The Elliot House Block
A tall brick building on Bath’s Front Street recalls a time when the city’s waterfront drew travelers as well as ships. John Elliot had the building constructed as a hotel in 1840. Rising above many of its neighbors, the Elliot House would have been a prominent address in a town growing through shipbuilding and trade.
Its life as a hotel was relatively brief. By 1852, the building had been converted to stores, taking on a new role in Front Street’s commercial life. That change is part of what makes it interesting: the building remained useful as Bath grew, even as the needs of the people coming through its doors changed. It is included among the notable buildings of the Bath Historic District
Today, J.R. Maxwell & Co. occupies part of the old block. The restaurant began serving Bath in 1979, adding another chapter to a building that had already stood for nearly 140 years. Its name evokes the age of schooners, though J.R. Maxwell himself is a fictional captain created for the restaurant. The older story belongs to the brick building, the hotel it once housed, and the businesses that followed.
Front Street has changed repeatedly since 1840, yet the Elliot House Block still contributes to its historic character. It invites a second look at an ordinary storefront: above the signs and awnings are floors of windows that have watched Bath move from the era of wooden sailing ships into the life of the city today.
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