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HAI.L OF THE JEWETT MANSION
(See Page 26J
Old Colonial Houses
in Maine
Built Prior to 1 776
B Y
EMMA HUNTINGTON NASON
Author of ^'fTbite Sails" and ''The Toiver
fFitb Legends and Lyrics'*
J > » >
AUGUSTA, MAINE
1908
fV3
Copyright^ 1908
By Emma Huntington Nason
Press of
The Kennebec Journal
Augusta, Me.
• •• • •
• * • •
• * • « •
• • • •
THIS VOLUME IS PUBLISHED
BY
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY
OF THE
COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA
RESIDENT IN THE
STATE OF MAINE
ancf is Pfesentid, wrt/t ^ompOment^, to
The fSocfettf <ff Coicffiat Wars
of the State crfMo/ne.
Ml25^53
nf %
of Am^rira
PREFACE
^^^THE sketches in this volume present a brief
/ I record of some of the old colonial houses that
^^y^ are now standing in Maine, and that were built
prior to 1776. The work does not profess to be
complete in its lists, nor exhaustive in its details, but
rather to describe certain buildings that represent the
development of the early colonial dwelling from the
ancient log garrison house and first framed cottage to
the grandest of our colonial mansions, and to give, if
possible, a brief glimpse into the lives of the people who
converted these houses into homes.
Many of the houses now popularly known as "old
colonial" do not, however, fall within our period; for
they were not erected until after the Revolution. The
three decades from 1790 to 1820, during which peace
and prosperity became assured in Maine, were rich in
stately homes built on the best colonial models; and
examples of these houses are now found in nearly all of
our coast and river towns. Such houses, however, since
they are not truly colonial, are necessarily excluded from
our present consideration.
If the following sketches give to the reader a
characteristic picture of our early colonial homes and
of the life of the men and women who dwelt therein, the
mission of the book will be fulfilled.
E. H. N.
Augusta, Maine.
April 6th, 1908.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. — Oi,D CoivONiAi, Houses in KiTTERY.— Bray House.—
Pepperell Mansion. — Lady Pepperell House. —
Sparhawk Mansion. — Gerrish Houses. — John
Bray Deering House. — Kittery Church and Par-
sonage 3
II.— Ai,ONG Crooked Lane and The Newicha wan-
nock. — Whipple House.— Dennett House. — Frost
Houses. — Tobey House. — Noah Emery House. —
Bartlett Houses. — Residence of Dr. Willis. —
Shapleigh House. — Hamilton, Hayes, and Cushing
Mansions. — Jewett Mansion. — Other Old Houses
in South Berwick 19
III.— Old Houses in York and Kennebunk.— Old
York Jail. — York Meeting-House. — Mclntyre
Garrison House. — Judkins Garrison House. — Wil-
cox Tavern. — Pell, Barrell, and Sewall Mansions.
— Bradbury House. — Sayward Mansion. — Kenne-
bunk Garrison House. — Waldo Bmerson House. —
Nevin House and Hoff House, Kennebunkport. . 33
IV. — The Coast and Ini,and Towns. — Old Houses in
Biddeford and Saco. — In Scarborough. — In Port-
land.— Hugh McLellan House and Codman House,
Gorham. — Old Broad Tavern, Fickett House,
Patrick House, and Old Tate House, Stroudwater.
— Gray House and Shaw House, Standish. — Fox-
croft and Parsons Homesteads, New Gloucester. —
Oilman House and Granny Millett House, Yar-
mouth.— Bagley House, Durham. — Old Red House
and Rogers Homestead, Topsham. — Squire Dennett
House and Isaac Jones House, North Bowdoin.—
Old Houses at Winthrop.— Emery House, Fair-
field. 47
X Table of Contents
v.— Fort Hai<iPax. — Founded by Governor Shirley,
1754. — Extract from Parson Smith's Journal. —
Life at Fort Halifax. — Colonel Lithgow and His
Family. — Comer-Stone of Fort Halifax. . . 63
VI. — Fort Western. — Built by the Plymouth Company,
1754. — Colonial Days at Fort Western. — A Colonial
Hero. — Arnold's Sojourn at Fort Western. —
Famous Guests. — Captain James Howard and His
Family 77
VII. — On the River and Harbor Shores. — Major
Colburn House, Dresden Court-House, Bowman-
Carney House, Gardiner Homestead, Dumaresq
House, Peterson House, Sewall House, and
Crocker House, on the Kennebec. — McKeen and
Dunlap-Lincoln Houses, Brunswick. — Old Colo-
nial Furniture in the Houghton Mansion, Bruns-
wick.— Dunning House, Harpswell. — Orr House,
Orr's Island. — Marie Antoinette House, on the
Sheepscot. — Glidden House, Waters House, and
Tilden Hall House, on the Damariscotta.— Smouse
House and Old Meeting-House, Waldoborough. —
Walpole Meeting-House. — Fort William Henry,
Pemaquid Harbor. — Old Bumham Tavern,
Machias 91
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Hall of the Jewett Mansion .... Frontispiece
Gable-End of the Pepperell Mansion .... i
The Bray House 4
The Pepperell Mansion 8
Hall of the Lady Pepperell House 12
The Sparhawk Mansion 14
Pipe Stave Landing 17
The Nason-Hamilton Estate 25
The Jewett Mansion 26
Upper Hall of the Jewett Mansion 28
Colonial Mantelpiece in the Jewett Mansion ... 31
Old Wilcox Tavern 38
The McLellan House 45
Old Tate House 54
Fort Halifax 61
Fort Western • • • 75
The Dresden Court-House 89
The Bowman-Carney House 93
The Dumaresq House .94
Colonial Furniture in the Houghton Dining-Room . 98
Colonial Sofa in the Houghton Living-Room . . 100
Governor Law's Chair and Secretary .... 102
Old Burnham Tavern 104
OLD COLONIAL HOUSES
IN KITTERY
" The principles of Pepperell, which in his
town and state were established as a fact,
long before the Puritan colonies dreamed of
them, became the conquering principles in
founding our government. . . . The scenes
of which he was so great a part have given
many a theme for orator, novelist and poet."
— Frisbee.
OLD COLONIAL HOUSES IN KITTERY
^k k# PON a picturesque point of land overlooking one
J hi of the finest harbors on the Maine coast, there
^-t stand to-day four historic mansions which taken
together form the most remarkable group of old
colonial dwellings now existing in New England. These
ancient dwellings are the Bray House, the Pepperell
Mansion, the Lady Pepperell House and the Sparhawk
Manse. They stand not far apart in the old town of
Kittery, and represent the successive generations of
three closely related families remarkable, from the
earliest settlement of our state, for their integrity, their
ability, their wealth, their public spirit and their service
to the country in the most critical time of our colonial
history.
Our sister states of New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts possess many fine old colonial homes, like the
Warner House and the Wentworth Mansion at Ports-
mouth, the Whipple House at Ipswich, the Wayside
Inn at Sudbury, the Royal House at Medford, the
Clark House at Lexington, the Adams House and the
Dorothy Q. House at Quincy; but nowhere do we
find a group of houses whose interests are so closely
allied and which are, at the same time, so remarkable
for their typical colonial architecture, their romantic
traditions and historic associations.
It is always the people who build and occupy a
house that give to it a distinctive atmosphere and
character. If we wish to know what kind of buildings
4 Old Colonial Houses
these old colonial houses were, even a photograph will
tell the tale ; but if we wish to know what kind of homes
they were, we must know something of the life that went
on within their walls. And so, to-day, after a lapse of
more than two hundred years, if we would restore these
old-time interiors, we must learn something of the people
who lived, loved, wrought and died in these famous
homes of Maine.
The Bray House is the oldest dwelling-house now
standing in Kittery. It was built in 1662, by John Bray
who came to this country from Plymouth, England,
where, it is said, "he held rich estates." As it now
stands, the Bray house is evidently only a part of the
original building, for John Bray, in his will, bequeathed
the middle part of his house to his son John, the lean-to
and east room with the chambers over them to his
daughter Mary, and to his wife, Joan, " the new end of
my now dwelling-house." This new end and the middle
room now constitutes the Bray house. It is a plain
two-story building rather forlorn-looking without, but
interesting within. Its walls are paneled, its windows
deeply set and its cupboards quaint and time-worn. Over
the mantel, in one of the rooms, there is an antique
picture painted on the wooden panel. It is a harbor
view, and by some is supposed to be a picture of old
Plymouth, in England ; others think it may be a picture
of Louisburg. In its prime, the Bray house must have
been quite a luxurious abode compared with the common
dwellings of the period. Court often assembled here,
and other public meetings were held in the old Bray
house.
The master of the Bray house was a prosperous
merchant and shipwright, and in laying the foundations
of his house at Kittery Point, he builded more wisely
» 6 6 t
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t CCCCCf '^^ I
In Kittery $
than he knew, for he was in reahty laying the founda-
tions of the Pepper ell name and fame. The family of
Bray consisted of his wife, two sons and two daughters.
One of the latter was the beautiful Margery Bray who
became the heroine of a romance far-reaching in its
results. The hero of this romance was none other than
the young William Pepperell who one day sailed into
Kittery Cove, in his little vessel, to buy supplies for his
business on the Isles of Shoals. This young man was
born at Tavistock, Devonshire, England, in 1646. He
came of an ancient, but impoverished family, and was
seeking to build up his fortunes in the new world. He
had established himself at the Isles of Shoals ; but after
a few business trips to Kittery Point and a meeting with
the daughter of John Bray, he decided to remove to the
mainland where he soon appears as a suitor for the hand
of the fair Margery.
The rich and well-established father, however, did
not at first favor the suit of this poor though ambitious
young man ; but Pepperell, like Bray, had great business
ability and soon became so successful that all obstacles to
his marriage with the fair Margery were removed. A
simple marriage ceremony took place in the state parlor
of the old Bray house ; and it is not without a feeUng of
sympathetic interest that we recall this old-time wedding
in the ancient wainscotted room, with its huge fireplace,
its quaint windows and antique furniture, and think of
the bride who stepped forth from this very threshold to
share with her noble husband the honor of founding the
house of Pepperell.
A business partnership was soon formed between
Bray and his son-in-law whose personal ability speedily
increased the fortunes of the firm. The wharves and
warehouses at Kittery Point grew in size and number, and
6 Old Colonial Houses
an extensive trade with other ports in this country, and
also with the West Indies and Europe, brought in large
profits to the Pepperells.
At the time of his marriage, a site of land, near the
Bray house, was granted to Pepperell by his father-in-law
and there the Pepperell mansion was built in 1682.
This fine old colonial mansion still stands as a witness
to the exceptionally hospitable, luxurious and delightful
social life of this period in the wealthy families of Maine.
The mistress of the mansion, Margery Bray Pepperell,
was an unusually beautiful woman, wise, gifted and
spiritual beyond the women of her generation. She was
the central figure of a home noted for its culture and
hospitality. Within her doors, were entertained many
illustrious guests, including clergymen, statesmen, sol-
diers, heroes and high officials of the colonies. Moreover,
she became the mother of a son who was afterwards to
be known as the hero of Louisburg and to perpetuate
the fame of the family under his well-earned title. Sir
William Pepperell, the great American Baronet. The
following tribute to Margery Pepperell appeared in the
Boston Post Boy on the 30th of April, 1741 : " She was,
through the whole course of her life, very exemplary for
unaffected piety and amiable virtues, especially her
charity, her courteous affability, her prudence, meekness,
patience and her unweariedness in well-doing. She was
not only a loving discreet wife and tender parent, but
a sincere friend to all her acquaintance. " Here we have
a picture of the true type of the old colonial dame.
As we visit to-day the old Pepperell mansion, we
see at once how the life and character of the Pepperell
family impressed itself upon the material structure which
the Pepperells converted into a home. We see here
traces of the refined and cultured hospitality of the sue-
In Kittery 7
cessive mistresses of the mansion. We discern that
generous largeness of atmosphere which made its wealthy
master the benefactor of his country when with his own
means he contributed very largely to the equipment
of the armies sent against Port Royal, Louisburg and
Quebec. We read also on its time-worn walls, as plainly
as upon the family tomb, the pathetic story of the
passing of the Pepperells leaving no one to bear their
name down to future generations.
But while the family name has become extinct, the
Pepperell house still stands. It is a square, stately
house with a gambrel-roof and large windows, still
retaining their numerous old-fashioned panes of glass.
The gable end of the house, with a handsome door, faces
the highway but its large and hospitable front door opens
upon a terraced garden which looks off to the ocean
whence came the Pepperell ships bearing the Pepperell
stores of wealth. This door opens into a fine hall which
discloses an imposing stairway with hand-carved balusters
and an elaborate, wonderfully fluted newel-post, crowned
by an armorial design. In this large hall, court was
held in the days when Pepperell was local magistrate ;
and many social and state functions were celebrated
here.
Colonel William Pepperell died in 1733, and his son
William became the heir of his immense estates and his
large shipping and mercantile business. William the
Second was a man, in every way, worthy of his father's
name ; and by his genius he completed the difficult task
of bringing the varied mercantile, social, military and
political aspirations of his father to a supreme climax.
The career of the second William Pepperell is familiar to
all. The story of the siege and capture of Louisburg
under his command is one of the most memorable events
8 Old Colonial Houses
in the history of the colonies. For Pepperell's services
in this brilliant military expedition, a baronetcy was
conferred upon him by the king of England ; and the
son of the once poor and humble fisherman of the Isles
of Shoals became Sir William Pepperell. After the
death of his father he enlarged the already spacious
apartments of the Kittery mansion and changed the
fashion of the roof from the original high pointed shape
to the new style of curb roofs just then coming into
vogue. The grand dining-hall was refurnished in a
sumptuous manner; and here, doubtless, the elegant
dinner service of solid silver presented to Sir William by
the corporation of London, was frequently displayed
upon the solid silver side-table which accompanied the
gift.
On his return from England, Sir William was given
a magnificent reception in Boston ; and his home-coming
was attended with much pomp and splendor. A gor-
geously decorated barge, with liveried oarsmen, conveyed
him from the vessel to the pier at the foot of the
Pepperell gardens where, as a boy. Sir William had
dangled his bare feet in the water and dreamed of grand
things, but not half so wonderful as those the future had
in store for him.
Thereafter, Sir William lived in the old Pepperell
mansion, with all the state and style of the titled English
gentleman. In his humbler days, he had married Mary
Hirst of Boston. She now, of course, bore the title of
Lady Pepperell. Two children grew up in the old
mansion, a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Nathaniel
Sparhawk, and a son, Andrew, who was expected to
hand the title and estate of Sir William down to posterity.
But all the fond hopes and ambitions which centered in
the life of this promising youth failed of realization, for
In Kittery 9
he died while yet a young man, and the name of
Pepperell, which for two generations, had been a synonym
for all that was successful and grand in colonial life,
suddenly became extinct.
The story of this eminently worthy, but ill-fated
young man, is one of the most pathetic in early colonial
history; and his love affairs with the beautiful Miss
Hannah Waldo lend a touch of romance to the tale
which renders it melodramatic, if not altogether tragic.
This old-time love-affair, on account of the very high
social position of both parties involved in it, and also on
account of the very important interests to be perpetuated
by the union of Miss Waldo with the heir of Sir William
Pepperell, was regarded at the time almost as an affair of
state ; and the breaking of the engagement upon the day
appointed for the marriage caused the greatest sensation
which the social world of the Maine colonists had ever
known. For these reasons the Colonial Dames of to-day
will read the story with sympathetic interest.
The betrothal of Hannah Waldo to Andrew Pepperell
took place in 1748, and was announced to the great
pleasure and satisfaction of all concerned in this alliance
and especially to General Waldo and to Sir William
Pepperell who had been life-long friends. These two
eminent men were bom in the same year and had been
companions-in-arms from their early youth. They served
together in the siege of Louisburg; and afterwards had
the honor of being presented at Court in England on the
same day. Their high social position and their large
landed estates in Maine gave them mutual interests, as
they worked in close harmony for the development of
the country. Their children frequently met and the
attachment that grew up between Andrew Pepperell and
Hannah Waldo was as natural as it was gratifying.
10 Old Colonial Houses
Young Pepperell was a high-minded, honorable, well-
educated young man of most brilliant prospects. Miss
Waldo's beauty, and position, as the daughter of General
Samuel Waldo, rendered her a most fitting fiancee.
