Infamous House In the Middle of Hampden Finally Torn Down

If you're from Hampden, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you're not from Hampden, there's still a chance you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the house that's been sitting empty for several years, but nothing done with it. It's been developed around for decades, leaving people to wonder how it always escaped what little "gentrification" Hampden has experienced.

When I was a kid, maybe right up through high school, at least one family lived in there. With no disrespect intended in any way, the woman who lived there was a bit on the eccentric side, wearing nothing but the color white from head to toe, year round. She was quite the character, as I've learned. My mom even used to give her rides to and from town, back in the day. But as far as I've understood, it's been several years since anyone lived there.

For a long time, the house had some pretty big historical significance.

Until 1987, Hannibal Hamlin's original law office was thought to be attached to the back part of the house, but there's some difference of opinion on that. In 1987, the Hampden Historical Society managed to get it moved over to the Kinsley House on Main Road South, where the historical society operates out of.

But now, none of that matters, because the house is gone. It seems like the demolition process is finally over. It seemed like it was in the flirting stage forever, but folks will be completely surprised when they drive by and see nothing but an empty spot where the house was. It totally changes the vibe of downtown, it's crazy! Progress seems to finally be underway.

It seems the town intends to use the extra space to do some work on expanding the intersection to make it easier for traffic to maneuver through. Remember all those windmill blades going through this summer? This should help with that. Here's a glimpse at the why expanding this spot could be so important.

Remember when people used to refer to Hampden Highlands as separate form Hampden?