USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Gloucester > Old houses of Annisquam, 1909 > Part 1
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Old House of amnioquan. ou Mio Charlotte a. Lane. June 1909.
Property of Annisquam Historical Society
OLD HOUSES OF ANNISQUAM. By Miss Charlotte A. Lane.
June, 1909.
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CONTENTS.
The Whittredge House. The Jesse Saville House. The Old Griffin House. Deacon Davis House. The Old Tavern. The Old Fellows House. The Sargent House.
The Old Ellery House. The Old Ricker House. The Old Dennison House.
The George Dennison House. The Woodbury House. Joseph Lane's House. The Thomas Goss House. (Colonial House. ) The Jonathan Haraden House. The Stephen Chard House. The Old Castle.
The Old Davis House. The Old Schoolhouse on Arlington Street. The Light-house at Annisquam.
THE WHITTREDGE HOUSE.
The Whittredge house, now owned by Dr. Trull, stands in Union Court. A William Whittredge first appears here in 1684. His son Samuel was drowned at Sable Island in 1732. His son William married Mary Saville in 1755 (a sister of Jesse Saville ) and built the house. He had a son Oliver who lived in the house after his death and married a Haraden. They had only one daughter who married first an Ingersol and had a number of children. All have
now passed away. Her second husband was a Johnson. His brother William built part of the house in Union Court where Mrs. Stanwood lives. When Parson Leonard first came here he boarded with Mr.Whittredge and walked often to Folly Cove to visit Miss Nancy Woodbury whom he married later.
Where Mrs. Webber's house now stands on the corner of Union Court, was Mr.Whittredge's orchard, full of old apple-trees which were the delight of the school children. Mr.Oliver Whittredge was always called Commodore; I think
he had been in the Navy. He was the terror of the chil- dren when they were after his "pumpkin sweetings", a large, green early apple which grew on a tree near the street.
One of Mr.William Whittredge's daughters who was the
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faithful nurse of the village many years, told me when she was young, a hundred years ago or more, nobody thought of fastening their doors.Once when her father and mother had gone to an evening meeting, she, in bed with her grand- mother, heard a noise below. She asked what it was.
Her grandmother answered, "That's nothing, only Granny
Haraden getting her Nipper." Everybody then kept all kind of liquorr on their sideboards, and the old lady went where she pleased to get her nightly draught.
THE JESSE SAVILLE HOUSE
It stood to the east of Revere Street, at Mt .Hungar, or the tan pit, formerly called so by the old inhabitants. It was built by Thomas Saville in 1763, who married a Mary Haraden in 1722. His son Jesse lived there after his father's death and carried on the tanning business. Jesse married Martha Babson, a twin sister to Mary who married Gideon Lane. In the old Parish records, I find Jesse and Gideon with their wives Mary and Martha taken into the 3rd Parish Church May 28th, 1773. Over their names in parenthesis was "Laus Deo", God be praised. It gave me the impression it was hard work to bring them within the fold.
In 1770 Mr.Saville was collector of customs which exposed him to much unpopularity and considerable personal danger . It was this house that the mob searched for Samuel Fellows in 1768, who was employed to enforce the Revenue Act, which rendered him odious to the people. He
escaped, but the anger of the mob fell on Mr.Saville and family. Mr.Saville was knocked down and a servant was threatened by Dr. Rogers, forceps in hand, with the loss of all his teeth unless he would tell where Fellows was.
On the night of March 23rd, 1770, Mr. Saville was seized in bed by a party of men disguised as negroes and
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Indians, and dragged in an inhuman manner a distance of four miles to the harbor, where he was subjected to various indignities. This outrage aroused a good deal of feeling in town, and the attention of the Governor was called to it. A Mulatto servant of Dr.Plummer named George was tried and convicted for aiding the assault in March 1772. By way of part punishment he was placed on the gallows in Salem with a halter round his neck and kept there an hour; after which he was whipped, but would not give any inform- ation of the persons concerned with him.