Their union was looked upon as the most brilliant match
of the period. Unfortunately, however, young Pepperell
was suddenly taken ill just after the betrothal was
announced, and the marriage was necessarily postponed.
Three years passed; then the wedding-day was again
appointed, when, for some unexplained reason, the
bridegroom wrote that circumstances necessitated another
delay. The sequel was graphically told by Dr. Usher
Parsons, fifty years ago.
"Miss Waldo," writes Dr. Parsons, '*made prepa-
rations in a style becoming the occasion, and of the
distinguished guests that were to attend. A few days
before that appointed for the wedding had arrived, her
intended husband wrote that circumstances had rendered
another delay necessary. This was too much for her to
bear; her mind from that moment was firmly fixed.
She returned no answer ; the bridegroom, the guests
from far and near, minister and all, assembled at the
appointed hour and place, when she enjoyed the sweet
revenge of telling Mr. Pepperell that she would not
marry one who had occasioned her so much mortification,
and who could not have that love and friendship for her
that was necessary to her happiness." '
The effect of this unexpected denouement can be
easily imagined. It caused a profound sensation and a
division of sentiment as to where the censure should be
placed. Dr. Parsons writes that the probable solution of
the " mysterious conduct of Andrew Pepperell " lies in
his protracted illness after the betrothal was first
« Life of Sir William Pepperell, by Usher Parsons M. D. (1856.)
In Kittery II
announced and in the state of mental despondency into
which he sank on account of some large financial losses.
A few months later Andrew Pepperell died suddenly of
fever ; and the pain and mortification which his father
and family had suffered, from the unhappy termination
of his engagement, was submerged in overwhelming
grief at the death of the heir to the title and estates of
the house of Pepperell.
In the meantime, in less than six weeks after the
broken betrothal, the social circles of the Province expe-
rienced another sensation, when the beautiful and high-
spirited daughter of Gen. Waldo married Thomas Flucker,
royal Secretary of the Province. She resided in Boston
until 1776 ; and when that city was evacuated she sailed
with her loyalist husband for England where she died
a few years later.
The death of Andrew Pepperell was the first great
blow to the aspirations of Sir William who had fondly
hoped that his name and the baronetcy would be perpet-
uated in his family by the direct male line ; but after the
loss of his only son. Sir William centered his hopes and
affections on his grandson, young William Sparhawk, to
whom he bequeathed his title and estates on condition
that Sparhawk should take the name of Pepperell. Sir
William died in 1759, and from that time the fortunes of
the family began to wane. At the outbreak of the
Revolution young Sir William Sparhawk Pepperell
remained loyal to king; the Pepperell estates were
confiscated and the most of the personal property was
taken by the government officials to Boston or was
scattered abroad never to be restored to the family. The
young Sir William fled to England, the old mansion was
sold, and strangers sat at its hearthstone.
12 Old Colonial Houses
After the death of Sir William Pepperell, in 1759,
his widow, Lady Pepperell, removed to a new house
built for her about 1765 by her son-in-law, Captain
Sparhawk. This stately residence, now known as the
"Lady Pepperell House" still stands in an excellent
state of preservation. It represents a more modern
style of architecture than the Pepperell mansion, being a
spacious two-story house with hip-roof and four large
chimneys. It has an imposing doorway set in a project-
ing front which is supported by two tall fluted pilasters
and crowned by an ornamented gable. Its fine hall and
staircase are similar to those in the Pepperell mansion.
The hall is now furnished with a large antique sofa, high-
backed chairs, and mahogany side-table ; and a tall clock
stands at the first landing of the stairway. A portrait
of Lady Pepperell and some of her own furniture are
still preserved in the Lady Pepperell house. Lady
Pepperell died in 1789, having maintained for thirty
years the dignity of her position, in solitary state, never
forgetting what was due to her title even after the
Revolution had swept away the unsubstantial rank and
splendor of an American baronetcy.
Following the road leading from the Pepperell
Mansion toward the end of Kittery Point, we pass Fort
McClary, and soon come to the ancient Sparhawk Manse.
This house was built in 1742, by William Pepperell, for
his daughter Elizabeth on her marriage to Colonel
Nathaniel Sparhawk. The bride, who left the old
Pepperell mansion for this new home, was a young
woman in every way fitted for the social position which
she occupied. She had not only inherited the virtues
and graces of her grandmother, the "sweet Margory
J » 3 »
J i B J
In Kittery 13
Bray," but she had been educated in the best schools in
Boston and was skilled in all the accomplishments of her
day. While in Boston she met Nathaniel Sparhawk, a
young man of eminent worth and high social standing,
to whom she soon became engaged.
The marriage of this young couple took place in the
old Pepperell mansion and was, doubtless, a brilliant
affair, as befitted the exalted station of both parties. It
is pleasant to remember that this was a June wedding,
and a brief reference to the summer trousseau of this
colonial bride will appeal to the maidens and matrons of
to-day.
"Send me," writes William Pepperell, in ordering
his daughter's outfit from England, " by ye first oppor-
tunity for this place or Boston, Silk to make a woman a
full suit of clothes, the ground to be white paduroy and
flowered with all sorts of coulers suitable for a young
woman — another of white watered Taby, and Gold Lace
for trimming it ; twelve yards of Green Paduroy ; thirteen
yards of lace, for a woman's headdress, two inches wide,
as can be bought for 13s per yard ; a handsome fan, with
a leather mounting, as good as can be boiight for about
20 shillings ; two pair silk shoes, and cloggs a size bigger
than ye shoe." '
Thus we have a vision of the fair young bride, in
her flowered gown and silk shoes, as she walked along
the grassy lane leading from the Pepperell homestead to
the splendid new mansion which was henceforth to be
her home. This picture soon changes to that of the
stately matron, the mother of four sons and one daughter
who filled the great house with life and happiness.
It was not until the outbreak of the Revolution that
fate laid its heavy hand on this household. In 1775, the
» Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Series II, Vol. XI,, p. 228.
14 Old Colonial Houses
young baronet, Sir William Sparhawk Pepperell fled to
England. In 1776, Colonel Nathaniel Sparhawk died.
Elizabeth lived in her widowhood for twenty-one years
and was then laid to rest, with her husband, in the
Pepperell tomb at Kittery.
A grass-grown path still leads to the Sparhawk man-
sion which stands apart from the neighboring houses, at
some distance from the highway, in aristocratic seclusion.
The approach to the house reveals a well-preserved build-
ing with the old-fashioned gambrel-roof and dormer-
windows, but it has also a cupola upon the roof which
gives a somewhat modem aspect to the house. Two
magnificent linden-trees, set out in 1742, still keep ward
and watch at the front of this old-time mansion, and a tall
Lombardy poplar adds a touch of old-world picturesque-
ness to the view. The interior of the house presents one
of the finest and most perfect types of pure colonial
architecture and finish now existing in New England ; and,
happily, it remains just as it was when young Sir William
Sparhawk Pepperell fled from the country at the outbreak
of the Revolution. The paper on the walls of the hall
and living-room was brought from London and show a
wonderful design in English landscape. The paneled
woodwork and wainscotting are remarkable in their style
and finish, and the great fireplaces, with tile-borders
representing scenes from Greek Mythology, still suggest
the unbounded hospitality of colonial days. The balus-
trade in the hall of this house is of the same pattern as
that in the two Pepperell houses, thus showing a
unanimity of taste in the builders of these family homes.
In its palmy days, the Sparhawk Manse contained
a fine picture gallery which included among its treasures
many rare portraits and historical paintings. In refer-
ence to these pictures. Usher Parsons, the biographer of
W
m
w
w
s
>
In Kittery 1 5
Pepperell, writes : " The large hall of this mansion was
lined with some fifty portraits of the Pepperell and
Sparhawk families, and of the friends and companions-
in-arms of Sir William;" and in a manuscript written, in
1846, by an old lady of York, are these lines describing
the Sparhawk hall :
** Where rows of pictures, set in goodly frames,
Of squires and belted knights and stately dames,
Hung on the walls, now desolate and bare,
Or patched with paper fluttering in the air."
In addition to all these attractions, the Sparhawk
Manse has its haunted chamber ; but what poor ghost
is here compelled to " dree his weird, " we do not know.
Is it, perchance, the once gay and handsome young Tory
baronet returned to do penance in his ancestral halls
because he loved the colonies less than he loved his
king .?
However this may be, it matters not. "All houses,
wherein men have lived and died, are haunted houses ;"
and, in these old homes of Kittery, the Brays, the
Pepperells and the Sparhawks are still very real and
insistent beings, although their bodies have long since
crumbled into dust.
Kittery Point has other houses well worthy of
mention on account of their venerable age and many
antique treasures. Among these is the William T.
Gerrish house. The Gerrishes were connected with
some of the best of the old families of Kittery, and
have inherited a most valuable and interesting collection
of family relics. The house is a sharp-roofed two-story
edifice of the conventional design of its period, but its
l6 Old Colonial Houses
severity of style is relieved by a porch in front and a low
ell overspread by two tall trees which greatly add to
the picturesqueness of the place.
In 1743, Benjamin Gerrish, son of Timothy, built a
large two-story house, with a lean-to, which is still
occupied by his descendants ; and, in 1750, his brother,
John Gerrish, built the large square house on the west
end of Gerrish Island which is now used as a summer
residence.
Another house which should not be overlooked on
Kittery Point is that of John Deering, which was built
in 1700, for his grandmother, Joan Bray Deering, a
sister of Margery Bray Pepperell.
Kittery Point also has the distinction of having a
very ancient church and parsonage. The church was
built in 1730. The Pepperells were among its most
influential founders ; and it is often called the Pepperell
church. The building was remodeled in 1874 and now
presents quite a modern aspect, although it still retains
its ancient belfry and its tall narrow windows set with
innumerable small panes of glass.
The Kittery parsonage was built in 1729. This is a
plain two-story house of no architectural pretensions,
and begins to look time-worn and weary with the stress
of passing generations.
Standing side by side in the midst of the historic
mansions of the past, this old church and parsonage
remain as momuments of the spiritual and religious
experience which was a prominent element in the life of
the people of Kittery Point at the time of its greatest
social and material prosperity.
ALONG CROOKED LANE AND
THE NEWICHAWANNOCK
** The huge elms that stood along the river
shore were full of shadows, while above, the
large house was growing bright with candle-
light, and taking on a cheerful air of invi-
tation."
— Sarah Orne Jewett.
II
ALONG CROOKED LANE AND THE
NEWICHAWANNOCK
^i^'EAVING Kittery Point, and passing up the
J I I beautiful stretch of water known as Crooked
W^J, Lane, we find the oldest garrison house in
Kittery. This ancient landmark was built by
Robert Cutts, Senior, who settled here about 1652. It
is now proudly pointed out as the birthplace of a signer
of the Declaration of Independence. The patriot and
soldier who thus added to the fame of the old Cutts
garrison house was General William Whipple, son of
William and Mary Whipple. The Whipples were of
good old English stock, descended from the Ipswich
Whipples whose ancestral home is still standing, and is
considered the finest and best-preserved house of its
period now existing in Massachusetts. William Whipple
of Kittery married Mary Cutts who inherited the garrison
house from her Cutts ancestors. Their son. Gen.
William Whipple, born in this humble home, married
the daughter of Mr. Moffatt of Portsmouth and afterward
resided in the elegant Moffatt mansion which was one of
the most beautiful colonial homes of New Hampshire.
Two daughters were also bom to William and Mary
Whipple in the old Cutts garrison house and are no less
worthy of mention than their more famous brother.
The oldest was Hannah Whipple who married Dr.
Joshua Brackett of Portsmouth. A tombstone in the
old Kittery burying-ground bears the following epitaph,
20 Old Colonial Houses
in memory of Hannah Whipple Brackett, which impresses
us as of unusual interest.
"In memory of Mrs. Hannah Brackett, widow of
Doctor Joshua Brackett, who died April 24th, 1825, in
the 71st year of her age.
A pious, cheerful, rational Christian ; possessing
an active, intelligent mind, much of her time was
employed in literary pursuits ; and her acquirements
were manifested with that female diffidence which made
her conversation pleasing to men of science."
This is one of the very few references to literary
women which I have found in my studies of old
colonial homes ; and it plainly teaches that although the
women of that day might be gifted with literary talent,
they were not expected to be overbold in the expression
of their views.
The second daughter of William and Mary Whipple
was quite as remarkable as her sister in her intellectual
endowments. She was the ancestress of James Russell
Lowell, to whom she may have bequeathed her unusual
mental qualities. The old Cutts garrison house, which
was the home of the Whipples, is still standing in
Kittery. It retains its projecting upper story ; and its
well-preserved interior is furnished with the ancestral
treasures of the family.
Following the course of the early settlers up the
Piscataqua, we come to the Dennett homestead which
was built about the year 1720.' This is an ideal New
England farmhouse, spacious, quaint, and charming ; and
is approached by an avenue of lofty trees. It was the
home of the Hon. Mark Dennett who had the somewhat
> " Old Kittery and Her Families," by Rev. E. E. Stackpole, p. 90.
In Eliot
21
unique experience of having been a representative to
General Court before the separation of Maine from
Massachusetts, and, after that, a representative to our
state legislature for many years. He was a school-
teacher by profession ; and at his death, at the age of
ninety-seven, it was said that three generations of people
then living in Kittery had been his pupils. The Dennetts
are of Norman origin ; and proudly claim descent from
Hugh D'Anet who is said to have come into England
with William the Conqueror.^
The first settler within the limits of the present
town of Eliot was Nicholas Frost. He came of good
old Devonshire stock, and with his wife and two sons
emigrated to this country about 1634. He and his
descendants were men of forceful character and have
held honorable and influential positions in the community.
The name of this family calls up many interesting
local and historical associations. Major Charles Frost
was one of the most notable men of his day in the
Province. He was Justice of the Peace, Representative
to General Court, member of the Governor's Council,
and Commander-in-chief of the Militia of Maine. He
was killed by the Indians, at Ambush Rock, while
returning from church at the Parish of Unity, on the
4th of July, 1697. The descendants of Major Charles
Frost were allied by marriage to the best families in
Kittery. Two of the sons and one of the grandsons of
Major Charles married into the Pepperell family. A
daughter, Mary, married Captain John Hill who com-
manded Fort Mary, at Winter Harbor, which fortress
he named in honor of his bride.
» " Old Kittery and Her Families," p. 352.
22 Old Colonial Houses
The old colonial homes of the Frost family, in Eliot,
are now represented by the house built in 1749 by Eliot
Frost, son of Charles and Jane Frost ; and by the large
two-story house built ten years earlier, by Colonel John
Frost, an older brother of Eliot Frost. In addition to
these, there is the small log garrison house, built by the
Frosts about 1733, which now serves the very useful
purpose of a woodshed on the estate of Mr. Frederick
Frost.
Although the ancient Frost garrison house was
destroyed in 1760, and the building which was erected
to take its place has also passed away, we may form
some opinion of the daily life in the Frost family and of
their position in the community simply by reading the
inventory of their household possessions in the wills of
Major Frost and of his son Charles Frost. These wills
enumerate many articles of value and of uncommon
interest. For example. Major Charles Frost bequeathed
to his son Charles Frost, Junior, the homestead and five
hundred acres of land ; and also a negro man named
Tony. He gave to his second son, John Frost, a
dwelling and land at Strawberry Bank, Portsmouth,
N. H.; also a piece of gold called a "guinia," and a negro
boy named "Esq." He gave to his son Nicholas other
lands lying and being in the town of Kittery. His will
states: "Also do I give to my son Nicholas all my
money of old England coin and a piece of gold called a
Jacobus,^ together with my negro boy Prince." ^
The will of Charles Frost, Junior, which was pro-
bated in 1724, mentions silver porringers, silver spoons,
a silver tobacco box, a silver seal, a watch, a seal ring
and gold rings, pistols and holsters, a silver-hilted
» A " Jacobus" was a gold coin first issued in 1615, in the reign of James I. One
of the coins of this issue is now in the collection of the British Museum-
2 See Maine Wills.
In Eliot 23
"scimiter," two riding horses, his *' books of all sorts,"
beside gold and silver coins, to say nothing of the
furniture and cattle and the three negro slaves, named
Prince, Pompey and Caesar. Item 12, in this will reads :
** I give to the church in Berwick, my small silver
tankerd." This "tankerd" is still treasured, with other
pieces of communion silver in the church at South
Berwick.
