c. 1813; c. 1840s porches. 18 S. Main St.
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(Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie)
This three-story, double-pile house is a striking example of early Port Deposit architecture with cut-stone walls. Most buildings in town have tall raised basements of local granite such as the one here, even if the floors above are brick or frame, due to frequent flooding and ice gorges that would damage weaker building material. The impressive three-story porch is supported on dressed Port Deposit granite piers with columns above and ornamental ironwork railings featuring sheaves of wheat. At 52–58 S. Main a row of four brick houses (c. 1825–1850) also features a granite raised basement for protection from river ice gorges and a practical solution to building on a granite ledge that makes digging cellars virtually impossible.