Mr.Saville's son John went to sea at fourteen years of age, was taken by a British frigateand carried to Eng- land and never returned. His son Oliver died of small-
pox on a voyage to India. David was lost at sea with the
whole company of the ship Winthrop and Mary. Other sons
were Thomas, who was tithing-man at the church for many
years.
James was a merchant in Boston and married Rhoda
Griffin, daughter of Oliver and Mary Griffin; and
William who was the rhymster of Gloucester in olden times. By a second wife he had other children. One, Hannah, who married a Hodgkins, was reputed to be a kind of witch. On October 6, 1863, the descendants of Jesse Saville held a gathering at the old home, and a great grandson was christened on the old doorstone by the Rev. Mr. Gullar, Jesse Saville Rowley.
THE OLD GRIFFIN HOUSE.
This house stood in a field back of the house now owned by Mr. Warren Harvey's heirs. It was taken down several years ago. An addition built to it later still stands .
It was one of the best built houses in Gloucester. It was low studded with fine stairway and bannisters. The cornices to the rooms showed fine carving. The large chimney was of brick brought from England and was very fancy. Humphrey Griffin the father of the first Samuel, built it for him. In those days he was called a master
mechanic, now, architect. He designed most of the Public houses in Essex County at that time, and was the only man who kept a carriage.
Samuel lived there in 1707. he married Elizabeth York in 1709, had three sons and was the ancestor of most 1 of the Griffins in this vicinity, and his descendants are scattered over most of the United States. His son Samuel
married lived there who Mary Goss in 1736, and had eleven children. His son Oliver lived in the house now occupied by Mrs . Harvey He carried on the fishing business at the Neck now owned by the B.F.Butler heirs. As his father did before him, Samuel Junior died January 15, 1781, an useful citizen and member of the 3rd Parish Church many years. His wife,
Mary Goss died September 10, 1767, aged 51. On her slate stone in the old cemetery is the following:
"Here lies interred the wife of Samuel Griffin Junior who died Sept.10th 1767 in the 51st year of her age. Come mortal man
And cast an eye Come read thy doom Prepare to die."
Oliver Griffin, his son married Mar York. Her grandmother was a daughter of Abraham Norwood, one of the first settlers. Her mother Patience York ( Thompson) lived in a house which stood on the hill just below the church looking on the cove. His wife Mary was a handsome, bright, intelligent woman and the first Universalist in the parish, and was instrumental in having the church change its faith from Orthodox to Universal. Oliver Griffin was clerk of the Parish, had eleven children, died June 21st 1815. His wife Mary, born in 1740, died in June 1821.
DEACON DAVIS HOUSE
The Deacon Davis house on Leonard Street is now the barn of Mr Roscoe Ricker opposite Norwood Heights.
Mr.Davis was deacon of the church for many years. He was a man much respected and was the first person carried in a hearse in the village, and was one of the first to agitate the hearse question. He was probably the son of
John Davis who owned land between Lobster and Hodgkins Cove and built the house. After his death his son-in-law, Davis Griffin lived there and the last one of the family
died there in 1892. I remember one of Mr.Griffin's ( daughters-in-law was an invalid for years. Her name was Rachel. And in calling on her friends or neighbors her first salutation was : "0! I have the palliation of the heart dreadful."
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THE OLD TAVERN.
The old tavern, on the corner of Curve and Leonard Streets was built by Joseph Haraden, Senior, a grandson of Edward Haraden who owned at one time all the land between Lobster Cove and the sea, called "Planter's Neck". His son Joseph acquired the estate in 1740. The house was built before 1700. .
In 1800 it passed into the hands of Thomas Saville, who was a son-in-law of Joseph. And ....? There is no record when it was first used as a tavern. Mr.Saville carried it on as a public house.
I remember the swinging sign that hung from the west corner of the building, on it a picture of a large tumbler of beer. It was surmounted by a gilt ball. The bar-room was on the front side, south corner, with a partition of wood that concealed the bottles and jugs.
In 1812 the back kitchen was used as barracks for a company of soldiers raised for home protection .. They saw no fighting, however, but figured on the pension rolls for the rest of their lives.
