A fifth grade class from the Wiscasset Middle School and a teacher were given a guided historical walking tour of Wiscasset Wednesday morning, June 17.

Edward Kavanagh of Federal Street led the students on the tour that included a stop in front of his own home, the 1855 Octagon House. Kavanagh headed the Museum in the Streets committee, a group of citizens responsible for developing the walking tour of the village that includes 29 sites, each with an informational sign containing historical facts.

Pointing to his home, from the sidewalk, Kavanagh told the youngsters his house was one of 1,100 octagon-shaped houses in America. It was built by Capt. George Scott and in days of yore was also called the “collar box” because of its unique shape.

“It was the first house in Wiscasset to have indoor plumbing and central heating,” Kavanagh said.

From Federal Street, Kavanagh took the class to the Sunken Garden on Main Street. This place was once the site of the Hilton House, a 19th century inn and stagecoach stop that burned to the ground in a spectacular fire in October 1903. It was also the site of the old town pump and a small water tower.

The tour made several other stops before reaching the top of the Town Common where the kids heard some facts concerning the Lincoln County Courthouse. The building was built in 1824 with bricks made in Wiscasset. Inside is the oldest courtroom still in active use in the state of Maine.

Teacher Nancy Erkman told the newspaper that the walking tour was part of a unit in local history including the history of Wiscasset. Erkman said her class had recently read the fictional novel “Stopping to Home” by Maine author Lea Wait. The story, told by 11-year-old Abigail and her younger brother Seth, takes place in Wiscasset during the early 1800s when Maine was still a part of Massachusetts.

The class project included the fifth graders constructing a map detailing some of the historical buildings and homes that are mentioned in the novel. The map is presently on display in the Wiscasset Middle School lobby.

Erkman said she enjoyed the tour as much as the kids. She and her husband are new residents in town. Sue Fleck, an ed. tech, went along with the class.

This is the one-year anniversary of the Museum in the Streets — A Historical Walking Tour of Wiscasset, which was made possible in part through generous donations from Ames True Value of Wiscasset and the Doering family. To learn more about the organization, visit www.themuseuminthestreets.com.