Fairview (house)

Fairview is the great house on the estate of the same name. It is the main home of the Delambre family in author Lela Richmond's Delambre Universe.

History
When the first Delambre's arrived in what is now southern Maine in 1624 with a group of settlers, they set about distancing themselves. They built several cabins in an area known as The Barrens which was set slightly apart from the area which the others had chosen to live at. The settlement was initially named Fairview. When, in 1633, most of the settlers chose to rename the now-sizable village Faircliff, the Delambre family maintained the name Fairview for their own grouping of homes. A fire in 1649 damaged or destroyed several of the cabins at Fairview. Work began on a new, large house to serve as the main family dwelling. There were plans for several outbuildings and for smaller houses to be occupied by cadet branches of the family.

Layout
Fairview House is the centerpiece of Fairview Estate. It sits some 300 yards from the main gate.

The building itself consists of a central section which is, essentially, the original house. From this four wings have grown over the years. The whole dwelling encompasses, at the present time, somewhere between 50 and 100 rooms, not counting extensive attics and basements. The count is uncertain because many versions of the plans for the house exist, and rooms have been tacked on or removed over the years.

The central section of the house is, at present, the main point of occupation for the Delambre family. It consists of three stories. On the ground floor sits an entry hall, main reception room, two small sitting rooms, family dining room, a study, and a small drawing room, all arranged around the central staircase. The next floor hosts a formal dining room, two parlors, a library, two more sitting rooms, and a gaming room, again arranged around the central staircase. The final floor of the central portion of the house hosts four bedrooms, all of which have been updated with modern bathrooms.

The four wings of the house stream from the corners and consist of various bedrooms, bathrooms, and other family and guest rooms.