Olson House, Cushing, ME 4563

In 1743, William Hathorn IV, Samuel Hathorn and Alexander Hathorn, left Salem, MA, to settle on the Maine coast. Each had received a 100-acre land grant on what is now known as Hathorn Point in Cushing, Maine. Hathorn Point is bordered by the St. George River and Maple Juice Cove and leads out to Muscongus Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Like many other families in the area, the Hathorns were seafarers and shipmasters. Each man built a log cabin on Hathorn Point. In the late 1700s, Captain Samuel Hathorn II, the son of Alexander, replaced one of the cabins with a frame house, creating the original structure of the present Olson House. His son, Captain Aaron Hathorn, occupied the house until 1859. In 1871, Aaron's son, Captain Samuel Hathorn IV, dramatically altered the original structure. A new, steeply pitched roof replaced the former hip roof, enabling several bedrooms to be added to the third floor. From 1872 to the 1890s, the bedrooms were rented to summer visitors and the residence became known locally as a "summer house." The family also established a successful farm. In 1892, an early freeze on the St. George River forced ashore John Olson, a young sailor. There he met 34-year-old Katie Hathorn and her recently widowed mother, Tryphene. The women were the last surviving members of the Hathorn family. John and Katie were soon married and John took over the family farm. In 1929, two of their four children, Christina (1893-1968) and Alvaro (1894-1967), inherited the property and lived there throughout their lives