Wyman House circa 1950
Since its construction, the house has been used as a private residence and most recently, it has served as a space
for alumni and continuing education. The original vision of insurance executive Edward H. Carpenter, of Brook-
line, Massachusetts, was to design a colonial revival-style house to be built on an open parcel of land in Castine
with a magnificent view down the length of Penobscot Bay. Carpenter commissioned Everett & Mead Architects
Wyman House in February 2014
of Boston to make his dream a reality. The finished house was a two-and-a-half storey framed structure clad in
painted white pine clapboards with a hipped roof and hipped dormer windows.
The Carpenters had regular house parties featuring dramatic and musical entertainment so the house was
designed to accommodate large groups. A spacious entry hal , a simple set of stairs complementing the hal , two
parlors, a formal dining room with fireplace, a large kitchen with pantry, a smal bathroom, and a long screened
porch were the original first-floor features. On the second floor were bedrooms, closets, and bathrooms as wel
as a smal stairway to the servants' quarters on the third floor. The daylight basement contained storage space, a
large coal bin, and a sizeable billiard room with a fireplace.
In 1941, the newly-formed Maine Maritime Academy purchased the Carpenter House as a residence for the
superintendents and presidents and renamed it the "Admiral's House."
In April 1981, J. Hollis Wyman, affectionately known as the "Blueberry Baron," transferred his home and land
in Milbridge, Maine to MMA "as a gift" but retained the right of life tenancy. When the property became ful y
available to the Academy, it was sold and the Admiral's House was renamed to honor Wyman.
Wyman's career was long and distinguished. He graduated from Harvard University and became a partner
mainemaritime.edu
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