Northland Hotel lives on as painting is bought by Bangor Savings Bank

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Thanks to the generosity of a local woman, the history of the Northland Hotel lives on at the site of its former location.
    A watercolor, painted by Esther Orr Faulkner, now hangs in the lobby of Bangor Savings Bank’s Houlton branch, on the exact site where the majestic hotel once stood.
    The painting was donated to Visions by board member Rachel Good, who had two copies of the print.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
ON DISPLAY — The memory of the Northland Hotel, located at the current site of Bangor Savings Bank at the corner of Court and Military streets, lives on thanks to a watercolor painting by Esther Orr Faulkner. The bank recently purchased a print of the Faulkner’s painting to hang in their lobby. Showing off the piece are, from left, Brenda Richards, assistant bank manager; Chris Nickerson, vice president; Rachel Good, Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project board member; and Bob Cowperthwaite, president of SACAP.
    “My mother [Erma Sylvester] had this extra one and when she died, it was given to me,” Good said. “My first thought was to donate it to Visions, in hopes that they could sell it.”
    That is precisely what happened as bank officials from Bangor Savings Bank learned of the print’s availability and expressed interest in buying it. Details of the purchase price were not revealed.
    “I thought it was a great idea,” said Chris Nickerson, vice president of Bangor Savings Bank. “Since this was the original location of the hotel, it just made sense.”
    Nickerson said she contacted corporate officials at the bank to see if they were interested in purchasing the print.
File photo
The Aroostook Pioneer wrote a front-page article on the opening of the Northland Hotel in its Jan. 1, 1931 issue. Nearly 500 people attended the gala opening.
    “They were really honored that the bank was given the opportunity to purchase it,” she said. “It’s a great conversation piece and a good fit for our bank. We’re not only pleased to have the artwork here, we’re also pleased to show our support for the artist community here in Houlton.”
    Bob Cowperthwaite, president of the Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project, said he recalls the beauty of the Northland Hotel, which was built in 1930 and torn down in the 1970s.
    “I actually worked at the hotel and lived in the annex when I was going to college,” Cowperthwaite said. “I danced in the ballroom. It was a very elegant building and piece of architecture for Houlton.”
    “I also have many wonderful memories of the hotel,” Good said.
    Faulkner said she could not recall the exact date that she created the painting, but did recall that it was done from a photograph that she had taken of the building.
    “I was very pleased to learn my picture would be hanging in the building where the Northland once was,” Faulkner said. “I think it’s very fitting.”