In the will of Jane Frost, widow and gentlewoman,
are the following minor bequests :
Item: I give and bequeath to my well-beloved
daughter, Sarah Frost, my mourning suit of clothes.
Item : I give and bequeath to my well-beloved
daughter, Margery Wentworth, my black suit of clothes
and my gold necklace.
Item : I give and bequeath to my daughter-in-law,
Miriam Frost, my cloth riding-hood.
Item : I give and bequeath to my well-beloved
daughter, Margery Wentworth, my large silver salver
and fine silver spoons.
Item : I give and bequeath to my well-beloved
granddaughters, Jane Frost and Jane Wentworth, all
the rest of my wearing apparel of every sort to be
equally divided betwixt them.'
I have found nothing, in my study of the old colonial
homes which has so appealed to my personal sympathy
as these old wills ; and especially pathetic are these
bequests of **Jane Frost Gentlewoman," in which she
divides her personal treasures and cherished pieces of
wearing apparel between her two well-beloved daughters,
and the two granddaughters each of whom bore her
name. This will, and that of the husband of Jane Frost,
^ Maine Wills.
24 Old Colonial Houses
suggest very distinctly the touch of luxury which
alleviated the discomforts and hardships in the home life
of the better classes during the early colonial period.
The honor of being the oldest house in Eliot has
been claimed for the Toby house, a little, long, one-
story building erected by John Toby in 1727. But there
is another time-worn, weather-beaten little house of
almost equal antiquity, which is located in the upper
part of Eliot and known as the home of Noah Emery.
This little old house was originally the ell of a much
larger dwelling, and is of especial interest because it
served as the office of the first lawyer residing in Maine.
Noah Emery was admitted to the bar in 1725, and serv^ed
as King's Attorney for the Province. He had a library
consisting of "books of law, physic, divinity and history,"
a valuable collection for those days, which he bequeathed
to his sons.
The two Bartlett houses in Eliot are also noteworthy.
One of these was built by Nathan Bartlett in 1 740, and
has been occupied by six generations of the Bartlett
family. The other was built by John Heard Bartlett
in 1750.
The residence now owned and occupied by Dr. J. L.
M. Willis of Eliot is a handsome two-story house with bay
windows and inviting porticos, shaded by two magnificent
elm-trees. This house was originally a low-roofed
cottage built by a Mr. Dixon, and purchased, about
1775, by the great-grandfather of Dr. Willis. An old
chimney of the house bears the date of 1727. Another
very old house, reputed to have been built in 1700, and
still having its original shutters stands just north of the
residence of Dr. Willis. »
» Old Kittery and Her Families, p. 232.
;~','-»i^^J>ii ■^Mi-^m^$:S 2
In South Berwick 25
The town of Eliot also possessed, in the well-
remembered Shapleigh homestead, a fine example of
early colonial architecture, with picturesque gambrel-
roof and one huge center chimney. This chimney was
shaken down on the fateful first of November, 1755,
which will long be known as
— ** the terrible earthquake day "
When "the deacon finished the one-hoss shay."
Unfortunately this typical old home, after surviving the
storms and earthquakes of two centuries, was torn down
in 1899, and must be added to our much-regretted list of
late, lamented houses.
Next to Eliot lie the beautiful shores of South
Berwick, a town famous for its fine old houses, around
which cluster many historic and social traditions. Let
us pause first in that most picturesque spot which, in
olden times was called "Pipe Stave Landing." Here,
in 1639, Richard Nason possessed a grant of two hundred
acres of land, and, here, he and his descendants lived for
a century or more. The old Nason homestead, whose
kindly and dauntless owner was fined for harboring and
entertaining Quakers within its hospitable walls, has
long since crumbled into dust ; and on its site now
stands the handsome colonial mansion built by Colonel
Jonathan Hamilton. This house is very spacious, and
its interior is elaborately finished in the old colonial
style. Colonel Hamilton was a wealthy lumber merchant
and spared no expense in making his home one of the
most beautiful dwelling-houses of its time. This old
mansion is described by Miss Jewett, in the opening
chapter of the "Tory Lover," as **the chief show and
glory of a rich provincial neighborhood."
2(i Old Colonial Houses
Two other remarkably fine mansions in South
Berwick are the Judge Hayes house, which is located on
a terraced hillside commanding a most picturesque view
of the river valley and distant mountains, and the
famous Gushing mansion built by Madame Wallingford
for her daughter Mrs. Gushing. All of these houses are
most suggestive of the historic days and the elegant
social life in the last quarter of the eighteenth century ;
but they were not erected until after the close of the
Revolution. We therefore reluctantly let the ghosts of
Paul Jones, John Hancock, General Lafayette and other
distinguished personages, who have been guests in these
historic homes, slip silently away without even asking
for their story.
Happily we still have in South Berwick one fine
example of the earlier colonial houses with which to
grace our pages. This is the Jewett mansion ; and it is
a most perfect type of the old colonial dwelling. For
spacious elegance, richness of finish, harmony of design
and that indefinite something, which we call atmosphere,
it is without a rival in our state. It is a two-story house,
with colonial portico, hip-roof and dormer-windows.
From its hospitable front doorway one steps into a large,
finely proportioned hall which presents that distinctive
effect for which our modern architects have so often
striven but seldom succeeded in producing; and from
the rear of the hall a large, handsomely carved and
paneled door, ornamented with a quaint, brass knocker,
opens into a delightful, old-fashioned garden. A broad
archway, supported by two finely proportioned pillars,
frames the stairway, making a perfect architectural
picture as viewed from either doorway on the lower floor.
The stairway rises by easy ascent to a broad landing,
lighted by an oval-topped window of beautiful and unique
H
K
M
M
>
O
>
o
w
w
w
o
5 J J 3 >
J >
3 ) i 3 3
In South Berwick 27
design ; and thence turns to the left to reach the floor
above. The balustrade is of solid red wood with elabo-
rately wrought newel-posts, rods and railing. The
paneling and woodwork in the hall is hand-carved and of
an elaborate pattern ; and the fluted cornice is very deep
and of a most artistic design. A tall mahogany clock
stands in a corner of the landing; and Chippendale
chairs, antique side-tables and two long, narrow settles,
with curiously carved mahogany frames, give a genuinely
colonial aspect to this fine hall.
The paneling, mantles, and other woodwork in
parlor and library are also of rich and most elaborate
workmanship ; and the fluted cornices around the ceilings
are a foot in depth. All of this interior finish was
originally of solid dark red wood ; but unfortunately was
painted white by one of the earlier owners of the house.
The walls of the parlor are still papered with the original
hangings in the shades of dark red and pale rose color,
and form a fitting background for the antique mahogany
furniture which adorns the room. The library, the state
dining-room, and the smaller but very attractive breakfast-
room are all furnished with the rare old heirlooms of the
family, with which, by faultless taste, the modern
additions of books, pictures and bric-a-brac, have been
made to harmonize. The chambers are furnished with
high-posted, canopied bedsteads, antique mirrors, silver
candelabra and inlaid dressing-tables which make us
feel as though we were living in a perpetual story-book.
Among the art treasures of the house is the portrait
of Maine's gifted authoress, Miss Sarah Orne Jewett,
painted by her artist friend, Mrs. Sarah Whitman. The
delicate, yet strong and spiritual face of Miss Jewett
thus looks down and graciously greets the guest from
the corner of the library ; and we gain, in this alluring
28 Old Colonial Houses
room, a better understanding of how Miss Jewett has
been able to give to her books that fine flavor, that
characteristic atmosphere and exquisite expression of
true New England life which is lacking in the work of
so many of our modern writers.
The Jewett mansion was built in 1774 by John
Haggens, a wealthy merchant who lavished his ample
means on this ideal home. The house was purchased
sometime prior to 1830 by Captain Theodore F. Jewett,
and has been in the possession of the Jewett family for
three generations. Here the eminent physician, Doctor
Theodore H. Jewett lived during his long and useful life,
beloved and revered by all who knew him ; and here his
daughters, Miss Sarah Orne Jewett and Miss Mary R.
Jewett still dispense the old-time hospitality and preserve
the ancient traditions of the house. Unlike most of our
old colonial mansions, the Jewett homestead has not
seen the glory depart from its gates ; and we leave the
doors of this ideal home feeling glad that Maine can
claim the birthplace of one who, in her writings, has
given to the world the noblest types of New England
womanhood.
Other old pre-Revolutionary houses of the plainer
sort in Berwick are the Yeaton House, the Stackpole
house (formerly the Butler house), the Hersom house,
built by Edward Haggens, the house of Judge Hill now
owned by Mrs. Parsons, and a second Hill house owned
by E. S. Goodwin. Another old house which is the
property of W. A. H. Goodwin represents a similar style
of building.
These old homesteads, as they stand on their ancestral
acres, along the shores and on the hillsides of old Eliot
Upper Hai^i, in the Jewb:tt Mansion
} i D >
In South Berwick 29
and South Berwick, still preserve an air of quiet and
unobtrusive superiority which is born of good and
ancient lineage; and seem apparently quite indifferent
to the more pretentious but ephemeral claims of the
modern summer cottages that have recently appeared
upon the coast.
5 1 1 T >
COI.ONIAI, MANTEI.P1ECE IN THE JEWETT MANSION
OLD HOUSES IN YORK AND
KENNEBUNK
"Built in the old Colonial day,
When men lived in a grander way,
With ampler hospitality."
— Longfellow.
Ill
OLD HOUSES IN YORK AND KENNEBUNK
^d% ETURNING to the coast, we come to the old
Jl^ historic town of York, called at the time of the
t^^ visit of Captain John Smith, in 1614, by its
ancient Indian name Agamentic\is. In 1640,
Agamenticus was chartered as a city, the first city
in America, but twelve years later the charter was
revoked and the place was given the name of York.
As the county seat, the town of York very early in its
history acquired local importance and is now rich in
civic, ecclesiastical, military and social traditions. Here
stand the ancient jail built in 1653 ; the old meeting-
house whose corner-stone was laid in 1747 ; the Mclntyre
Garrison of historic fame ; several fine large houses that
were once used as taverns, and many spacious mansion-
houses of the colonial gentry.
The old jail, built in 1653, is unique in being the
only building of its class remaining from the early
colonial period. Its solid wall, heavy doors, high
windows, huge locks, bolts, and iron gratings recall the
days when this building was a terror to evil-doers. One
has only to glance at the York Records to learn the
misdeeds for which the inhabitants of the county were
here incarcerated, and often after a preliminary punish-
ment in the stocks, or by lashings upon the back.
Happily now these unpleasant associations are growing
dim, especially since the old jail has been converted into
34 Old Colonial Houses
an historical museum by the public-spirited women of
the town. It now contains a fine collection of antiquities
and historical relics which are of interest to every chance
visitor, or summer guest, in this charming old seaport.
The ecclesiastical records of the town of York
during the eighteenth century are, without doubt, the
most interesting of any in our state. One of the earliest
colonial parsons established here was Shubael Dummer
who was killed by the Indians in the terrible massacre of
1692. Dummer was succeeded by Samuel Moody, a
Harvard graduate, and a man of great piety and learning,
who came to this outpost of the wilderness in the true
missionary spirit. He served the church faithfully from
1700 to 1747, albeit with many eccentricities of character
and a truly dominant sway.
This, however, was the age when denunciatory
sermons, with scathing personalities, were frequently
indulged in by the pulpit, and both saint and sinner
trembled beneath the law. During the pastorate of
Father Moody, many of his church members received
public warnings and reproofs ; but it is evident that they
sometimes rebelled, for Ralph Waldo Emerson, the
great-grandson of Father Moody, tells us that "when
offended parishioners wounded by his pointed preaching
would rise to go out of church," the parson would cry
out : "Come back, you graceless sinner, come back ! "
Some of the sermons, to which Father Moody's
flock were thus somewhat peremptorily invited to listen,
are still in print under the following titles : " The Vain
Youth Summoned to Appear Before Christ's Bar;"
"The Doleful State of the Damned; " and "The Traitor
In York 55
Judas Hung Up in Chains," ^ And yet we are con-
strained to believe that Father Moody was a gentle,
kindly, lovable man whose long pastorate was marked by
heroic self-sacrifice and devoted service to the welfare of
his people. This eccentric old colonial parson was the
father of a still more eccentric son known as "Handker-
chief Moody." Father Samuel Moody died in 1747, and
the parish voted to raise sixty-five pounds to enable his
family to go into proper mourning.
Such was the religious spirit of pastor and people in
the community when the old meeting-house, now standing
in York, was erected in 1747. This ancient house of
worship is located on one of the principal streets of the
town, and is an excellent model of the New England
church in the second period of its development, after
porches and steeples had been added to the original
barn-like structures. Its interior was also typical of the
period when it was erected. Its square box-pews, its
massive pulpit under the high sounding-board, its low
galleries and long windows have often been described ;
and we cannot help thinking how incongruous with all
this barrenness and severity must have seemed the
gorgeous costumes of the embroidered, brocaded, be-
wigged and be-ruffled old saints who strode majestically
down these bare aisles and sat heroically in the uncom-
fortable, high-backed pews.
But this old house of worship, notwithstanding its
severe and forbidding aspect, is so hallowed with
memories, and so rich in its priceless parish records, to
which so many of the old families of Maine owe a debt
of gratitude, that one gazes upon the building, not with
idle curiosity, but with a reverent interest. Modern
customs have mitigated its discomforts and time has
^ Williamson's Bibliography of Maine, Vol. II, p. 136.
36 Old Colonial Houses
mellowed its walls — and also the doctrines advanced
from its ancient pulpit — but an atmosphere of the early
Sabbath-day sanctity still remains which, with its inherited
and acquired traditions, makes it the typical old colonial
meeting-house of Maine.
The Mclntyre Garrison House, built in 1640, is the
oldest block house now in existence in the State of
Maine. It was built by Micum Mclntyre, a loyal and
dauntless Scotch soldier of the old country, who had been
captured by Cromwell's army and, with other Scotch
royalists, exiled to the new world. The energy, enter-
prise, and especially the fighting qualities of "Micum"
immediately found scope in the new country. It must
have been no small task, considering the facilities of the
period, to construct this heavy fortification with its
rough-hewn timbers, dove-tailed together, and its massive,
projecting second story loopholed for firing upon the
enemy. The equipments and the commander of this old
fort, taken together, were so formidable that the very
name of Mclntyre struck terror into the savage breast
of the Indian ; and on that terrible night of February
5th, 1692, when the town of York was burned by the
French and Indians, every dwelling-house was destroyed ;
but the Mclntyre garrison remained secure. It still
stands as a monument to the valor of its builder and of
the dramatic scenes enacted in the early history of this
ancient town.
The old Judkins garrison house, built about the same
time as the Mclntyre garrison, is now a dilapidated
forsaken building but still lifts its one huge chimney in
token of the life and light once existing, but long since
extinct, upon its hearthstone.
In York 37
In the early colonial days every town was required
by law to maintain an ordinary, or tavern for the enter-
tainment of travelers and the best and most commodious
dwelling in the place was often used as a public house.
Rules were prescribed by the General Court, as to the
food and drinks to be provided for the guests ; and also
the prices for the same. During the seventeenth century,
dancing, card playing and all disorderly conduct were
prohibited; and the landlord himself was chosen from
among the most staid and respectable men of the town.
As the years passed on, more laxity was allowed in the
general regulations ; but the taverns still retained all the
dignity of the most hospitable of private houses.
At the door of the ancient ordinary, swung the
creaking sign-board with its time-honored legend announc-
ing entertainment for man and beast ; and, within, was
the alluring tap-room, with its huge fire-place where the
great logs were kept brightly burning, and its tempting
bar where hot flip and other stronger drinks were served
at short notice to the ever thirsty guest. The tavern
tap-room was the Mecca of the traveler and of the village
loafer alike. It was the paradise of the joker and the
story-teller ; it was the club-room where home and foreign
politics were discussed and public sentiment moulded ;
it served in the place of the daily paper for the circula-
tion of news from abroad, and rivaled the modern
clipping bureau in the dissemination of local biographical
and critical notices. The most brilliant social functions
of the town were also frequently held at the tavern where,
in the later colonial times, a banqueting room and danc-
ing hall were always at the service of the guests.
Such an hostelry was the old Wilcox tavern at York,
which still preserves an air of consequence and mellow
hospitality. This old tavern was one of the most preten-
38 Old Colonial Houses
tious houses of its class, — a large two-story edifice, with
high hip-roof, spacious rooms, and wide halls with two
large doors ever ready to open in welcome to the guest.
