus, Mary began her drive to restore and furnish the house with many original Ruggles pieces.  The restoration took 30 years, and in 1951, the Ruggles House opened to the public as a historic house museum and serving thousands of visitors.  

Today, the Ruggles House Society maintains the house and the collections. With the exception of the pandemic of 2020, the house has been open to guests every summer since 1951. By offering a wide variety of educational experiences for visitors of all ages.  Ruggles House Society provides an exceptional opportunity for visitors, students, and residents to gain a better understanding of early American history, architecture, and culture.  The House has tremendous appeal to visitors from Maine and across the US and Canada.  Supporting the unique, unspoiled character of the area, Ruggles House has linked with many Washington and Hancock County historic sites and attractions to introduce the unique qualities of Downeast Maine.

Preservation is never "done". The Society continues to add items to our collection and enhance the guest's experience.   

The Ruggles House Society constructed a historic ell at the rear of the house to provide facilities for expanded educational activities and visitor services. The original ell was demolished before 1936 due to extensive deterioration. Located on a sloping site, the ell was three floors. On the lowest level of the restored ell, with a separate entrance, the education program room is placed for tour activities. History of the House is placed on the walls. At the middle level, contiguous with the first floor of the House, there is an interpretation of a historic kitchen, complete with appropriate artifacts to explain how food was obtained, stored, and prepared in the early 1800's. The historic kitchen fills a major gap at the Ruggles House, which had

no kitchen before reconstruction of the ell. There is also a gift shop and rest rooms on this level. At the top level is an archive room, providing much needed storage for Ruggles family records. Also an interpretation of a child's bedroom, which is most appropriate, as Thomas and Ruth had seven children when this home was occupied. The ell construction drew upon professional research as well as historic photographs. In 2000, a new archaeological dig, following up on earlier digs in 1996 and 1997, ascertained the footprint of the ell. One of our current goal is to replace one of the original barns to use for genealogy research and community events.