The Goodwin Family
The Court House served as a court building for only a brief period. After the courts moved to the new county seat of Wiscasset in the 1790s, the Court House became solely a family home. Major Samuel Goodwin and his family first occupied the Court House while it was still a court building. They lived in the house and also operated a tavern on the first floor for court guests and other travelers. The Goodwin family played an active role in town affairs, with various members serving as selectmen, town treasurers, postmasters, and school teachers. When one of Fort Shirley’s blockhouses near the Court House was adapted for use as a jail, Samuel Goodwin Jr,. at 21, served as its keeper as well as deputy sheriff. He also obtained a ferry license and permission to sell liquor.
After Major Samuel Goodwin’s death, his daughter Rebecca transformed the Court House into a homestead. Married to Captain John Johnson in 1777, Rebecca bore nine children, among them Rowland, who became a sea captain, and Thomas, a businessman, postmaster, and farmer. Together, Rowland and Thomas fought for title to the Court House and eventually the two brothers became joint owners. They divided the building between their families in a formal and amicable arrangement, with each family living on one side but sharing the central hall and stairway. Descendents of the Goodwin family continued to enjoy the Court House well into the twentieth century.
The Later Years
In 1954, Goodwin family descendants sold the Court House to the Lincoln County Historical Association. At that time, the building was in a state of considerable disrepair, and the association embarked upon a program to gradually restore it to its original state.
The Court House is now open to visitors throughout the summer months. Those that visit the Court House today experience not only the restored courtroom, but also tour all three stories of the house. Guests learn about the varied and remarkable history of the structure that has served as a beloved family home, a tavern, a post office, a dancing school, a church meeting place, and a colonial court.