It still stands surrounded by magnificent elms, a type of
the old-time colonial tavern.
The old Wilcox tavern like other famous contem-
porary hostelries has sheltered many distinguished guests
under its time-worn roof; and some very entertaining
traditions have been preserved in regard to those exciting
days just prior to the Revolution when Whig and Tory
met within its doors.
As York was the county seat to which the judges
and barristers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts
often came, the court sessions were attended with much
official pomp and ceremony. This doubtless contributed
an aristocratic quality to the tone of society in this
ancient town, and aided in elevating the social plane of
its entire people. A brief record of the customs of this
period has been left to us by John Adams who, as a
young barrister, came to York in 1774, and who made at
that time the following entry in his journal :
" When I got to^the tavern on the eastern side of
the Piscataquis river, I found the sheriff of York and six
of his deputies, all with gold-laced hats, ruffles, swords
and very gay clothes, and all likely young men who had
come out to that place to escort the court into town. "
This gives us a hint of the pomp and splendor
affected by the court officials in those olden days "when
the judges wore robes of scarlet, with large cambric
bands, and immense wigs, while the barristers had gowns,
and also bands and tie-wigs. As the judges approached
the shire towns, the sheriff met them with an escort and
In York 39
flourish of trumpets. Their arrival was announced by-
cannon ; and the daily summons to the court, before
bells were introduced, was by beating a drum." »
The first court held in York in 1653 was presided
over by Chief Justice Right Worshipful Richard
Bellingham; and from that time to the days of Judge
Sewall, the builder of Coventry Hall, the pomp and
ceremony of the court penetrated into the private resi-
dences and gave to the homes of York a characteristic
dignity.
Of the early homes of the old families of York, much
of interest might be written. Among the most note-
worthy of these spacious and elegant old mansions, are
the Sayward house, the Pell house, and the Barrell house,
all of which are rich in colonial traditions. The handsome
Sewall mansion, named Coventry Hall, from Coventry,
England, the original home of the Sewall family, is a rare
example of the more elaborate type which appeared just
after the Revolution. The front of the house is orna-
mented by two fine columns with elaborately carved
capitals ; and its pillared doorway surmounted by a glass
fanlight of extraordinarily beautiful design, is ever a
delight to the guest, or the passer-by.
The oldest house in York is undoubtedly the little
Bradbury cottage which occupies a picturesque location
on the banks of the York river.
The Sayward mansion is also of very ancient date and
is especially rich in historic traditions. This house was
built by Jonathan Sayward, who was one of the most
wealthy men of his time in Maine. He was a successful
merchant and prominent in public affairs, having been
» Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Series II., Vol. I., p. 305.
40 Old Colonial Houses
Representative to the General Court for seventeen years ;
also Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and Judge of
Probate for York County. At the outbreak of the
Revolutionary troubles, he was a staunch and conscien-
tious loyalist; and while treated with respect by his
fellow townspeople, he was virtually a prisoner in his
own house for many months during the trying year of
1775.
The Sayward house contains a full length portrait
of Jonathan Sayward, and also portraits of his wife and
daughter painted by Blackburn, between 1750 and 1765.
In addition to these rare old colonial portraits, the
descendants of the Saywards also possess many antique
treasures some of which were brought from Louisburg
by Judge Sayward in his own vessel, in 1746.^
But this famous old house is also of interest from
the fact that it was the birthplace of Maine's first woman
novelist. Madam Sally Barrell Keating Wood. This
remarkable authoress was the daughter of Nathaniel
Barrell and Sally Sayward, and granddaughter of Judge
Jonathan Sayward. She lived until her marriage in the
ancestral Sayward mansion, and during her childhood she
must have heard many romantic and exciting tales of the
early settlers which doubtless stimulated her vivid
imagination and inspired her love for story-telling. One
of the most remarkable of these tales was the tradition of
the "Sixteen Silver Porringers." This is a story as true
as it is romantic ; and is worthy of remembrance as a
type of many similar tales which were the actual experi-
ences of not a few of the early colonists who were
captured and taken to Canada by the Indians. But not
many of these prisoners were so fortunate as the Lady
of the ** Sixteen Silver Porringers." This old colonial
* Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Series II., Vol. I., p. 403.
In York 41
heroine was the aunt of Jonathan Sayward. It was when
she was a little girl that the Indians made the fateful
attack on York and killed so many of the inhabitants.
Little Hannah Sayward was among the eighty-four
prisoners that were captured at this time. She was
taken to Quebec, where her captors were induced, by a
large reward, to give her into the keeping of a wealthy
French lady. Little Hannah was educated in a convent ;
and when she grew up she became a nun. Her bene-
factress, on her death, left a large property, one half of
which was given to Hannah and the other half to the
nunnery of which the little New England-born girl, in
time, became the Lady Abbess. Then it chanced, one
day,, that a stranger visited the nunnery, and told the
sweet-faced Lady Abbess that he came from the town
of York in Maine. The surprise of the guest can be
imagined when the Abbess said, " I too came from York
in Maine ; my name was Hannah Sayward."
When the stranger, who was Mr. Manuel Beal of
York, left Quebec, the Lady Abbess sent by him sixteen
small silver porringers, one for each of her sixteen nieces
and nephews. One of these porringers came to Jonathan
Sayward who, in course of time, purchased from his
cousins all the rest of them and had them melted and
made over into six large porringers. One of these large
porringers is still owned by a descendant in York. What
became of the five, tradition saith not.
Listening to such stories as this, it is no wonder
that Sally Sayward treasured up material for future use
as an author. Her own life, too, was eventful. At the
age of eighteen she was united in marriage to Richard
Keating of York. The wealthy grandfather built a fine
house for the young couple near his own where they
lived happily until the sudden death of Mr. Keating in
42 Old Colonial Houses
1783. Then to divert her mind from her own sorrow,
Mrs. Keating essayed the pleasurable task of authorship.
In 1804, she married General Abiel Wood of Wiscasset,
and subsequently gave to the old Wood mansion of that
town the distinction of being the home of the most
noted literary lady of the time in Maine. Later in life
"Madam" Wood resided in Portland; and subsequently
at Kennebunk where she died at the age of ninety-five.
Williamson gives a list of seven novels written by
Mrs. Wood who calls herself, upon her title pages,
"A Lady of Maine." She also wrote many biographical
and historical articles. It is said, however, that when
the Waverley Novels appeared she was so dissatisfied
with her own works that she gathered what she could of
them and destroyed them. The historian and biographer
of to-day can give up the works of fiction written by the
"Lady of Maine," with comparative resignation; but
the loss of Madam Wood's personal reminiscences and
sketches of early colonial life is irreparable.
The villages of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are
recognized rivals of Old York in the natural beauty of
their location and in their fine old homes hallowed by
historic associations.
The oldest building in Kennebunk is the garrison
house which was built as a defense against the Indians
in 1 730. This ancient historic landmark is still preserved
on the estate recently purchased, for a summer home,
by Mr. William A. Rogers of Buffalo; and here the
quaint and time-worn garrison house will stand, amidst
the beautiful gardens, cultivated lawns, and all the
improvements of modern life, in mute, but eloquent,
expression of the changes wrought by time.
In Kennebunk 43
One of the most notable of the old dwelling-houses
in Kennebunk is the Waldo Emerson mansion which
stands on the road to Kennebunkport and which was
built, according to local tradition in the year 1760. It is
a large, handsome two-story house with gambrel-roof and
two huge chimneys ; and in its exterior is fully comparable
to the Pepperell mansion at Kittery Point.
Waldo Emerson, one of the ablest and most influ-
ential of the early settlers of Kennebunk, was an
enterprising and successful business man. His wife was
esteemed as "a valuable woman, distinguished for all
those virtues which make up the Christian character."
The home which this worthy couple founded was an ideal
one, in its time ; but they did not live long to enjoy its
comforts and dispense its hospitalities. Mr. Waldo
Emerson died at the age of thirty-eight, and his wife
at thirty-two. Their only daughter, Sarah, married
Theodore Lyman who, with his wife's inheritance and
the money which he acquired in the West India trade,
rebuilt the Waldo house in a manner of "surpassing
magnificence." In the year 1785, a distinguished visitor
wrote of this new mansion : " It is fit for a nobleman.
I have seen nothing like it in this country, and scarcely
anywhere."
This old house, which was once "of surpassing
magnificence," is now in the possession of the Kingsbury
heirs. There seems to be a little disagreement among
the authorities as to whether it is the original Waldo
Emerson house remodeled by Theodore Lyman; or
whether Theodore Lyman's mansion was an entirely new
structure built after the Revolution, but local tradition
ascribes the house to the earlier colonial period.
The oldest house in Kennebunk is said to be the
Parsons homestead. Tradition tells us that this house
44 Old Colonial Houses
was built by Joseph Storer, in 1758, and that it was the
first painted house in the town.
Kennebunkport, also, claims among its elegant and
stately homesteads, some very ancient dwellings. The
oldest is the Nevin house said to have been built as
early as 1730, by Thomas Perkins, Junior. This was a
typical old-time home, of the smaller low-studded two-
story pattern with a "lean-to" in the rear; but it has
been somewhat modernized by the addition of a front
piazza which gives the house an attractive appearance as
it stands on the banks of the Kennebunk river.
Not far from the Nevin house is the Hoff house,
also of very early date, but which still rests securely on
its ancient foundations, overlooking from its windows
the pretentious new hotels and the modern residences of
the summer visitors at the "Port."
k
THE COAST AND INLAND
TOWNS
" 'Tis the old familiar homestead,
Its doors stand open wide ;
One looks to the light of morning
And one to the sunset side ;
But Cometh the guest from the eastward,
Or Cometh he from the west,
The broad hall gives its welcome,
Its welcome and its rest."
— The Old Homestead,
IV
THE COAST AND INLAND TOWNS
K
S WE follow the coast of York County and reach
the mouth of the Saco river, we come to a
storied region which vividly recalls the days
when
** — traveled Jocelyn, factor Vines
and stately Champemoon
Heard on its banks the gray wolf's howl,
the trumpet of the loon."
In these early times the Saco Valley was a very alluring
place to adventurers of both high and low degree ; and
its shores were alive, not only with romance, but also
with a very real and strenuous life. This is proved by
the permanent foundations and substantial walls of the
many old houses still existing in Biddeford and Saco.
The oldest house in Biddeford is presumably the
ancient Jordan garrison house built in 1717, and origi-
nally surrounded by a strong stone wall as a protection
from the Indians. This house was erected by Captain
Samuel Jordan, a man of great enterprise and public
spirit who was identified with the early prosperity of the
town.
Another ancient, time-honored landmark in Biddeford
is the old Emery house on the Pool Road which was
built in 1730. Several generations of Emerys have lived
and died in this house which still preserves a look of
substantial antiquity although its exterior has been
somewhat changed by modern improvements.
48 Old Colonial Houses
About 1730, also, Benjamin Haley, "an architect
and builder of meeting-houses," erected for himself a
two-story house on the north side of the Pool Road.
This old house has sheltered five generations of the
Haley family. The old Squire Pierson house, at
Biddeford Pool dates back to 1737. The house of the
Hon. Richworth Jordan, was built by this "chief
magistrate of Biddeford" in 1742. The residence of
Oliver Dean, a large and handsome house was erected in
1768. Among other pre-Revolutionary houses in Bidde-
ford are the Jeremiah Hill house, the Cleaves house,
the McCobb house, the Allen house and the Chadwick-
Coffin house.
As we read the early history of each of these old
towns of Maine we cannot fail to be impressed by the
pre-eminence of some one of its inhabitants — some one
leading man who commands attention for his success both
in private life and in the public affairs of the community.
Many of these men, in spite of the discouraging condi-
tions of the times, amassed large fortunes, and left a
famous "great house, " as a monument to his family
name.
Such a man was Colonel Thomas Cutts of Saco, a
descendant of Richard Cutts of Kittery. When a young
man, Thomas Cutts had been employed in the great
business establishment of Sir William Pepperell, where
his youthful ambition was no doubt stimulated by the
unexampled success of the Pepperells ; and in 1759, with
a capital of one hundred dollars, he purchased a part
of Indian Island at the entrance of the Saco river. Here
he engaged in ship-building and the lumber trade and
did much to develop the resources of the Saco valley.
Coast and Inland Towns 49
Soon after his purchase at Indian Island in 1759, he
built a small cottage on the shore, and to this humble
home he brought his bride Elizabeth, daughter of
Dominicus Scammon of Saco. Thomas Cutts and his
family lived for twenty years in this low-roofed cottage
which is still standing on the island ; but as time passed
and his fortune increased, he began to dream of building a
splendid mansion which should rival the Pepperell and
Sparhawk homes at Kittery. The foundations for such a
house were laid, on the banks of Indian Island during the
Revolution, and in 1782, the new home in its sumptuous
elegance was completed. It still stands in an elevated
location commanding a fine view of the Saco ; and with
its gambrel-roof, handsome doors, ornamental window-
caps and other exterior finish, it remains a vivid reminder
of the great days of old.
There were other old houses in Saco of no mean
type ; as is shown by the old Moody tavern on Main St.,
now called the Barrows house ; the Captain Coit house ;
the Warren house built in 1756 ; the Amos Chase house
on Beach St., built in 1763 ; and a part of the Scammon
garrison house built in 1736. All these old houses serve
to indicate the degree of material prosperity enjoyed by
the early settlers in the region of the Saco valley.
The temptation to linger in the old towns of York
county is very great ; but on the coast and hillsides of
Maine stand many other ancient homes which claim our
notice. As we pass through the town of Scarborough, it
is very easy to call to mind the great old manor houses
which once stood upon its historic shores. It was here
that Cammock, a nephew of the Earl of Warwick, settled
with his young wife, the "fair Margaret ; " and here they
50 Old Colonial Houses
built a "great house" and lived surrounded by their
tenants in almost feudal state. Hither also came that
young Englishman of noble birth, named Henry Jocelyn,
who after the early death of Cammock, married the still
young and beautiful Margaret ; but of their lordly home
no vestige now remains.
In later times the eminent Judge Southgate settled
at Scarborough and built an imposing residence which
was taken down and replaced about 1800 by the fine
colonial mansion now known as the Southgate house.
Another historic residence which should have been
preserved in Scarborough was the King house. Richard
King, the builder of this old house, was one of the wisest
and most patriotic of our colonists, as his speech ^ to the
freemen of Scarborough, in 1769, plainly shows ; and his
three sons, bom in this old homestead, were among the
most noted men of their day and generation. These
three famous brothers were Rufus King of New York,
the American Minister to the Court of St. James;
William King, the first Governor of Maine ; and Cyrus
King, Member of Congress from Maine. Of their
birthplace, once known as the "King mansion," only a
small and inferior portion now remains.
There are a number of other houses in Scarborough
of an unpretentious type which doubtless antedate the
Revolution. Among these is a remnant of the Vaughan
garrison house which, in the troublesome days of Indian
warfare, was an extensive building, or set of buildings,
large enough to accommodate from sixteen to twenty
families. Nothing now remains of this great garrison
house except one small low-studded cottage which served
as a schoolhouse for many years.
* Southgate's History of Scarborough, Coll. Maine Historical Society, Vol. Ill,
P- 237.
Coast and Inland Towns 5 1
Following the well-known Indian trail in those
olden times one came to Falmouth Neck where the city
of Portland now stands.
It is a matter of great regret that among all the
beautiful homes in this city, many of which are of
colonial style and finish, there is not one which we may
call an example of the best class of pre-Revolutionary
houses. Had not the town been burned by Mowatt, on
that fateful eighteenth of October, 1775, many of its
famous early homes would doubtless have been preserved
to us. One of the houses, the loss of which is much to
be lamented, was that of the noted old colonial parson,
Thomas Smith. This house was built by the inhabitants
of Falmouth Neck for their esteemed minister in 1728.
It stood on Congress street opposite the head of India
street. It was the "first house in the town to receive
the ornament of a house paper which was put upon one
of its rooms by nails." ^ This house was the last one
which was destroyed in the conflagration of 1775.
As late as 1897, there were seven houses standing
in Portland which escaped destruction at the time of
Mowatt 's bombardment. These were Marston's tavern
and the houses of Parson Deane, John Cox, Benjamin
Larrabee, Joshua Freeman, Joseph McLellan and Bryce
McLellan.' They had all suffered from changes and the
ravages of time ; and within the last decade some of them
have been permitted to drop entirely out of existence.