At one time the Haraden family owned two slaves named Lem and Cato; they were great thieves and would steal things and hide them behind the chimney in the attic. There were three outer doors, the front entrance
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being on the side facing the water. The building was used as a shoe factory by Mr.James Jewett.
The building has been used as a private house, a tenement house, a public house, a shoe factory, a lodging- house, and now again as a restaurant. The variety of scenes its walls have witnessed would fill a large volume of interesting reading.
Owned 1 ml
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1982
THE OLD FELLOWS HOUSE.
The old Fellows House stands on Washington Street a short distance from the eastern end of the Annisquam Bridge. It is now owned by Mrs. James Lane. Jonathan Fellows came from Ipswich in 1740 and built this house; it was a two
storey house with a flat roof.
Mr.Fellows was captain of
a company against the French in 1755. He died June 20th, 1759. His first wife Elizabeth was supposed to be the daughter of Caleb Norwood, and his wife Alice afterwards married the Rev. John White. He had sons Caleb and Nathan- iel, and two daughters born here. A son Cornelius and Nathaniel moved to Boston and became distinguished merchants. A daughter of Nathaniel married a Cunningham who was the grandfather of Gen. James A.Cunningham. I have seen her portrait in the Cunningham home in Lunenburg, Mass.
Mr.William Hodgkins and Mr.Jonathan Dennison who married a Miss Fellows lived in the house many years. Miss Eunice and Anstice Fellows, sisters to Mr.Dennison, founded the first orphans' home in Boston about 1835, and edited the "Orphan's Advocate" many years.
THE SARGENT HOUSE.
The Sargent house was built by Mr. William Sargent, a a descendant of the W.Sargent who had a grant of land here in 1649. Mr.Sargent married a daughter of Oliver Whitridge He had five sons and three daughters. All were musical.and sang in the choir at the church or played on different instruments. The house was two stories with the front
door in the centre. It was in the Sargent family a number of years. Then Rev.Maxwell Newell bought it. Then it passed to Mr.Samuel Fuller, who with his son George was drowned in the bay, their boat capsizing in 1862.
Mr, William Dennis bought it in 1862. It is now owned by his son, Mr.William Dennis. Each owner changed it until it has the appearance of a modern dwelling.
THE OLD ELLERY HOUSE.
The old Ellery house, which stands on Washington Street near the green was built by Rev. John White, pastor of the First Church in Gloucester, building it soon after his settlement over the parish in 1702. He was born in 1678,
his father being John White of Watertown, Mass. He grad- vated from Harvard College in 1698. He was chaplain of Saco Fort when first called here. His ordination was in
1703. Mr.White had three wives and a number of children. He died sitting in his arm chair January 17th, 1760, in his 89th year, and the 58th of his ministry, in a house which he built near the railroad crossing at Gloucester, very near the old cemetery. A slate tablet inserted in the slab has this inscription:
= Here lies the remains of that zealous, faithful, and excellent divine, the Rev.John White, who died Jan.16th 1760, in the 89th year of his age and the 58th of his ministry."
He sold the house to James Stephens who kept a tavern there until 1740, when he sold it to Captain William Ellery who kept it as a tavern several years. In 1749 the expenses of the town fathers at Ellery's Tavern ran as high as 78 pounds.
It is still in the Ellery family. At the 200th anniversary of the town it was opened to the public, and was well worth a visit. Miss Helen Lane is the only descendant of Rev. John White living in this part of the city.
THE OLD RICKER HOUSE.
It was built at about the same time as the first church of the third parish, which was near 1730. Reverent Obadiah Parsons, who was ordained in 1772, lived there. One of his daughters died with small pox and was buried in a field some way back from the house with an Abigail Griffin who died with the same disease, - not being allowed to find a resting- place in the parish burying-ground.
Mr. Ansden Pearce bought the house and lived there sev- eral' years . One of his sons was Thomas Pearce, interested _ in Southern railways, whose son Thomas and a daughter are now residents of Boston. Mr. Pearce moved to Dover, N.H., in the early part of the last century.
Rev. Father Leonard lived there and taught school, and taught navigation to my father, Capt. O.G.Lane and a number of other lads who became captains and sailed to all parts of the world.
