The house was constructed for Captain George Tate (1700-1794), who had arrived in the Colonies with his family around 1750. Captain Tate served as the Senior Mast Agent for the British Royal Navy, overseeing the cutting and shipping of white pines from Maine to England. His position bestowed upon him a prominent status in the community which is reflected in the style of architecture selected for this home. With its clapboards still unpainted, Tate House is one of two residences in Maine with an unusual subsumed dormer in the gambrel roof. As the only Pre-Revolutionary home in Greater Portland open to the public, Tate House offer an insightful glimpse at the 18th century and life in Colonial Maine through impressive period furnishings, beautiful grounds, herb gardens, and unique architecture.