USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Acushnet > History of the Town of Acushnet, Bristol County, State of Massachusetts > Part 3
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There can be no question that Captain Church's family also passed
*After very careful research the writer feels absolutely sure that the Indian trail leading through Acushnet village crossed the river where the bridge now is. This crossing was called by the Indians and early white settlers "the upper passing place." This indicates that there was a public crossing lower down the river known as "The lower passing place." It is reasonable to infer that such a crossing of the river existed to accommodate the Indians from Cape Cod and lower Marion on their visits to their people at the westward, thereby saving the journey to the "upper passing place." In the writer's judgment this crossing was where Coggeshall street bridge now is. There was no way where Main street now is below Oxford school- house. The trail was where Adams street now is and northward to Parting Ways. From this I think the trail from Adams street westward to the "Lower passing place" was over or very near the location of the present Howland road, a few feet south of Cooke's garrison house.
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through this town when they were moving from Duxbury to Portsmouth, R. I., in March, 1676, in the midst of the war. Eight weeks later their son, Constant, was born at the latter place.
That Captain Church and his company marched through this town on his way to and from the capture of King Philip appears clear to the writer. He states that from Plymouth they "Marched thro' the Woods till they came to Pocaffet," (Tiverton). Here they crossed the river at Howland's ferry. From there he rode down to Portsmouth to see his wife. He wrote that she "no fooner faw him but fanted with the furprize." This was just at nightfall on Friday, Aug. 11, 1676. He at once received information that King Philip was over at "Mount-hope," near Bristol, R. I. Impatient to secure the Chief, he wrote that he "told hif Wife that fhe muft content herfelf with a fhort vifit, when fuch game was a-head; they immediately Mounted, fet Spurs to their Horfes, and away." King Philip was killed the next forenoon and his head was borne in triumph that Saturday afternoon to the presence of Church's wife. The following Tuesday the captors "ranged thro' all the Woods to Plymouth." This triumphant march of the victors with the long sought head of the cruel chief was doubtless through this town, over "The Rhode Island way." *
The capture of King Philip practically ended the Indian war, but the people on the territory of this town did not recover from the crushing shock for a quarter of a century. A year elapsed from the burning of the dwellings till King Philip was captured. Months of terrible suspense; a winter of pitiful suffering. In the narrative of the war written by Captain Church he makes no mention of seeing a white settler in old Dartmouth during the entire period of 14 months of hostilities. It was estimated that the war cost the English $750,000, that 600 houses were destroyed and 600 persons were slain in the towns where the war existed.
"I hear even now the infinite fierce chorus, The cries of agony, the endless groan Which through the ages that have gone before us, In long reverberations reach our own. * * * The tumult of each sacked and burning village, The shout that each prayer for mercy drowns, The Indians' revel in the midst of pillage, The wail of famine in beleagured towns."
*Church mentions but two general routes over which he passed in his marches from Plymouth to the Mt. Hope country. Both of these were over the much used one up to Middleboro, and from there either through Taunton and down the west side of the Taunton river; or from Middleboro southerly down Assawampsett neck to Long Plain, down to Parting Ways, thence westerly over Acushnet village bridge, Tarkiln Hill road and Hathaway road, Smith Mills, Howland ferry (now. Stone bridge) to Bristol, the headquarters of Massasoit. This route, I am satis- fied was the chief one, the main Indian trail from Plymouth to Bristol. This was what was then known on Rhode Island as "Thro the woods" to Plymouth to dis- tinguish it from the Taunten route through a more numerously settled and less woody country. I am convinced it is what is now known as "The Rhode Island Way." It is the route Captain Church wrote that he took in July, 1675. A very ancient land record names "Peaked" rock, which is in Acushnet near this old Indian trail, as "standing" by the path that leads from Dartmouth to Plymouth.
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In consequence of the fearful suffering and loss of property during the war and the necessity of their continual maintenance of garrisons, the inhabitants of Dartmouth were not required by the authorities of Ply- mouth to furnish soldiers for the war and were also exempted from taxation for several years after its close.
This sickening event was the beginning of the extermination of the Indians from this locality. Many went elsewhere. Others remained and became civilized, educated and Christianized on a reservation of about one acre located on the west side of the road on Sconticut neck, Fair- haven, about a quarter of a mile south of the present chapel. The last individual of this once powerful and noble people living within the bounds of Old Dartmouth was Martha Simon. She resided in a small house there alone the later part of her life, supported largely by the sympathetic generosity of her neighbors, till her enfeebled and destitute condition caused her to be removed to the town almshouse, where she remained till she died, about 1855.
The burying ground of these last civilized Indians is on the east side of the Neck about one and a quarter miles south of the Mattapoisett road, close to the shore. At one time beneath a solitary clump of oaks, which had been sacredly preserved, were a number of headstones. But the oaks have been cut down; the stones have been removed; the mounds have been leveled, and all traces of this hallowed spot have disappeared. Among the headstones were those of the Simon family, which was the last of that people. There was William and Abigail, his wife, each aged about 75; "Ben" and Jacob, who were over 100; Stephen and Sally and their son Isaac.
Here they buried Martha.
"Like the shadows in the stream, Like the Evanescent gleam Of the twilight's failing blaze ;
Like the fleeting years and days, Like all things that soon decay, Passed this Indian tribe away."
