The Rush Block
Buildings still standing in the “Rush Block” downtown look much as they did when constructed (1900-1917). This is their story.
“When Garret Schenck decided to build a paper mill in Millinocket in the late 1890’s, John Dietrich Rush of Benedicta saw an opportunity for himself and his five sons and one daughter to move to Millinocket and establish businesses. His skill as a carpenter was of great value. In the fall of 1899, the family purchased lots in the new community, returned to Benedicta to cut wood for constructing a building and allowed it to season for building in the spring of 1900.
The first building that John Rush built was what eventually became H. A. M. Rush Men’s Store (Katahdin Karpets afterwards, now vacant). That building housed a men’s and ladies’ clothing business called Rush Brothers run by Harry A. Rush, James A. Rush and Eugene J. Rush.
About 1915, the partnership built the brick building next to the first building. That building eventually housed the ladies’ clothing store operated by Eugene Rush. His sister, Rosalie Rush Ryan worked with him as a milliner after her husband Dr. Matthew Ryan, the town’s first physician died of pneumonia.
However, the Rush Brothers’ partnership broke up about 1917 and James Rush who was operating the Rush Brothers’ store in East Millinocket built the brick block across from the post office in Millinocket, on the corner of Spruce St. and Penobscot Ave. with the intention of beginning a clothing store. Unfortunately, James Rush died of a brain tumor in 1919.
The original building became a men’s clothing store operated by Harry A. M. Rush and later operated by his sons, Harry (Bud) and Carroll, until 1973. The second building was operated by Eugene Rush as a ladies’ clothing store in the brick block until the early 1960’s.”
An article in the 9/29/1973 The Katahdin Journal tells of the end of era with the closing of the original store. Harry and Carroll Rush locked the doors to the H.A.M. Rush building, bringing an end to 73 years of the family business. The three-story building still stands (empty) at the corner Penobscot Avenue and Pine St. In the early years, some of the family lived on the second floor and single rooms on the third floor were rented to loggers and mill workers for $2 a week.
In the 1973 article, Carroll Rush said he remembered getting up at 5 A.M.
when it was minus 10 degrees and feeding 4-foot sticks of wood into the big furnace downstairs.
The three buildings built by the Rush brothers still stand on Penobscot Avenue and some still refer to them as the Rush Block.
The large wall clock, with its swinging pendulum from the original H.A.M. Rush store is now housed at the museum as are several metal signs advertising various article of clothing.
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