Also, a singing-school was held there, and the young people of the first of the last century had lively times going and coming. It was in the possession of the Wheeler family for a number of years and later was bought by Mr. Richard Ricker.
THE OLD DENNISON HOUSE
The old Dennison house stands in a field to the north of Mount Hungar. I think Isaac Dennison was the son of George Dennison who married Abigail Haraden in 1725. He,
I have heard, built the house. He died April 2nd, 1811, aged 79 years, and left sons and daughters. His son
Isaac was a soldier in the Revolution, and died June 21st 1841, aged 80. He always lived in the old homestead, was a stout man, and rode about the village in an old-fashioned yellow bottom chaise. He had sons and daughters. One of his grandsons has lived in the house for a number of years.
In the autumn of 1908 it was sold to a party who have cut down the beautiful grove of trees that surrounded the house .
One of the old doggerel rhymes of olden times ran thus Old uncle Isaac and his wife Moll, : Darn-needle Joe and great-limb Poll, Leather-breeched Isaac and white-headed Will All lived under Nathan's Hill. Molly put on her calico gown, Trapsed the neighborhood round and round, Telling tales and getting news, And wearing out old Isaac's shoes.
In the west when the sun sank low, Molly thought it time to go, With a cup of tea and a halibut fin, Then Molly trapsed home again."
THE GEORGE DENNISON HOUSE.
The house, situated on Curve Street opposite the Channel was built by George Dennison who married Abigail Haraden in 1725, a grand-daughter of the first Edward Haraden , and the house stands on what was his land. I have no knowledge how long he lived there, but it passed to William Babson in
1748. It had large fireplaces and small windows, a large smoke house in the attic, and a milk house in the yard.
The garden went down to the water. Mr. Babson owned the land to the old Tavern, and built a house next to his for his daughter, who married Captain Gustavus Griffin .. She was insane at times and was confined in a cage in one of the back rooms .. He built a house for his son William,
His son afterwards moved to where Mr. Bradbury Huff lives.
Gloucester. Mr.Babson married Ann, daughter of Rev.John Rogers, and died at the Mc Lean Asylum December 30, 1831. In 1833 Captain Gideon Lane, 3rd, bought it, seemingly a very old house, and repaired it, living there until 1859 when he moved to Chelsea. It was rented for a number of years. His son, Captain Ernest, bought it and was having it repaired when he died in February 1886, leaving it to his sisters who have completed the changes,
If its walls could speak, what scenes, both merry and sad, would it reveal. For one wedding in the long ago, the house was illuminated with candles from attic to cellar, the wedding guests coming down the river in gondolas.
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THE WOODBURY HOUSE.
This house was built some time in 1792 and stands on Arlington Street, now owned by Mrs. Pevere. What is now the kitchen was on the street side of the house. There was a garden on an embankment surrounded by a fence around which were currant and berry bushes. There was a family
tomb back of the large boulder where the summer house
stands. The kitchen part was used by Mr. Woodbury as a store, he supplying his fishing fleet. The flakes for drying his fish covered all the ground down to the Cove.
On the walls of his store were various mottoes and couplets, as : "Pay as you go", "If you have the money, buy, If you have not, please not try", "A wise man spendeth not his money foolishly".
On the opposite side of the street he built a house for one daughter, and built one next his own house for another daughter,-all having long ago passed away. He had three daughters and one son. He married Esther Lane, a daughter of Gideon Lane, Senior.
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JOSIAH LANE'S HOUSE.
Josiah Lane's house stood near the entrance of Bishop Juinnell
Clonnell's estate, formerly owned by Mr. French.
Josiah was a son of Deacon James Lane whose grave- stone is in the old cemetery at Lanesville. Josiah was
born in 1721;
married by Mr.Bradstreet to Abigail Norwood
March 26,1743. He had five children. His wife was
appointed administrator November 3rd 1766. His son Francis was married to Esther Griffin February 25th, 1779, by Rev. Obadiah Parsons. Francis was born Dec. 12th, 1756. He enlisted in the Revolutionary War in Capt. Rowe's com- pany of Gloucester; took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill. He also served on a privateer. After peace was declared he engaged in the East and Wesr India trade. He
was once wrecked on the coast of Greenland, remaining there all winter. He moved to North Yarmouth, Maine.