The oldest house now standing in Portland is the Bryce
McLellan house, 97 York street, which was built in
i73i» t)y one of the founders of Portland whose name
has been honorably perpetuated in the state.
* Memoir of Thomas Smith, p. 30.
2 Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Series II, Vol. VIII, p. 77.
52 Old Colonial Houses
The name of McLellan is also associated with an
old house in Gorham built by Hugh McLellan and his
family. This was the first brick house in Cumberland
county ; and still stands in an excellent state of preser-
vation. The bricks of which it is constructed were
made by Hugh McLellan, with the assistance of his wife
and children, in a brick-yard on their own land. The
house was begun in 1770, and finished in 1774. One of
the bricks bears the date 1773, imprinted by the fingers
of Elizabeth McLellan. The building is a massive two-
story structure. It had originally a curb-roof and
dormer-windows, but now bears a steep-pitched roof
with projecting eaves. In the story of "Good Old
Times," by Elijah Kellogg, there are some very vivid
and interesting descriptions of the life of the early
occupants of this old house, and many stories are related,
as told by "Grannie Warren," who was Martha, the
daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth McLellan. The family
was noted in those early days for its energy, thrift and
generous hospitality. No poor man was ever turned from
the doors of the McLellan homestead without assistance.
For nearly a century past this old mansion has been
the home of Mrs. Caroline O. Wiggin, a lineal descendant
of the first Hugh and Elizabeth McLellan. Here Mrs.
Wiggin was born in 181 8; here she lived all her days and
here she died in 1908. Throughout her long life the
traditions of the family were faithfully cherished ; and
the numerous relics, brought by Hugh and Elizabeth
McLellan from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1733, have been
sacredly preserved. The McLellan s were of Scotch-
Irish ancestry; and were descended from Sir Hugh
McLellan of Argyle, Scotland, who was knighted in
1515.^
» McLellan's History of Gorham, p. 658.
Coast and Inland Towns 53
About two miles from Gorham, on the old Buxton
road stands another old colonial mansion called the
Codman house. This house was built by one of the first
settlers of the town whose name was John Cressy. It
was purchased by James Codman of Portand in 1790 and
under the regime of Madam Codman this fine old
mansion became the center of the social and fashionable
life of Gorham and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Here the Longfellows, the Stephensons, the Smiths and
many well-remembered people from Old Falmouth were
often entertained. In its spacious wainscotted and high-
paneled rooms, the minuet and the Virginia reel were
often danced by the gentry of the place ; "after which,"
as a local historian informs us, "Sally Green passed the
wine and seed-cakes."
The shores of Casco Bay always offered a tempting
haven to our early colonists and, as one might expect,
numerous old colonial homes are found in this vicinity.
At Stroudwater, there are several houses of unusual
interest. The old Broad Tavern, standing in spacious
grounds set with magnificent elms, is a type of the
ancient colonial inn. It is a large square house with a
gabled portico in front and an entrance at the side. It
was built by Thadeus Broad as early as 1766, and was
one of the famous hostelries on the road to Boston.
The Fickett house, built about the same time as the
Broad Tavern, is constructed of massive timbers and
served as a garrison. It is well preserved and is a fine
specimen of the conventional house of the period. The
quaint little Patrick house in Stroudwater is probably
the oldest in the place, and looks as though it might
stand in its quiet, unobtrusive way for a century to come.
54 Old Colonial Houses
But of all the old houses in Stroudwater, the Tate
house has the most interesting history. Although now
deserted and dilapidated, it still preserves its look of
distinction among the other old dwellings of its time.
It is evidently a house with a history and full of alluring
suggestions. Even the front door, with its long silent
knocker, tells of a life a little above and apart from the
common lot of the early settlers of Maine. This house
was erected about 1775. Its builder, as we are told, was
a direct descendant of the De La Prey Abbey Tates of
Northamptonshire, England ; ' and, as if this were not
enough to overawe the humble New England Chronicler,
we are informed that George Tate, in his youth, was a
seaman on board the first frigate built by Peter the
Great; and was afterwards appointed agent for the
Russian Czar and came to Maine to buy spars for the
Russian navy. More wonderful even than this, the son
of George Tate became the Admiral of the Russian
fleet ; and the Empress Catharine presented him with a
portrait of herself set in diamonds, as a token of her
personal favor.
The home of George Tate of Stroudwater was one
of taste and elegance and was furnished with many of
the luxuries of Europe ; but to-day the ancient mansion
stands empty and desolate : —
" A kind of old Hobgoblin Hall,
Now somewhat fallen to decay,
With weather stains upon the wall,
And stairways worn and crazy doors
And creaking and uneven floors,
And chimneys huge, and tiled and tall."
The name of the builder of the Tate house is,
however, not forgotten, but is still held in honored
» Sylvester's Romance of Casco Bay. p. 128.
OivD Tate House at Stroudwater
Coast and Inland Towns 55
remembrance as one of the founders, and a devoted
warden, of the first Episcopal Church in Portland.
As we follow the course of the few hardy and
valiant men and women who boldly penetrated into the
interior of Maine, we pass through many towns, each of
which has its representative colonial home ; and it is
astonishing to learn how soon the rude log huts of the
first settlers gave place to the frame dwelling, and this,
in turn, to the spacious mansion, frequently called the
"Great House."
Beginning with the town of Standish, named in
honor of the staunch old Captain of Plymouth, we find
two landmarks of pre-Revolutionary times. The older
is a house formerly owned by Enoch Blake and now
occupied by Rufus Gray. The second, in point of age,
was built in 1774, and is now occupied by Thomas Shaw.
There are other interesting old houses of a later date,
and also a typical old New England church, built in
1785, which are still preserved and venerated by the
people of this historic town.
' New Gloucester, another town quite remote from
the coast, has a handsome old house, known as the
Foxcroft homestead, which was erected in 1765. This
substantial and well-preserved house was built for the
Rev. Samuel Foxcroft, a graduate of Harvard College,
who was installed as pastor of the first church in New
Gloucester in 1765.
The ordination of Parson Foxcroft must have been
quite a festive occasion, according to the following entry
in the Journal of Parson Smith of Falmouth : " January
16, Mr. Foxcroft was ordained at New Gloucester.
We had a pleasant journey home ; Mr. L. was alert and
56 Old Colonial Houses
kept us merry. A jolly ordination ; we lost sight of
decorum." ^
These vivid pen-pictures, by old Parson Smith, are
done only in outline, but no very powerful imagination is
needed to fill in the lights and shades. Subsequent
records show that Parson Foxcroft proved himself, after
his^ "jolly" ordination, a faithful Puritanic minister of
the sterner type, and as strict in "decorum" as in the
doctrines. His fine old parsonage is still in the posses-
sion of his descendants.
Another pioneer settler of New Gloucester was
Isaac Parsons who erected a low gambrel-roofed cottage
in 1762. This house is now the ell of the handsome
Haskell residence which was built in 1783. It was then
called the best house in Cumberland County, outside
of Portland.
The town of Yarmouth, like New Gloucester, has
also a fine old house which was built as a parsonage ; and
it is evident, from these examples, that in these olden
times the best house in town was none too good for the
minister. The Yarmouth parsonage was erected in 1771
for Rev. Tristam Gilman. It is still called the "Old
Gilman House."
Another old house, near Prince's Point, long known
as the "Granny Millett house," was built by a Mr. Ring
some years before the Revolution, and subsequently
purchased by Captain Millett with prize money obtained
by privateering.
The inland town of Durham also furnishes, in the
fine old homestead of Captain Israel Bagley, a notable
example of the large and substantial dwelling-houses of
this period. This house, built in 1770, is shaded by
I The editor of Smith's Journal states that this " Mr. L.," who was so " alert,"
was Stephen Longfellow. Smith's Journal, p. 203.
Coast and Inland Towns 57
giant elms, and stands, as a monument of the hospitality
of the times, and of those ever open doors which needed
no swinging sign to announce a welcome to the approach-
ing guest.
On the road from Topsham to Bowdoinham, how-
ever, the traveler was warmly greeted at a genuine
old-fashioned tavern where " entertainment for man and
beast " was generously provided, by John Hunter, as
early as the year 1770. Hunter's tavern was familiarly
known as the *' Old Red House." It was a substantial,
well-built house, with elaborate panel-work inside, and
was finished on the outside with grooved clapboards
split by hand.
A second house on the road from Topsham to
Bowdoinham, known as the Rogers homestead, was
erected in 1773 ; and for ten years was used as a tavern.
This house had a typical, old-fashioned fireplace in
its large living-room. Its chimney, said to be the
first one ever built in town, was put up by Mr. Andrew
Whitehouse, *' a mason of the first order." It is also
recorded that the plastering of the walls of this house
"excited the admiration of all who came from far and
near to see it."
The remote little hamlet of North Bowdoin also had
its famous homes, the memory of which calls to mind the
time when the three great men of the New England
village were the minister, the doctor, and the lawyer, and
when frequently the lawyer was the greatest of the
three. As the village 'Squire was preeminent in the
public and social life of the community, so the 'Squire's
house had an importance beyond that of the other
houses of the town. Ability and integrity were recog-
nized in those days ; and the 'Squire's townspeople
seem not to have begrudged him his renown, but rather
*» * *
y »
FORT HALIFAX
'* For the benefit of the Massachusetts
Province, William Shirley, her Governor,
under the auspices of the most noble George
Montague Dunk, Earl of Halifax, the highly
distinguished friend and patron of the British
Provinces throughout America, has reared this
fortress, September 6, 1754."
— Inscription on Foundation Stone of
Fort Halifax.
V
FORT HALIFAX
^•^THE history of the Kennebec valley yields to the
/ I student a rich harvest, not only of tradition and
^^y^ romance, but of that sterner stuff of which the
every-day life of the colonists consisted, and
which constitutes a most remarkable chapter in the
ancient chronicles of Maine.
As monuments of this historic past, there are still
standing on the banks of the Kennebec, two old forts,
weather-beaten and worn with age, but still eloquent
witnesses of the early struggles, hardships and triumphs
of the first settlers on the Kennebec. These ancient
landmarks are Fort Halifax at Winslow and Fort
Western at Augusta.
The story of these old forts properly begins with
that most interesting event in the first opening of the
Kennebec valley, the coming of the Plymouth men, with
a shallop-load of corn to trade with the Indians at
Koussinoc, where the city of Augusta now stands. It
was truly a dramatic and picturesque episode in our
early history when Edward Winslow and " six of ye old
standards" sailed up the Kennebec and first saw the
smoke curling from the Indian wigwams where the
ancestral fires of the Abenakis had burned from ages
unremembered. As we look back now upon the scene,
the historic perspective gives it a striking effect of which
the participants themselves were doubtless quite uncon-
scious. It was in the autumn of the year 1625,
64 Old Colonial Houses
" And fair was the river valley,
Where the sunlight flashed like wine,
And the scarlet cheeks of the maple blazed
On the heart of the sombre pine."
Standing at the door of the birch-bark wigwam, we
see a man of courtly mien, accustomed to the pomp and
ceremony of the aristocratic circles of England, but who
now comes asking a boon, as a friend and brother of the
simple savages of the forest. An inborn dignity which
betrays neither surprise nor astonishment, marks the
red-skinned chieftain who this day stands as host ; and a
mat is hospitably laid for the stranger in the lodge of
the ** gentle Abenaki."
When Edward Winslow and his companions returned
to Plymouth, they carried, in return for their cargo of
corn, a shallop-load of beaver-skins of great value.
Governor Bradford gives a vivid account of this voyage
in his "History of Plymouth."
** After the harvest of this year (1625)", writes
Bradford, " they sent out a boatload of corne, forty or
fifty leagues to the eastward, at a river called Kennebeck,
it being one of those two shallops their carpenter had
built for them two years before, for bigger vessel they
had none. They had laid a deck over her midships, to
keep ye corn dry, but ye men were faine to stand it out
in all weathers without shelter and that time of the year
it begins to grow tempestous, but God preserved them
and gave them good success for they brought home 700
pounds of beaver besides some furs, having little or
nothing else, but this corne which themselves had raised
out of ye earth." This voyage was made by Mr.
Winslow and some of "ye old standards," for "seamen
they had none."
It was through the profits of this trip and the
subsequent trade with the Indians on the Kennebec,
Fort Halifax 65
that the Pilgrim Fathers were enabled to discharge their
debt to the London Company and to establish their
colony in the new world. Realizing at once the great
advantage of this commercial intercourse with the Ken-
nebec Indians, a trading-post was established " above in
ye river," as Bradford writes, "in ye most convenient
place for trade" . . . and furnished "with commodities
for that end both in winter and summer, not only with
corne, but with such other commodities as ye fishermen
had traded with them, as coats, shirts, rugs and blankets,
peas, prunes &c." This trading post was successfully
maintained for more than thirty years. During this
period, some of the most eminent men of the colony
were sojourners on the banks of the Kennebec, or were
established here for a term of years as agents of the
Plymouth merchants.
It is not without a thrill of emotion that we stand
to-day upon these shores trodden so long ago by the feet
of our Pilgrim ancestors. Among the commanders of
the trading-post of whose service we have definite record
were John Rowland, John Winslow, Thomas Southworth
and Captain Thomas Willett, a young man who had been
a member of the congregation at Leyden and who
followed the Pilgrims to N'ew England in 1632; and the
record of the life of the men of Plymouth at this ancient
trading-post and of their intercourse with the friendly
Abenaki Indians, holds, of necessity, a unique place in
the early chronicles of New England. It is a bit of
history which can never repeat itself. The scope of this
sketch, however, permits only a brief statement of the
connecting links between the early Plymouth trading-
post and the more recent outposts. Fort Halifax and
Fort Western on the Kennebec.
66 Old Colonial Houses
In the year 1649, while the traffic with the Indians
was still very profitable, the Plymouth trading-post was
leased to five prominent men of the colony. These men
were Governor Bradford, Thomas Prence, John Winslow,
William Paddy and Thomas Willett. Twelve years later,
in 1 66 1, these Plymouth merchants sold the patent, for
four hundred pounds, to Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng,
Thomas Brattle and John Winslow.
These new proprietors very soon abandoned the
trading-post. The buildings fell into decay. The
picturesque Indian village and the little " Mission of the
Assumption " also vanished from the shores of the Ken-
nebec. During the long and devastating Indian wars
which followed, the Kennebec patent lay dormant, until
1749, when the heirs of the above mentioned proprietors
began their efforts to induce settlers to come to these
valuable lands.
At this time, the Frankfort Plantation was already
successfully established on the site of the present town
of Dresden. Here Fort Shirley was built in 175 1, and
named in honor of Governor Shirley of Massachusetts.
An imposing court-house and an Episcopal church were
erected ; and a number of families of eminence and cul-
ture settled in this pioneer town.
But the inhabitants of this little ** plantation " felt
very insecure when they heard the rumors of the French
and Indian wars. They knew that the Kennebec was
the highway of their Indian foes who were the allies of
the French in Canada. These Indians possessed the
knowledge of all the carrying places and the secret trails
through the forests, by way of the Chaudi^re to Quebec,
and might at any time sweep down upon the hamlet at
Fort Shirley. It therefore seemed necessary that forti-
fications should be built farther up the river, in order to
Fort Halifax 6y
prevent the French from establishing a stronghold there,
as well as to guard the settlers from the Indians.
This necessity was promptly recognized by the
government of Massachusetts, and in 1751, Governor
Shirley, in behalf of the Great and General Assembly,
proposed to erect a fort at Ticonic where the town of
Winslow now stands, providing the Plymouth Company
would build a similar fortification at Cushnoc. This the
Plymouth Company agreed to do, and it is interesting to
note the names of the committee which then represented
the Plymouth Proprietors, for they are still familiar to all
dwellers upon the Kennebec as the promoters, not only
of the material, but of the social, intellectual and religious
interests of the early settlements of the Kennebec
valley. These men were John Hancock Esq., Dr.
Sylvester Gardiner, Mr. James Bowdoin, Mr. William
Bowdoin and Mr. Benjamin Hallowell.»
