DEAR SUN SPOTS: What can you tell us about the history of the beautiful home at 63 Academy St. in Auburn? — David, Auburn, auburndave@aol.com

ANSWER: Once again Sun Spots turned to Doug Hodgkin and his colleagues at the Androscoggin Historical Society, who came through very quickly with the requested information.

It turns out that the home at 63 Academy St. graced the cover of a 1976-77 publication, “Auburn Landmarks,” by Auburn Heritage Inc. The home is, not surprisingly, on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the information from the publication, scans of which Doug so kindly sent to Sun Spots, the house was built by a Charles A. Jordan, who grew up in a little Cape Cod house around the corner on Myrtle Street. At that time, there was a lot of open land in the area.

Charles began his career, first as an apprentice, then as a carpenter. He went on to become a building contractor. When his father died in 1875, he began to visualize the grand home, and in 1880 he began building.

Apparently, after years of success and the building of many notable buildings around L-A (including the old Edward Little High School), things went awry for Charles. In 1891 the home was transferred to Deacon David French. Charles’ mother went to a rest home and no more was heard of Charles.

When French died in 1910, he left the home to his unmarried daughters, who couldn’t maintain the building. It was owned by various people until 1945, when it was purchased by the late Willie LeBrun. His son Raymond owned it and ran it as a rooming house when the book was written in the 1970s.

Perhaps readers will have some personal experiences with the home they can share.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: After clear-cutting the land on the southeast side of the Auburn Lewiston Airport last year, two underground bunkers were revealed. Were these bunkers Cold War-era bomb shelters or do they serve some other purpose? — Steven Verrill, sverrill@roadrunner.com

ANSWER: According to a 2004 story in the Sun Journal about a fire in an abandoned bunker at the airport, it was used to store ammunition in the 1940s.

For more information, Sun Spots again turned to Doug, who directed her to Wikipedia for a history of the role of the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport during World War II.

“From late 1942, during World War II, the airfield was under the control of the United States Navy for use as a base for anti-submarine patrols by Squadron VS-31. It was officially commissioned on April 15, 1943, as Lewiston Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, and used in conjunction with Naval Air Station Brunswick for training British and American torpedo bomber pilots until 1945. Naval operations ceased on Dec. 1, 1945, and the site was declared surplus to the Navy’s requirements in 1946 and handed back to the cities of Auburn and Lewiston in 1947-48.”

Doug also mentioned that “future President George Herbert Walker Bush was stationed there near the end of World War II.”

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m trying to find a friend who I grew up with. Her name was Hazel Lipincott. She married William Moody. She lived in Poland before moving to Florida. She has children, but I don’t know their names or addresses.

If someone — a friend or relative or anyone — has any information as to her whereabouts, I would appreciate hearing from them. Thanks. — Sadie Sturtevant, Hebron, 966-3907

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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