The Bangor Commercial Historic District is a collection of retail and service buildings constructed between the late nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century that, together, served as the commercial center for the small village of Bangor and as a market destination for the surrounding rural township. Approximately two blocks in length, the district represents the growth and evolution of commerce in downtown Bangor from the 1870s through the post-World War II era. During this period, nearly all of Bangor’s historic commercial activity – including retail sales, banking, and professional services – took place within this downtown center. The changing uses of many buildings within the district during throughout this period reflect the changing needs, tastes, and pastimes of Bangor’s residents. This small district also contains Bangor’s only concentration of architecturally significant historic commercial buildings, representing the evolution of more than eighty years of commercial building design and construction within a relatively small footprint. Architectural styles within the district include Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, and Contemporary styles as well as Commercial Vernacular and Twentieth Century Commercial forms.