Gov. Shirley at once set out for the Kennebec on a
tour of inspection in order to locate the new fort. With
an escort of eight hundred men, he sailed first for Old
Falmouth, now Portland, where he made his head-
quarters ; and a brief description of Gov. Shirley's visit
in this old historic town, in the year 1754, will be of
especial interest. At this time, Portland was a little town
of one hundred and fifty families, living upon a thinly
settled coast, and it must have been a wonderful event
when the royal governor, with his grand military escort,
arrived in port. He was greeted with booming of guns
from the fort and from the men-of-war in the harbor, and
escorted from Long wharf to the Province House by a
gorgeous procession of soldiers and grand dignitaries.
There were many high officials from Massachusetts and
New Hampshire, as well as from the Province of Maine,
* 3 Book Kennebec Co. Records, 63-65.
68 Old Colonial Houses
who joined in the grand parade. To complete the
pageant, two bands of Indians, Norridgewocks and
Penobscots, in all their splendor of paint and feathers,
were also present in response to the summons of the
Governor and made a treaty which they celebrated by
an Indian dance and other ceremonies.
Parson Smith, a notable man of Old Falmouth, kept
a journal during these exciting days from which I make
the following extracts :
June 1 8, 1754. We have been painting and fitting
up our house for the treaty which is approaching.
June 25. Eight hundred soldiers got in and
encamped on Bang's Island.
June 26. The Governor got in this morning and
lodged at Mr. Foxes. '
June 28. Yesterday and to-day we had a vast con-
course dined us at our expense.
June 29. The gentlemen yesterday met the Nor-
ridgewock Indians and proposed to them the building of
a fort at Teuconic.
July I. The Norridgewock Indians gave their
answer and refused the fort's being built at Teuconic.
July 2. The treaty was signed between the
Governor and the Norridgewock Indians.
July 3. The Indians had their dance.
When these preliminaries were ended, Governor
Shirley proceeded to Taconnet, now Winslow, where he
located Fort Halifax upon a point of land formed by the
Sebasticook and the Kennebec rivers.
The reason for this choice of location is given by
Governor Shirley who states that the only known
communication which the Penobscots have with the
> Mr. Fox lived in one of the best houses on Exchange Street.
Fort Halifax 69
Kennebec Indians is through the Sebasticook which
they cross within ten miles of Taconnet Falls, and their
most commodious passage from the Penobsot to Quebec
is through the Kennebec to the Chaudi^re, so that a
fort here cuts off the Penobscots, not only from the
Norridgewocks, but also from Quebec.
The site for the fort was laid out with due form and
ceremony, a salute was fired, and the works were named
Fort Halifax in honor of the Earl of Halifax, then British
Secretary of State and "First Lord of Trade and
Plantations."
The commission for building the fort was entrusted
to General John Winslow, and orders were given for
laying the corner-stone, and also a complimentary stone
with a Latin inscription to the Earl of Halifax ; after
which, as it is recorded. Governor Shirley returned to
Falmouth, and thence to Boston, where he was received
"with vivid congratulations."
After the Governor's departure old Parson Smith
made this entry in his Journal, "September 8: Thus
ends a summer scene of as much bluster as a Cambridge
Commencement."
The original plans for this fort drawn by General
Winslow * may now be seen in the State House at
Boston. The works consisted of a central block house,
officers' quarters, barracks for the men and a large
parade-ground. They were ready for occupancy in
September, 1754. The fort was garrisoned with one
» General John Winslow was the great grandson of Governor Edward Winslow
of Plymouth. It was this same General John Winslow who, with three
hundred men, forcibly removed the Arcadians from Grand Prfe, as related
by Longfellow : but General Winslow evidently took no pleasure in this
task for he wrote to Governor Shirley that it was " the most disagreeable
piece of service in which he was ever engaged."
Collections Maine Historical Society, Vol. Vm., p. 280.
^0 Old Colonial Houses
hundred men and the command was given to Captain
WilHam Lithgow.
But the plans for the fort as laid out by General
Winslow proved very unsatisfactory to Captain Lithgow,
who, in one of his letters to Governor Shirley, asks what
shall be done in relation to completing the fort, "for
as it now stands it is one of the most extraordinary
fortresses for ordinariness I have ever seen or heard of."
The first years at Fort Halifax were marked by
great suffering on the part of the men and of great care
and anxiety on the part of the commander. The soldiers
were in the most deplorable condition for want of shoes,
clothing, bedding and food. Captain Lithgow writes in
one of his letters to Governor Shirley : " We have now
but four weeks allowance of bread in this fort, one barrell
of rum, and one do. of molasses and God knows when we
shall gitt any suplys from Fort Western on account of
ye snow is so deep."
Governor Shirley's replies were always couched in
terms of sympathy and encouragement ; but he seems to
have been unable to render any very prompt or efficient
aid. The men lived in constant fear of an attack by the
French and Indians, especially in the spring when the
river opened and the season was favorable for the descent
of the Indians in their canoes. Morover the men of the
Maine settlements were very unwilling to enlist for
service at Fort Halifax, and were therefore frequently
impressed into the ranks, and obliged to leave their
families at home destitute and uncared for. For this
reason the soldiers at the fort were often in a state of
discontent and insubordination.
Under such distressing and discouraging circum-
stances, William Lithgow proved himself to be a man of
unflinching courage and staunch devotion to his post. It
Fort Halifax 71
is also pleasant to know that, in the midst of his
strenuous duties, the gallant commander did not forget
to provide for the pleasure as well as the comfort of the
ladies at the fort, but often, in summer arranged picnic
parties for the officers' families upon an island below
Ticonic Falls ; and in winter the soldiers were often
detailed to clear a path upon the river so that the ladies
might have sliding parties upon the ice.
It is really difficult for us to conceive of what the
life of the women and children must have been in these
solitary, old-time strongholds ; and yet we often find in
these outposts, on the borders of the wilderness, the true
type of the old Colonial Dame who, even though suffering
from cold, hunger or other deprivations, never forgot the
honor and dignity of her station. Such a woman was the
wife of Captain William Lithgow who here in the wilder-
ness of Maine reared a family of nine children. Her sons
became honorable and influential men. Her daughters
were remarkable for their personal charms and accom-
plishments. The oldest daughter, Sarah, who married
the gallant young Captain Samuel Howard, was famed for
her beauty from Fort Halifax to Boston Town. Another
daughter, Charlotte, was pelebrated for her musical
talent ; while a third daughter was skilled in penmanship,
and could copy a legal paper with the utmost elegance
and exactness. It was said of all the members of the
Lithgow family that they were '* remarkable for their
genteel and elegant deportment."
Evidently Mistress William Lithgow did not intend
that her family should succumb to their environment.
At the close of the war with France, Captain William
Lithgow engaged in trade at Fort Halifax and acquired a
large property. His sons and daughters became allied
by marriage with the most wealthy and influental families
72 Old Colonial Houses
of the province. A few years before the Revolution he
removed to Georgetown where he built a handsome
residence. Here his doors were always open to the
rich or poor ; and his home was widely famed for its
hospitality.
At the time of Arnold's march to Quebec, Fort
Halifax had been demolished and could no longer be
called a fortification. Some of the buildings had been
removed, and Ensign Pattee was keeping a tavern in the
officers' quarters; and here Arnold was probably enter-
tained. This building was taken down in 1797.
The corner-stone of Fort Halifax, which was laid by
order of Governor Shirley in 1754, has been preserved to
the present day. In 1845, it was placed by Judge
Redington ' in the State House at Augusta ; and we find
in the statements of some of our recent authorities that
the corner-stone is still in the State Capitol. The fact
is, however, that this valuable relic was removed from
the State House, at the time of one of its recent renova-
tions, and with other antiquities and curios was deposited
in the geological cabinets of Colby College at Waterville.
It is a slate stone of irregular shape, and was originally
placed in the foundation of the central block house,
afterwards the south flanker of Captain Lithgow's fortress.
It bears this inscription :
THIS corn'.
STONE, LAID
BY DIRECTION
OF GOVERNOR
SHIRLEY, 1754.
A second foundation stone laid by order of Governor
Shirley, and which bore a Latin inscription, is said to
» Collection of the Maine Historical Society, Vol. VIII., p. 281.
Fort Halifax 73
have been removed from Fort Halifax to the Winslow
homestead at Marshfield, Massachusetts, by a son of
General Winslow.
The ancient block-house which is now known by the
name of "Old Fort Halifax," stood at the southeast corner
of the parade-ground laid out by Captain Lithgow. It is
a venerable structure, twenty feet square, with a project-
ing upper story ; and although weather-worn and defaced
by the iconoclastic hand of the relic-hunter, it still
remains a most valuable and interesting example of the
"strong defensible houses " of colonial days in Maine.
* » » * t
* a * 9 *
» >
> •
FORT WESTERN
We have no colors for the fort."
— Capt. James Howard^ ^755'
VI
FORT WESTERN
^♦♦HILE Fort Halifax was in process of erection,
J J J in 1754, Fort Western was built, by the
^IJ Plymouth Company, at Cushnoc, where the
city of Augusta now stands. Its main build-
ing, now standing, is one hundred feet in length
and thirty-two feet wide. It was constructed of heavy
hewn timbers and still shows its deeply set windows
and massive walls a foot in thickness. In its early
days, this building was the home of the commandant
and his family, and also served as barracks for the
soldiers and as a storehouse for supplies. It was sur-
rounded by a fine parade-ground, enclosed within a
double palisade. The approach to the fort was guarded
by two sentry-boxes, twelve feet square. A massive
blockhouse, similar to the one at Winslow, stood at the
northeast corner and another at the southwest corner of
the parade-ground. These blockhouses were built with
port-holes for cannon in their upper stories and sur-
mounted, on their hip-roofs, by sentry-boxes with open-
ings for the muskets of the guard. Four cannon were
mounted in the blockhouses, and a garrison of twenty
men was established here, in 1754, under the command
of Captain James Howard. This new outpost was named
Fort Western in honor of a gentleman of Governor
Shirley's acqaintance in Sussex, England.
The erection of Fort Western was completed with
many difficulties. Even after the clearing had been
^S Old Colonial Houses
made on the river's bank, the workmen did not dare to
remain there long enough to prepare the timbers for
building without the protection of a military force.
Therefore all the logs for the fort were hewn and fitted
at Frankfort under the guns of Fort Shirley, and floated
up the river by the men who kept constantly on the
watch lest they should be attacked by the Indians from
the ravines along the shore.
Captain James Howard to whom the command of
the fort was given was a brave officer and an intelligent,
enterprising and patriotic man. He was of Scotch-Irish
descent, and had emigrated from the north of Ireland
about 1735. He settled first on the St. George river on
the Waldo Patent ; but on the establishment of the new
military post on the Kennebec, he removed with his
family to Fort Western where he became permanently
identified with the growth and prosperity of the place.
In those early days at Fort Western, life was full of
adventure for the men and boys, and of self-sacrifice and
privation for the women and children. The household
supplies were irregular and often insufficient for the
needs of the family. In the summer the merchandise
was brought from Falmouth in whale-boats secured by
Governor Shirley for the transportation of goods ; but in
the winter everything received at Fort Western was
brought up the frozen Kennebec on hand-sleds drawn by
the men upon the ice.
A letter written by Captain Howard to Governor
Shirley, on the 5th of March, 1755, states that an attack
on the fort, by the French and Indians was expected and
that more cannon were needed for the defense of the
place. " The number of men is small, " he writes, " and the
ground in the vicinity of the fort is advantageous for a
surprise. The supplies here, intended for Fort Halifax,
Fort Western 79
will induce the enemy to attack us. The enemy may
come and secret themselves in one of the gullies within
one hundred yards of the fort, and we can not annoy
them. When they see us leave the fort to act as guard,
to convey stores to Fort Halifax they can lie by and
attack it." The writer then adds this appealing line:
"We have no colors for the fort." ^
After the fall of Quebec in 1759, ^^^^ the close of
the war with France, there was a great improvement in
the condition of affairs on the Kennebec. The fear of
Indian raids passed away, and settlers were induced to
take up lands in this locality. The little village clustered
around Fort Western was then called Cushnoc, a corrup-
tion of the old Indian name of Koussinoc. It was also
commonly spoken of as "The Fort," while another flour-
ishing little hamlet, two miles below on the Kennebec
was called "The Hook." In 1771, these two sister
villages were incorporated as the town of Hallowell, and
named in honor of Mr. Benjamin Hallowell.
In the meantime, the Howard family had acquired
wealth, as well as influence, through the trading-post
which they, like their Plymouth predecessors, maintained
at Cushnoc. Many articles of comfort and luxury were
brought to their home ; and in 1775, Dr. Senter writes of
them as " an exceedingly hospitable, opulent and polite
family."
The wife of Captain Howard was a beautiful woman
who dispensed a gracious and stately hospitality at Fort
Western. As Captain Howard was the most prominent
man of his day in this locality, all distinguished guests
were entertained at his board, and many social and official
functions were observed beneath his roof. It was said,
» Collections of The Maine Historical Society, Vol. VII., p. 184.
8o Old Colonial Houses
in proof of his hospitality, that the fire upon his hearth
never went out throughout the year.
All public meetings in these early days were held
at Fort Western. The first public religious service was
held here in 1763, and was conducted by the Rev. Jacob
Bailey of Pownalborough who writes that he had "a
considerable congregation of the upper settlers " on this
occasion.
The first marriage at Cushnoc was that of Captain
Howard's daughter Margaret who was wooed and won
by Captain James Patterson. The wedding was solem-
nized, Feb. 8th, 1763, in the great living-room of the
fort ; and the bride was married by her father who, in
his office of justice of the peace, was the only person
in the settlement qualified to perform the marriage
ceremony. Here too, in 1766, Captain Samuel Howard
brought his bride, the beautiful Sarah Lithgow, from
Fort Halifax. They subsequently removed to Boston ;
but Colonel William Howard, another son of Captain
James, lived with his family at Fort Western, until his
death in 1810.
John Howard, the oldest son of James Howard was
second in command at Fort Western during the French
war. While a very young man, he was the hero of a
remarkable exploit which merits a more prominent place
than it has heretofore received in the history of our
Colonial Wars.
It was in the year 1759, that General Wolfe was
laying siege to Quebec, and the whole country was await-
ing the result with the most intense anxiety. One day
a travel-worn messenger arrived at Fort Western, after a
long and wearisome journey from Crown Point. He
bore an important dispatch from General Amherst to
General Wolfe which must be conveyed at once to Quebec.
Fort Western 8i
Between Fort Western and this stronghold in
Canada, lay two hundred miles of unbroken wilderness.
The route followed the waterway of the Kennebec, and
then led through the swamps and morasses of the Lake
Megantic region. There were streams to be forded,
rapids to be run, and long portages to be made through
almost inpenetrable forests, where the Indian foe was
constantly lurking in ambush, and many other dangers
to be surmounted before the English commander could
be reached at Quebec.
Who would volunteer to go .?
There was a breathless pause. Then John Howard
arose and said : *' Give me the dispatches. I will go."
And safely and faithfully, the young hero performed his
mission and placed the dispatches in the hands of Gen-
eral Wolfe at Quebec.
Professor Justin H. Smith, in his history of " Arnold's
March to Quebec," tells us that, "in 1759, General
Amherst sent a messenger to General Wolfe, by way of
the Kennebec;" but he does not tell us that General
Amherst's messenger rested at Fort Western while the
brave young John Howard faced all the perils of the
Maine wilderness to complete his errand. Let the name
of John Howard be given the honor it deserves in the
list of our colonial heroes.
As we gaze to-day on the old and weather-stained
walls of Fort Western, it is very difficult to recall the
splendid scenes which have been witnessed within its
doors ; but we know that stately old-time dames, with
their brocaded silks, embroidered laces, and high-heeled
shoes, have stepped proudly over these time-worn thres-
holds ; and that brave and gallant gentlemen resplendent
82 Old Colonial Houses
in their velvet coats and silver-buckled knee-breeches,
have figured at many grand dinners while the guests
discussed local politics, and the news from abroad, at the
"opulent" board of the Howards.
But of all the memorable days in the history of this
old fort, the greatest and most exciting, without doubt,
was the eventful 24th of September, 1775, when General
Arnold, with his officers and army of over a thousand
men, was entertained at Cushnoc. The inhabitants of
the whole valley of the Kennebec from Pownalborough
up to Fort Western had been thrown into a state of wild
excitement at the appearance of Arnold's fleet, and of
the army which was to march through the forest to
Quebec. Arnold had first stopped at Gardinerstown
where his batteaux were built, but on Saturday afternoon,
September 23d, his vessel, "The Broad Bay," anchored at
Fort Western.^ Arnold and some of his officers were
entertained at the "Great House" which was then the
residence of Captain James Howard ; others were quar-
tered at the Fort where Colonel William Howard then
resided. The men encamped on the parade-ground of
the fort, and the neighboring river shores. On the
following Monday, the army was again upon the way.