His wife Esther dedicated her life to the cause of humanity, in taking care of a near neighbor who had yellow fever, who recovered. She took the fever and died leaving a family of small children. An infant daughter Mary took the fever and never fully recovered from its effects.
He had three wives. He was a kind-hearted Christian
man and lived a useful blameless life. He was a slight built man with blue eyes and light hair. He died Nov.30th 1829, aged 73 years, was buried at South Paris, Maine.
THOMAS GOSS HOUSE (Now the COLONIAL HOUSE)
Thomas Goss came from Marblehead. He was a sea captain, and he owned the land through to Walnut Street and down to Village Hall through to the cove. He had a son Thomas who married and lived at Rockport. Junior,
Gideon Lane bought the house and land about 1793. < It was a lean-to house, and Capt.Lane raised the roof up. It was in the family of Lanes a hundred years when Mr. Riley bought it.
Parson Leonard at one time lived in part of it. Capt . Lane was a sea captain. He owned a vessel named the Federalist. In the war of 1812 the British frigate Nymph's barges came into the cove and burned
several vessels. The officers came to take the Federal- ist when Mrs. Lane went down and asked them to move it from the wharf as she was afraid it would set the house on fire. Looking at the stern of the vessel the officer
said, "Well, her name shall save her."
Mrs.Lane said, "You have already my husband and son on board your frigate as prisoners."
Mr.Lane was held as hostage for his eldest son who had gone to Boston for money to redeem his vessel
which they had captured off Thacher's Island. Her name was the Welcome Return". When she was brought up to the frigate, the Captain said, "You are the very fellows we were looking for. Ah! Welcome Alongside!"
They expected to be sent to Halifax as prisoners of war. After being detained 12 days the vessel and cargo were ransomed. While Captain Lane and son were on the frigate, its barge went ashore at Folly Cove and killed the cow of Annie Gale Woodbury, and brought it aboard. The sailors ran with their cups and milked the cow. Capt.Lane married Hannah Griffin April20th, 1790. He was born December 14th 1764, and died Nov. 28th 1821, aged 57. I have a copy of his Obituary wri ten by Mr.Leonard at the time of his death.
Mrs. Lane died May 10th, 1852, aged eighty.
THE JONATHAN HARADEN HOUSE.
Mr, Haraden built the house, situated on Leonard Street about 1780. Mr.Haraden married Miss Betsey Davis, both descendants from the first settlers. They had no son but three daughters. Two of the daughters died on the same day, one was the second wife of Mr.Charles Wheeler, the other unmarried. They died July 1821.
The day they were buried there was one of the heaviest thunder storms the place ever experienced. It came while the funeral procession was on its way to the old cemetery. They had no hearse at that time; the bodies were carried
on biers. The rain came down in torrents; the procession had to seek shelter an the houses on the way.
Mrs. Haraden adopted her daughter's daughter, and on her death Mrs.Norwood came into posession of the property. At her death, Mr.Fred Norwood, the only heir, succeeded in posession.
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THE STEPHEN CHARD HOUSE.
The Stephen Chard house, now occupied by Mr. John Stanwood, was built about 1780. Mr.Chard had a store of two storeys; the upper storey is now the house of Mr. Clarence Davis. Mr.Chard had sons and daughters. Little Bessie Harvey is his great great-grand-daughter.
His first wife was a Griffin, a sister to Madam Goss who lived in what is now the Colonial House. I have been told they were both strong, active women in their own way, and sometimes lively conversations passed over the fence between them.
Mr. Chard's second wife was the widow Griffin, the grandmother of Mr.Willard P. Griffin. Mr.Chard committed suicide.
Mr.Chard's first wife, Mary, has a stone in the old cemetery. The inscription reads :
"Sacred to the memory of Mrs.Nancy Chard, died Feb. 9th 1815, aged 38.
