The historic Mills family home at 236 High St. in Farmington is blanketed in snow on Saturday. The house is offered for sale after more than a century of family ownership. Rebecca Richard/Franklin Journal

FARMINGTON — The family home of Maine Gov. Janet Mills is now on the market, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of history. Built in 1890, the Georgian Revival-style residence located at 236 High St., has been a cornerstone of the Mills family for over a century.

“The original features from the time it was built in 1890 have remained largely intact,” said Paul Mills, brother of the state’s first female governor. He is a Farmington attorney and the personal representative of the Estate of David P. Mills. “There has been updated wiring, plumbing, heating and painting, but basic architectural features and configuration (remain) undisturbed; the floor-to-ceiling cupboards, the Italianate detail exterior and interior (have been) sustained and not disrupted.”

Set on a one-acre lot within walking distance of Main Street and the University of Maine at Farmington, the home includes five bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and 2,493 square feet of living space. A two-story barn and a large attic expands the total usable area to 6,627 square feet. The property is listed for $265,000.

The Mills family’s connection to the home began in 1911 when Sumner P. and Flora A.P. Mills first rented it. “Our grandparents, Sumner P. and Flora A.P. Mills, first moved there in 1911 and rented it for a few months,” Paul Mills said. “Our dad, Peter Mills, a former U.S. Attorney, Maine state senator in Augusta, Farmington attorney and one-time municipal judge, was born there in August 1911, when Sumner and Flora rented it from the Fogg Family.”

After moving briefly to another residence in 1912, the family returned to rent the home again in 1915 before purchasing it in 1918. “It has been occupied by a Mills family member in the 109 years until January 2024, when their grandson (our brother), David, died,” Mills said.

Paul Mills outlined the family’s stewardship of the property:
• 1918–1956: Owned by Sumner P. and Flora A.P. Mills.
• 1956–1964: Owned by Flora Mills and her three children, William, Peter and Virginia.
• 1964–1972: Owned by William, Peter and Virginia Mills.
• 1972–1984: Owned by William Mills, though occupied much of the time by David Mills.
• 1984–2024: Owned by David Mills, who purchased it from his uncle William.

Currently owned by the Estate of David P. Mills, the equitable beneficiaries include Paul Mills, Gov. Janet Mills, Dr. Dora Mills and S. Peter Mills III, all grandchildren of Sumner and Flora Mills.