This brief respite at Fort Western must have seemed, in
after days, like a rest in Paradise, to the soldiers of this
ill-fated expedition, many of whom died of starvation and
exposure on the route to Quebec.
There is a tradition that on this memorable Sunday,
a great feast was held at Fort Western, in honor of the
army, to which all the prominent inhabitants of the
Kennebec settlements were invited. Mr. Codman, in
his book entitled "Arnold's Expedition to Quebec/'
» "Arnold's March from Cambridge to Quebec," by Justin H. Smith, p. 83.
Fort Western 83
with a few vivid touches of imagination, thus minutely
describes this banquet.
" There is mention of one feast in particular — a
monstrous barbecue of which three bears, roasted in
true frontier style, were the most conspicuous victims.
'Squire Howard and his neighbors contributed corn,
potatoes and melons from their gardens, quintals of
smoked salmon from their store-houses, and great golden
pumpkin pies from their kitchens. As if this were not
sufficient, venison was plenty, and beef, pork and bread
were added to the commissary's supplies. Messengers
were sent to other local notables — William Gardiner at
Cobbosseecontee ; Major Colburn and 'Squire Oakman at
Gardinerstown ; Judge Bowman, Colonel Gushing, Cap-
tain Goodwin, and 'Squire Bridge of Pownalborough.
Social opportunities were not overfrequent on the fron-
tier, and all the guests made haste to accept, and came
accompanied by their wives.
To the sound of drum and fife the soldiers were
marched up to the loaded tables and seated by the
masters of ceremony, while the guests and officers sat by
themselves at a separate table. Dr. Senter and Dr.
Dearborn, as particularly familiar with anatomy, were
selected to carve the bears, and amidst the most uproar-
ious jollity the feast proceeded. At the end, toasts were
drunk — presumably in the never-failing rum punch of
New England — and the entertainment concluded amid
patriotic airs performed upon drum and fife and the
heartiest good humor of the entire company."'
Now this is a very realistic picture of such a feast as
might have been given at Fort Western to the brave
men just setting out upon their toilsome march through
an unknown wilderness ; but Professor Justin H. Smith,
* " Arnold's Expedition to Quebec," by John Codman, 2nd. p. 41.
84 Old Colonial Houses
who differs from Mr. Codman in many of the details of
Arnold's expedition, and who relentlessly notes every
deviation of the latter from the path of exact research,
discredits the tradition of this sumptuous and formal
banquet. Smith very plausibly asserts that, as it was
uncertain when the army would arrive, it would not have
been feasible to call the guests from a distance ; and also
that Arnold and his officers were too busy getting the
army into marching order to sit out a long social banquet.
Moreover, as Haskell states in his Journal, the 24th of
September was "cold and rainy," and not "a fine Indian
Summer" day, according to Codman's description.
Therefore Professor Smith inquires : " Would it have
been agreeable to sit out a long feast under such circum-
stances } And even if the three bears could have been
properly barbecued, what would have been the condition
of Mr. Codman's pumpkin pies .?"
From our own point of view, we can not quite agree
with either Mr. Codman or Professor Smith. We must
of course, although unwillingly, give up our cherished
tradition of an elaborate and formal banquet, with music
and toasts and speeches, as described by Mr. Codman.
On the other hand, this Sunday, September 24th, must
have been a memorable day at Fort Western, and one
preeminently worthy of record ; and even though we are
obliged to eliminate from the feast the three bears and
the pumpkin pies, the important fact still remains that
Arnold and his officers were "well entertained" on this
day. This is explicitly stated by Major Meigs, Dr.
Dearborn and Dr. Senter in their journals.
The rank and file of the army must also have been
served with rations of some sort on this occasion. The
companies may not have marched to the tables to the
music of fife and drum, but there must have been much
Fort Western 85
going to and fro and many supplies distributed in order
to feed this army of a thousand hungry men, after their
toilsome passage up the river. And if the neighboring
gentry, with their wives, were not present in their best
array, there is no doubt that the men and boys from all
the settlements flocked to see the sight, when Arnold's
flotilla came up the Kennebec and landed at Fort
Western.
Moreover, to our minds, it was the guests, and not
the food or manner of serving, that made the feast ; and
surely a larger number of notable men never gathered
around the opulent board of the Howards than on this
day.
The guest of honor was, of course, Colonel Benedict
Arnold, then a brave and loyal young patriot, already
famous for his exploits at Ticonderoga and Crown Point,
and with no shadow of his future upon his handsome
manly face.
Closely associated with Arnold, was Captain Daniel
Morgan of the Rifle corps of Virginia. Morgan is said
to have been a large strong man of impetuous temper,
but prudent in war and totally fearless in danger. He
fought in almost every battle of the war . . . and turned
the tide for the Americans in many a hard fought field. ^
Prominent also, among the guests, was Captain
Henry Dearborn, who had already fought at the battle of
Bunker Hill and who subsequently served through the
eight years of the Revolution. Captain Dearborn was,
unquestionably, one of the most remarkable men of his
period. As Hanson writes: "He was essentially a
military statesman, a man of varied talents and attain-
ments . . . one of the most honest and patriotic men of
the Revolution and one of the truly great men of
^ Codman's " Arnold's Expedition to Quebec," p. 322.
86 Old Colonial Houses
America." Dearborn's career after the war was equally
remarkable. He was twice appointed to Congress, was
commander-in-chief of the American army under President
Monroe and Minister to Portugal in 1822. He was an
able and voluminous writer and at his death left about
one hundred volumes in print and manuscript.
Other distinguished officers were Major Meigs, who
in 1777 was made colonel ; and for his brilliant service
at Long Island was presented by Congress with a sword
and a vote of thanks ; Captain John Joseph Henry, that
gallant youth whose " thirst for glory led him to volunteer
clandestinely in a company of riflemen," and who was
taken prisoner at Quebec ; Adjutant Christian Febiger, a
Dane, who served from Bunker Hill to Yorktown, and
who was popularly known in the army as " Old Denmark ; "
Lieutenant Colonel Greene, who devoted the remainder
of his brave young life to the service of his country;
Major Ward, who was with Washington at Valley Forge,
afterwards a successful merchant in New York and the
grandfather of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe ; Dr. Isaac Senter,
the surgeon, who afterwards acquired an international
reputation in his profession; and the brave chaplain.
Rev. Dr. Spring, eminent in the theological circles of
colonial days. Conspicuous among all these noted men,
was the handsome and charming young Aaron Burr, who
had volunteered in his country's cause and who, in the
glow of youthful enthusiasm, was just beginning the
brilliant career which ended so ingloriously.
Somewhere, too, on the outskirts of the camp, we
fancy, were two women, the brave, devoted, but as we
judge now unwisely patriotic women, who elected to
follow their husbands through the perils and hardships
of the march to Quebec. These women were Mrs.
Sergeant Grier and Mrs. Jemima Warner. Of Mrs.
Fort Western 87
Warner we have one more and a very sorrowful picture.
It is at the camp on the Chaudi^re river, where the men
lay in the most abject suffering, many of them dying
with starvation. "She had come," writes Codman,
" after twenty miles of walking and running to catch up,
breathless, panting, torn and disheveled, her dead hus-
band's cartridge belt her girdle, and his musket in her
hand. Faithful unto death, she had remained with him
until he had succumbed to hunger and exhaustion ; had
buried him with leaves, and then, at last, looked for her
own safety."
Last, but not least, in the picturesque scene, stands
Jacataqua, the brave Indian princess of Swan Island.
This beautiful Indian girl, in whose veins flowed the
mixed blood of the French and the Abenaki races, had
met the handsome and fascinating young Aaron Burr a
few days before when he landed at Swan Island with
some of the other officers of Arnold's army. We, who
know the fascination which Aaron Burr always had for
the women of his acquaintance, are not surprised that
the guileless maiden of the forest should conceive at
once a "romantic attachment" for the handsome
stranger, and follow him upon his journey up the
Kennebec.
Whether the proud mistress of the " Great House "
received at her board the equally proud Franco-Indian
girl, or the two humbler women of the rifle corps, the
journalists of the time have not told us ; but the story of
these three women lends a gleam of romance as well as
a shadow of tragedy to the scene, and the minor parts
which they played in the great drama of Arnold's
expedition still appeal to the hearts of the women of
to-day.
88 Old Colonial Houses
The Howards remained for many years the most
influential family at Cushnoc. In 1770, James Howard
built the " Great House," for his own residence. It was
located about a mile above the fort. This was the first
frame dwelling in Augusta, and was " the most splendid
house" of its period in this locality. It was unfortu-
nately destroyed by fire in 1866. James Howard also
owned the fort buildings where his son William lived
until the death of the latter in 1810. William and
Samuel Howard carried on an extensive lumber and
shipping business. Their vessels plied regularly between
Fort Western and Falmouth, Boston, and other ports.
They apparently held a monopoly of the business, for,
on one occasion, when some other traders proposed to
establish themselves at this settlement, the question was
seriously asked : "Will the Howards let them come .? "
But the Howards were always public-spirited men.
The prosperity of the early settlement around Fort
Western was due to their courage, energy, and fostering
care, and to this day, James Howard, the commander of
the old fort on the Kennebec, is held in honorable
remembrance as the " Father and benefactor of the city
of Augusta."
ON THE RIVER AND HARBOR
SHORES
We have no title-deeds to house or lands ;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates."
— Longfellow.
VII
ON THE RIVER AND HARBOR SHORES
i^k S WE sail down the Kennebec, we pass many
^\ old residences whose generous proportions and
,^^V_ fair surroundings tell of the ample means of
^^ their builders in the early part of the nineteenth
century. There is the fine old Williams mansion in
Augusta ; the Vaughan mansion in Hallowell, for over a
century the home of a family eminent for its hospitality
and social prestige; and the " Oaklands," at Gardiner,
built after the fashion of the days of Queen Elizabeth ;
but we must search to-day for the still earlier homes of
the Kennebec.
In the year 1763, two hundred and fifty acres of
land, in the ancient town of Pittston, were granted to
Major Reuben Colburn, one of our earliest "kings of
industry." Upon an eminence which slopes gradually
to the river's shore, Major Colburn built a large two-
story house which still stands overshadowed by the
branches of its ancient elms.
At the time of Arnold's expedition up the Kennebec,
Major Colburn was commissioned by Washington to
build two hundred light batteaux for the transportation
of the troops. While waiting for the completion of
these boats. General Arnold was entertained at the
Colburn house; and the story of his visit, and many
other Revolutionary tales of which Major Colburn was
himself the hero, are still told at the hearthstone of this
old historic mansion.
92 Old Colonial Houses
The old Court-House at Dresden was built by the
Plymouth Company in 1761. It is a massive structure,
three stories high, with hip-roof and large chimneys, and
occupies a very conspicuous position on the east shore
of the Kennebec. Considering the date of its erection,
and its early associations, this old court-house is one of
the most notable and monumental buildings in the state ;
and its records are filled with the names of eminent men
who made the early history of Pownalborough.
The court-house was at first enclosed for security
within the palisades of Fort Shirley ; and for a number
of years was used as a place of worship as well as a
court of law. The sessions of the court were held in a
large chamber forty-five feet long and twenty wide,
located on the second floor, and fitted with boxes,
benches, and other necessary conveniences. The remain-
der of the house was used as a tavern for the accommo-
dation of those attending court, and many well-known
men were entertained beneath this ancient roof.
At the time when the court-house was erected, Dr.
Sylvester Gardiner was a resident of Pownalborough,
and Jonathan Bowman, a cousin of John Hancock, soon
located here as register of deeds. They were joined by
the Rev. Jacob Bailey, a man of culture and refinement,
and a devoted Church of England clergyman who was
sent to Pownalborough by the " Society for Propagating
the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Other eminent men, who
were frequent sojourners at this remote hamlet, were
William Gushing, Charles Gushing, James Sullivan,
Robert Treat Paine, William Lithgow, Francis Dana
and James Bridge. "These men," writes Mr. Willis,
"formed a community as enlightened as it was genial
and courteous ; " and Williamson, the Maine historian,
adds : ** No town in the district, before the Revolution,
On the River and Harbor Shores 93
was so distinguished for able and talented young men as
Pownalborough. Indeed, it would be rare to find at any
time, in so small a population, so many refined and
educated people."
Charles Gushing, Jonathan Bowman, and the Rev.
Jacob Bailey were classmates at Harvard College and
graduated in 1755. They were all at Pownalborough to
welcome, at the old court-house, a fourth classmate, the
young barrister, John Adams, when he came here to
conduct an important land case, in 1765. Adams won
his suit ; and the favorable impression which he made
at this time upon Dr. Gardiner, and other wealthy land-,
owners, was of great influence in securing for the young
lawyer a number of important cases in the Maine courts.
At the time of Arnold's expedition, the old Dresden
court-house was occupied by Major Samuel Goodwin,
surveyor for the Plymouth Company. The house has
since remained in the Goodwin family, and its present
owner, a great-grandson of Samuel Goodwin, bears the
name of his ancestor, the proprietor of pre-Revolutionary
days.
In addition to its ancient court-house, Dresden
possesses a number of fine old homesteads, several of
which were built in the early colonial period. Among
these is the Bowman-Carney house, erected about 1765, by
Jonathan Bowman, barrister and clerk of courts, who
here entertained John Adams and other lawyers attend-
ing court at Pownalborough.
The Bowman-Carney house is located on the Ken-
nebec about half a mile below the court-house. It is a
large square building, with hip-roof, great center chimney
and spacious interior. It is said that nearly all the
94 Old Colonial Houses
material for this house was imported from Europe ; and
the beautiful Dutch tiles which adorned its fireplaces,
and its hand-carved banisters, wainscottings, and mould-
ings made it the handsomest house in this part of the
country.
The house was purchased in 1805 by James Carney,
a descendant of one of the early French Huguenot
settlers of Dresden, whose name was originally Garnet
or Carne/ The old Bowman-Carney house now begins
to show signs of age but is still one of the most inter-
esting historic landmarks of the Kennebec valley.
The oldest house in Dresden is the Gardiner home-
stead, built by Dr. Sylvester Gardiner in 1754. This
house is located at Dresden Mills on the shore of the
Eastern river, and is still well-preserved but somewhat
modernized by recent renovations. Three generations
of Gardiners have occupied this old homestead.
Dr. Sylvester Gardiner also built, about 1756 or
1758, the interesting Dumaresq house on Swan Island.
This picturesque old homestead has a colonial portico,
huge center chimney, and long roof sloping to the rear.
It was built in the most substantial manner, with a frame
of white oak, put together with wrought nails. A large
bay-window has since been added. The house occupies
a fine location overlooking the river and is surrounded
by mighty oaks, tall pines, and groups of graceful birch-
trees.
This was the home of Miss Jane Frances Rebecca
Dumaresq, the famous beauty of the Kennebec, who
married Colonel Thomas H. Perkins of Boston. A
remarkable pen picture of this charming woman has been
* Charles E. Allen, author of " Ancient Pownalborough and Her Daughters."
K
O
>
JO
K
o
a
On the River and Harbor Shores 95
left to us by her son, Mr. Augustus Thorndike Perkins,
who, on one occasion, wrote as follows :
"My mother came up from Swan Island on the
Kennebec river where her father lived on an estate
which he had inherited from his mother, a daughter of
Sylvester Gardiner, Esq. This gentleman owned some
hundred thousand acres of land between Bath and
Gardiner which latter town he founded. Miss Dumaresq
was making a visit to her relatives, the family of the
Rev. John Sylvester Gardiner of Trinity Church, in
Boston. She at once became noted, not only for her
excessive beauty but also for her grace and charming
manners. Even as I remember her she was almost the
most beautiful woman I ever saw. Her figure was
perfect, as were her teeth and complexion ; but the most
striking points about her were her eyes — the color of
dark sapphire — and her hair which was wonderful. I
have heard of raven hair, but never saw it but on her.