To heavenly realms of endless peace Angels her patient soul has borne To taste pure joy and endless peace With Father, Holy Ghost, and Son.
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THE OLD CASTLE.
This house was built by a Mr. Young who owned the lot of land now used as a golf ground, - I am not sure whether it was Ichabod or William. Ichabod married Abigail Elwell in 1716 and was lost at sea in October 1728. William
married Sarah York in 1725. Most likely it was William formerly as the Yorks owned the land in which it stands and possibly 1
built the house about 1720.
Mr.James Griffin lived there; also the widow of James Saville, the son of Jesse, who was living there in 1806. Then a Mr.Reuben Patch and a Mr.Moses Clough bought it. Mr.Nathaniel Daley and Mr.William Bragdon bought it about T 1830, and added the ell. Most of us can remember Uncle Nat Daley and Uncle Eph Butler, called the twins,-for one was hardly ever seen without the other, seemingly always happy, in friendly chat.
It is owned by the Bragdon heirs.
THE DAVIS HOUSE.
This house, on Leonard Street near Cambridge Avenue, was owned by Martha Babson in 1790, possibly built by her father. Capt.George Davis bought it about 1800. He carried on fishing business and owned land which is now Cambridge Avenue. The timber for the house was cut on
the hill above the house where the hotels now are. Mr.Davis had several sons and three daughters. He was representative to the General Court in the thirties. He was found dead in
his dory at the wharf in 1849. He had three wives. The house is owned by his descendants.
THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE ON ARLINGTON STREET
The exact date, I cannot tell, but it was built before 1800. At the time it was built the hill where Dr. Adams' house stands was covered with trees, and the logs for the house were cut and rolled down the hill. It was a flat- roofed building and the door faced the street with a flight of rough stone steps. It had a circular window over the top with blinds. Here the young ideas of several gene- rations were taught "to shoot."
Some of the teachers were: Miss Rhoda Saville, who lived near 90 years, a grand-daughter of Jesse Saville of Revolutionary times; Miss Mary Peabody, who married Tristram Griffin, and her sister Clarissa, who married Gustavus A.Lane, daughters of Oliver Peabody of Bucksport, Maine. One male teacher was a Mr.Lawson who had red hair.
It was one large, square room with benches and desks of different heights. The children were the same as to-day. The boys took toads, frogs and snakes to school which were the terror of some of the teachers.
When the Leonard schoolhouse e was built, Mr. Leander Huff bought it and used it as a dwelling house, adding additions. It has had several owners, and is now the home of the Misses Wentworth.
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THE LIGHT-HOUSE AT ANNISQUAM.
The first house would have been over a hundred years cld. The first keeper's dwelling house was moved away and the present one built about 1850. The present light-house was built about ten years ago.
From the pages of an old magazine I copied the fol- lowing. The writer says :
"Formerly the accommodations of the keeper were very scanty; with a large family he occupied a single room and it required the utmost economy to make both ends meet. A large milk pan, an iron pot, and a dozen wooden spoons made the greater part of their house- keeping utensils, and their live stock consisted of a cow. It was their custom while boiling their hominy for supper to milk the cow into the pan, and after placing it on the floor and turning in their hominy, to gather around with their wooden spoons and help themselves out of the same dish. On one occasion old parson F., their minister,
happened to be paying a parochial visit; one of the boys being a little crowded thought he could better his position by changing to the other side of the dish. In attempting to step across the pan he put his foot into the milk and hominy; £ before he could take it out the rest had revenged themselves for the interruption by tapping him smartly on
the bare leg with their wooden spoons. And without taking any farther notice of the affair they went on eating as before. Although this story often told by parson F. indicates that in those days the family were little- troubled with daintiness or delicate stomach, yet at the present time they are the most respectable citicens of Cape Ann."
The keepers of the light have been Mr.George Day, Mr. Daniel Dade, Mr.Dominicus Poole, Mr.Nathaniel Parsons, Mr.Octavius Phipps, Mr.Moore, Mr.Dennison Hooper, and the present keeper, Mr. Davis.
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