Across the street, Gardiner Common, originally known as Brunswick Square, was given to the town in 1824 by Robert Hallowell Gardiner as a permanent public open space, with walks, trees, and grounds intended for the enjoyment of the community. In the generations that followed, the Common and the streets surrounding it became a gathering place for worship, with some of Gardiner's most recognizable churches and neighborhood landmarks growing around it.
This little triangle beside the Common has been part of that story from the beginning. By 1852, historian J.W. Hanson wrote that the triangular lot on Brunswick Street had been secured for a church and belonged to the New Jerusalem Society. In 1870, the parcel was conveyed to the Brunswick Street Free Will Baptist Society, and for a time a church stood here, captured in an 1878 bird's-eye view of Gardiner.
In 1880, the property passed into private hands and changed ownership several times over the next few decades, and the old wooden church sat quiet for much of the early 1900s.
In the early 1930s, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland acquired the property, and the Tudor-style house that stands today was built as the rectory for St. Joseph's Parish. For nearly eight decades it served as home to local parish priests and welcomed clergy traveling through the area. It was a place of faith, service, hospitality, and community.
In 2013, the building began a new chapter as a home, wellness center, gathering place, and showcase for local art.
We were drawn to the building immediately: the locally sourced granite, oak woodwork, slate roof, brass details, fireplaces, and the unmistakable feeling that generations of stories still lived within its walls. Just as quickly, we fell in love with Gardiner and the character of the community surrounding it.
From the beginning, our goal has been simple: preserve what makes One Lincoln special, honor the history that came before us, and thoughtfully introduce a modern, artistic spirit for the generations still to come.
Today, One Lincoln welcomes guests into a collection of unique stays, a new chapter in the long story of this remarkable corner of Gardiner. Different people. Different times. Same little triangle.
One Lincoln Ave is now a boutique hotel with eight one-of-a-kind private suites, 15 minutes from Augusta and an 8-minute walk from downtown Gardiner's Water Street. Check-in is keyless, with your door code sent by text before you arrive, and the team is a text away whenever you need anything. Every suite has a kitchenette or a full kitchen, fast Wi-Fi, and its own parking space, and guests share an Exercise Room, a patio, and The Clubhouse when it isn't reserved. See our favorite things to do nearby.