I have been told that when she was married her hair
swept the floor when she loosened it. Ordinarily it was
black, but in the sun I have often seen upon it the sheen
of steel-colored blue, such as one sees in the sunlight on
a crow's wing ; and she was as brave as she was beautiful,
and as courteous and gentle as a long line of ancestors
of De Carterets and Dumaresqs could make her. ... In
fact she was an aristocrat to the tips of her fingers, and
such she remained to the end of her days." ^
This beautiful woman, born in the old Dumaresq
house on Swan Island, lived in splendid state in her
Boston home, served by men servants and maid servants
and a Chinese butler who always wore the gorgeous
costume of his own country ; but every summer she came
* Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Second Series, Vol. VII.,
P- 341.
96 Old Colonial Houses
with her family to the paradise of the Kennebec where
she dispensed a delightful hospitality, and frequently
exchanged visits with her relatives, the Gardiners, at
the "Oaklands," a few miles farther up the river.
The little township of Perkins on Swan Island,
which was the home of Miss Dumaresq, was named in
honor of her husband, Colonel Thomas H. Perkins.
Another claimant for honorable old age, on the
Kennebec, is the Peterson house at Bath. It stands on
the banks of the river at the north end of High street,
and is a most interesting type of the individuality which
often characterizes the old New England dwelling. One
story in height, but broad and spacious on the ground
floor, and having a high pointed gable roof, this house
contains sixteen rooms besides the many closets and
cupboards with which it is abundantly furnished. Some
of these closets are very curious in their construction ;
one near the sitting-room is furnished with peek-holes
and others have the mysterious charm of movable panels
and secret doors. The front entrance of the house is
unusually large. The living-room has a huge open
fireplace and a wainscotting of mahogany which unfortu-
nately has been covered by a coat of paint. The great
brick oven in the kitchen is another reminder of the
generous living and abundant hospitality of colonial days.
The Peterson house was built in 1758, by an English
surveyor, who was granted for his services, five hundred
acres of land in this locality. In 1798, the house was
sold to Captain John Peterson. At the time of the
Revolution, this place was the headquarters of the agent
of George III., and here occurred some exciting incidents
which have a prominent place in the early history of
Bath.
On the River and Harbor Shores 97
Among other pre-Revolutionary dwellings in this
locality are the Isaiah Crocker house built in 1760, and
the Colonel Dummer Sewall house built in 1764, each of
which represents a characteristic style of colonial archi-
tecture.
A short journey from Bath to Brunswick leads us
over a level yet picturesque stretch of country where the
salt breath of the not far distant sea mingles with the
fragrance of the inland pines and fir-trees.
The ancient town of Brunswick, with its stately
homes and classic college halls, at once impresses the
guest with a realization of its old-time New England
origin, and of the eminent character of its founders.
For many years, the distinction of being the oldest
building in Brunswick belonged to the Robert Thompson
house which was built, by one of the prominent early
settlers, in 1740; but, unfortunately, this typical and an-
cient homestead was destroyed by fire in 1882. Several
interesting old colonial dwellings, however, still maintain
their existence in Brunswick ; and notable among these is
the well-known McKeen house built by Samuel Stanwood
in 1774. This house was purchased in 1804 by President
McKeen, of Bowdoin College. After his death, in 1807,
it was occupied by Joseph McKeen, who, like his father,
became closely identified with the interests of the college,
having been its honored treasurer for more than thirty
years. This house is still in the possession of the
McKeen family, and has been for over a century one of
the social and intellectual centers of the town.
The Dunlap-Lincoln house is also remembered as
the home of several generations of one of the most
respected and influential families of Brunswick. It was
98 Old Colonial Houses
erected by Captain John Dunlap in 1772, and afterwards
came into the possession of Dr. Isaac Lincoln. It was
in this old Dunlap-Lincoln house that Talleyrand was
entertained when he passed through Brunswick on his
way from Castine to Boston.
Brunswick also possesses many fine old homes of a
little later date, built on the early colonial models, and
filled with antique furniture, rare old china, valuable
curios, and works of art from foreign lands.
Preeminent among these homes, which are famous
for their art treasures and their ancient heirlooms, is
that of the President of the Maine Society of Colonial
Dames, Mrs. William Addison Houghton. In this
charming and hospitable home, many of us have been
served with tea from the rarest and most exquisite of
Japanese cups while we feasted our eyes on the almost
priceless treasures of Japanese art. But these art
treasures, brought by Professor and Mrs. Houghton
from Japan, as well as the invaluable Houghton loan
collection in the Bowdoin Art Museum, are too well and
widely known to need comment here. It is rather of
the antique furniture, inherited from remote generations
of colonial ancestry, that we would make especial
mention. Here we touch elbows with the ghosts of the
past, whether we sit in the high-backed, ball-and-claw
footed chairs of Chippendale's earlier period, or are
comfortably ensconced at the table in the old mahogany
armchairs designed by the same famous maker. Here,
too, in the dining-room, is the large and elegant
Heppelwhite sideboard with its antique candelabra and
rare old silver; and on the opposite side of the room
stands a smaller companion sideboard of the same
exquisite workmanship. In the living-room are mahogany
tables with claw-feet and acanthus pedestals, and small
r.
M
1 ''MP
On the River and Harbor Shores 99
slender-legged tables of quaint design. An irresistibly
charming old sofa, with elaborately carved arms and
feet, also allures the soul of every lover of old furniture.
But most valuable and interesting of all the inherited
treasures of our hostess is the incomparable old secretary
of St. Domingo mahogany. In design and workmanship,
this old secretary is without a rival in our colonial homes.
It is a combination of bookcase and writing-desk, with
carved shelves, curious pigeonholes, and fascinating
secret drawers. Its lineage is most ancient and honor-
able, and may be traced directly back to the year 1634.
It was once the property of Governor Law, son of
Honorable Richard Law, of Connecticut, and has de-
scended in a direct family line to its present fortunate
possessor. By the side of this old secretary stands a
handsome, high-backed, splay-footed chair, of Dutch
origin, made in the Queen Anne period. This chair
was in the possession of Governor Law as early as 1741.
The pictures of these rare old heirlooms, which we
have been permitted to copy, are of intrinsic value as
representing certain famous styles of colonial household
furniture ; but the distinctive atmosphere of the home,
of which they are but a material part, cannot be repro-
duced by the art of the photographer.
Just south of Brunswick, the ancient town of
Harpswell stretches its long gray arms into the sea, and
here, set sturdily on its barren but firm foundations,
stands the Deacon Andrew Dunning house. This is the
oldest house on Harpswell Neck. It was built in 1757.
It is a large two-story house with a front porch, and has
lOO Old Colonial Houses
the air of having been the home of one of the most
prominent famihes of the community.
Across an inlet of the sea are the picturesque shores
made famous by Mrs. Stowe in her story of the *' Pearl
of Orr's Island." Here may still be seen the low, wide-
spreading, gambrel-roof ed cottage which was built by
Joseph Orr in 1756.
As we thus continue our search for old colonial
houses, we soon come to realize how important is the
human element in the story, and how quickly a bit of
personal history or romance invests the conventional four
square walls of the old-time houses with a new and never
failing interest. One would hardly expect, however,
even upon our romantic Maine coast, to come in contact
with royalty or even to touch the borders of its garments,
and yet we have our Marie Antoinette house to which
still clings an interesting tradition of the beautiful and
unfortunate Queen of France.
This house is frequently designated as the Clough
house. It is situated in Edgecome, opposite Wiscasset,
and, according to well authenticated family records, was
once designed as a refuge for Marie Antoinette during the
reign of terror in France. The story of this house is
quite remarkable. It was first erected on Squam Island,
and was for many years a conspicuous landmark at the
entrance of Wiscasset harbor. It was built originally
for Captain Joseph Decker in 1774/ and is described as a
stately mansion of the Virginia plantation style of
architecture. In 1792, this fine manor house came into
the possession of Captain Stephen Clough who might
have been instrumental in saving the life of Queen Marie
^ Collections of The Maine Historical Society, Series II., Vol. V., p. 286.
- . •
.....
my.
.....
.....
::::•
• *
• ••
%v::
On the River and Harbor Shores loi
Antoinette, had not fate decreed otherwise. The story
is that Captain Clough, with his good ship " Sally," was
on the coast of France in 1793; and that a plan was
made at that time to save the life of Marie Antoinette by
conveying her secretly on board Captain Clough 's vessel
and bringing her to America. Some articles of furniture
and of the queen's wardrobe, were placed on board the
" Sally," but the queen was arrested on the eve of sailing
and delivered over to the revolutionary mob. Thus the
Clough mansion never sheltered the unfortunate queen,
as its master fondly hoped ; but the royal furniture and
finery came safely into Wiscasset on the "Sally."
Among the souvenirs brought home by Captain Clough^
were "French tapestries, marquetry, silverware, rare
vases, clocks, costly furniture, and no end of apparelling
fit for a queen." There was even a piece of the white
death robe worn by Marie Antoinette upon the guillotine,
a sacred relic treasured to this day by the descendants of
Captain Clough who was himself present at the execution.
There was also a satin robe, once worn by Louis XVI.,
king of France, which, with genuine New England
thrift, was "made over" for Captain Clough's wife, who
doubtless trailed these robes of royalty over the sand
and rocks of Squam Island with great satisfaction.
A question naturally arises as to what became of all
these valuable relics. The only answer tradition gives
is that many of them were sent to the famous Swan
house at Dorchester whose owner, Colonel Swan, was
connected with Captain Clough in the shipping business.
Other articles were scattered and lost ; while some are
still in possession of the Clough family.
A number of beautiful chairs and vases went to the
family of the late Judge Silas Lee of Wiscasset ; and an
inlaid, semi-circular, French mahogany sideboard sur-
102 Old Colonial Houses
mounted by a large silver urn went to the Swan house,
thence to the Knox mansion in Maine (on the marriage
of Miss Swan to the son of General Knox), and subse-
quently came into the possession of Honorable J. P.
Baxter of Portland.
The old Clough house, which thus missed the honor
and privilege of sheltering the queen of France, stood on
Squam Island until 1838, and then had the curious
experience of being moved, by land and water, to the
opposite shores of Edgecomb. It is a fact that this great
house, of solid oak frame, was rolled onto large flat boats
and ferried across the river to the mainland, and then
drawn by oxen to its present site where it now overlooks
the Sheepscot and has the appearance of being on
immovable foundations. It is still occupied by the
descendants of Captain Clough, and a great-great grand-
daughter, named Marie Antoinette, now tells the long-
cherished traditions of the house.
The banks of the Damariscotta river presented
great attractions to our early settlers and many ancient
houses still stand upon its shores. In the town of
Damariscotta there is a very old and interesting house
which was built by Nathaniel Chapman in 1754. In
later years it became the home of Rev. Adoniram Judson
and subsequently of Rev. Duncan Dunbar. It is now
called the Tilden Hall house.
The old Joseph Glidden house built in 1760 stands
in Newcastle near the famous oyster banks ; and farther
up the river is the old Waters mansion built in 1768.
This is a substantial, square, two-story house which once
served as an inn and gave the welcome of its great open
fires to Lafayette and Talleyrand when they sojourned
On the River and Harbor Shores 103
here on their way to visit General Knox at Thomaston.
In the neighboring town of Waldoborough stands
the old Smouse house which was erected sometime
prior to 1772. The builder of this house, one Daniel
Holtzapple, must have been a member of that colony of
Germans who, according to the pathetic inscription in
the Waldoborough cemetery, "emigrated to this place
with the promise and expectation of finding a populous
city, instead of which they found nothing but a wilder-
ness." But their faith and courage never failed. They
cleared the land, built homes for their families, and,
about the year 1772, erected the ancient Lutheran
church which now stands on Meeting-house Hill.
This old church at Waldoborough is one of a group
of three remarkable old meeting-houses located in this
part of Maine. The second, at Alna, was built just after
the Revolution ; but the third, known as the Walpole
meeting-house, was erected in 1772 ; and its ancient
high-backed pews, its spacious galleries, and its massive
carved pulpit, surmounted by a sounding-board, have
fortunately been preserved to the present day.
No sketch of colonial history in Maine, however
brief, would be complete without a reference to the
shores of ancient Pemaquid; and the visitor on this
romantic coast finds himself at once submerged in its
historic and legendary past. If a record of all that has
occurred within sight of Pemaquid Rock could have been
preserved, many volumes would be required to tell the
tale. There would be stories of the Scandinavian
vikings, of Spanish explorers, and of adventurers from
many lands ; of pirates, smugglers, captains and sailors of
high and low degree ; of brave cavaliers with sword and
104 ^^^ Colonial Houses
plume ; of humble missionaries with gown and cross ;
and of heroic English men and women who first dwelt
in this fair land of Mavooshen.
Very realistic and terribly true, also, are the tales of
Indian war and massacre, of siege and pillage, and battles
by land and sea, when stripped of the glamour of these
"far-off, forgotten things;" and a substantial evidence
of this rich historic past remains in the mass of ruins
which mark the site of the old colonial stronghold. Fort
William Henry.
These ruins, which consist chiefly of a huge heap of
cobble stones, have lain for more than two hundred years
almost completely buried in the sands. They are to-day
the nearest approach to a pre-Revolutionary structure
which exists at Pemaquid ; yet they are full of possibilities ;
and the devoted student of our old colonial records, and
all lovers of Maine's historic past, now dream of the
day — and may it not be far distant — when these ancient
stones shall rise from the sand, and when the great round
tower of Fort William Henry shall be rebuilt from its
original material to stand as a perpetual monument of the
history of Ancient Pemaquid.
As we began our study of old colonial houses, at
Kittery Point, on the western verge of the state, it is
fitting that we should come at last to the eastern border
of our "hundred-harbored Maine," and rest from our
travels within the hospitable walls of the old Burnham
Tavern at Machias. This ancient hostelry was built in
1770 and still retains its original clapboards, windows,
and interior finish. It is the only house in eastern Maine
which has a Revolutionary War record.
On the River and Harbor Shores 105
The Battle of Machias Bay, in which the British ves-
sel, the ** Margaretta, " was captured by the patriots of the
town, was the first naval engagement of the Revolution
and took place on June 12th, 1775. The plans for this
encounter were formulated in the great living-room of the
Burnham Tavern. Here the patriots gathered to discuss
the exciting news of the battle of Concord and Lexington.
Here they resolved to erect a liberty-pole upon the green
and defend it with their blood. The captain of the
British vessel in the harbor threatened to destroy the
town unless the liberty-pole was taken down ; but before
the threat could be carried out, the men of Machias had
manned a vessel, sailed down the harbor, and after a brief
battle, captured the " Margaretta " and her crew.
The wounded sailors of the " Margaretta " were taken
to the Burnham Tavern where the east room was turned
into a hospital. The indomitable commander of the
British vessel. Captain Moore, made a gallant defense,
but was mortally wounded at the beginning of the fight.
He was taken to the home of Stephen Jones where every
effort was made for his recovery ; but he died on the day
following the battle. Captain Moore was a brave young
Irishman who in spite of his order for the destruction of
the town, had won the respect of the inhabitants of
Machias, and his death was greatly regretted by the
people who were charitable enough to give him credit for
his loyalty to the crown. He was, moreover betrothed
to a niece of Stephen Jones. This beautiful young
lady, then a guest at Machias, was literally heart-broken
at the death of her lover. These sad circumstances
still give an undertone of pathos to the story of **the
first naval battle of the Revolution" which is so often
told with local pride and patriotism at the hearthstone
of the old Burnham Tavern.
I06 Old Colonial Houses
Such were some of the old colonial homes whose
hearth-fires were lighted long before our Revolutionary-
ancestors set the torch of liberty ablaze, and thus severed
our connection with the mother country.
These houses may still be seen standing along the
coast of Maine, upon our river shores, and on the hillsides
of our inland towns. Some of them are weather-beaten,
empty, and desolate; their windows are broken, their
chimneys shattered, and the dust and ashes dead upon
their thresholds. Others are sound, stately, and well-
preserved, still bearing with alertness and vigor the
burden of many successive generations.
The most of these houses were large and handsome
in their prime and quite worthy of the name of ** mansion, "
or ** great house," which was commonly bestowed upon
them. They still stand as monuments, not only of the
individual life, but of the general and characteristic life,
of the early colonial settlers. They tell of the hardships,
the sufferings, the struggles, the joys, the sorrows, the
hopes, the faith — that wonderful and supreme faith — of
our ancestors ; and sitting at these ancient, dimly-lighted
hearthstones, we learn to know and revere the men and
women who were the founders and upbuilders of our
state.
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