OLD HOUSES
of an early settled town, and a knowledge of the names of the various owners of them and the land on which they stand is an interesting and valuable portion of its history. It enables descendants of early residents to locate their abodes, and to realize more fully and satisfactorily the surroundings and the interior and exterior of the birthplaces and homes of their ancestors. As already stated, all the dwellings in old Dartmouth were destroyed in the Indian holocaust of 1675. Many of these were on the east side of the Acushnet river, and were doubtless log cabins. Most of the structures that replaced them were probably of the same character, as these pioneers had little money and few facilities with which to build anything of a better quality or more modern description. Numerous foundations are now in exist-
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ênce on which stood these primitive dwellings, which served as the family home till the possession of money and saw mills and other aids enabled the people to erect framed and shingled buildings, with glass windows. The location of the foundations of some of these is given in a subsequent. article on "Highways."
With the saw mills and other building facilities came the small frame houses. At first most of these had chimneys built of wood and clay, and later of flat stones and mortar, and great fireplaces with bake ovens attached.
About the year 1700 there commenced to appear more attractive dwellings of two stories. Some of these were built with the second story jutting out a foot or more over the lower story, and occasionally one may be seen now with the attic jutting over the second story. This was called the "overhang" style. It is claimed the object of this peculiar construc- tion was to provide a convenient place to shoot from to repel the Indians. The fact is, however, the overhanging form was an English plan of build- ing in the days of Queen Elizabeth. There was also the "leanto," or more commonly called the "lenter" structure. These were of two or three stories in front with a peaked roof, having a long slope to rear, where there was but one story in height. Many of the houses in those days fronted the south, regardless of the location of the roadway. Such are standing in Acushnet today.
A popular roof form all over New England a century and a half ago was the gambrel roof. It was so named from the resemblance of the double sloped roof to the hind leg of a horse, or to a stick called a gam- brel, used by butchers to suspend a slaughtered animal. A few of this style of houses still stand in our town and are among the pleasing road- side features. This was the most picturesque and lasting style of the above named. Many houses of this pattern, some very expensive ones, are being erected at this time. There are more dwellings which were erected previous to 1750 standing in Acushnet at this date, in proportion to the total number of houses, than in any town in Bristol county.
This appears to be the chronological position in this book to describe some of these attractive old houses, and the writer is pleased to be able to give half-tone reproductions from photographs by Fred W. Palmer of New Bedford, of a few of these old dwellings, which, if they possessed the power of speech and memory, could thousands of interesting and entertaining tales unfold. These will be highly prized when the originals have disappeared. It is also a delight to give with these pictures the valuable approximate dates of the erection of these houses, and the titles to the land on which they stand. These latter are but a small part of the valuable and voluminous results of extensive and careful research, painstaking investigation and study of Henry B. Worth, counsellor-at-law of New Bedford, Mass. He prepared the following text of this article on "Old Houses" at my solicitation.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
ANTIPAS HATHAWAY HOUSE. Built About 1735.
This house is located on the east side of the road leading from Fair- haven to Acushnet, about a third of a mile north of the residence of Capt. Franklyn Howland, and nearly the same distance east from the road.
The tract on which this house is located was formerly the north third of the 600-acre farm owned in 1711 by Thomas Hathaway, son of Arthur. 1737. Thomas Hathaway to son Antipas, north third of farm.
1747. Antipas Hathaway to James Weeden, his homestead.
1751. James Weeden to Hezekiah Winslow, the same.
1771. Job and Ezra Winslow to Obed Nye, their father's homestead.
1817. Heirs of Obed Nye to Thomas Nye.
1854. Heirs of Thomas Nye to George H. Lewis.
By inheritance to his wife and later to her daughter, Mrs. Annie M. Ruggles, the owner in 1904.
The striking feature of this house is the overhang gable and cornice, a peculiarity observed more in Connecticut than in Massachusetts, and is
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found usually in houses constructed before 1740. In 1888 the large cen- tral chimney originally built in the house was removed and the present chimney substituted, and in the alteration a piece of iron-work in one of the fireplaces had thereon the date 1735. As the farm was conveyed to Antipas Hathaway in 1737, it is clear that between these two dates the house was built.
THE TABER HOMESTEAD.
This is situated opposite the Jabez Taber tavern on the east side of the Long Plain road, about a mile north of the Parting Ways.
Its south line now is the brook that crosses the road. The land was originally part of the homestead of John Spooner, Jr., and on his death in 1728 it was devised to his son Thomas. The latter died in New London, Conn., and this farm was divided between his heirs. The portions which fell to' Alden Spooner and Robert Bennett, 2nd., in 1778, were conveyed to Abraham Sherman and comprised the part north of the brook. It descended from Sherman to Tabers. A part of the same farm south of the brook was purchased by Sherman, who built the house next to the brook. Later it passed to William C. Taber and in 1906, the second lot south of the brook and the house thereon, built by Wm. C. Taber, were owned and occupied by the heirs of Henry W. Cushman.
CAPTAIN ANDREW J. WING PLACE.
This farm and ancient residence thereon is situated on the east side of the Long Plain road, opposite the Sands Wing place, and about a quarter of a mile south of the Middle road.
The land originally belonged to Captain Seth Pope, and from his heirs it went to his son Elnathan, and in 1735 to another Seth Pope, son of Elnathan, who occupied the farm till 1759, with his house on the west side of the road, the Sands Wing house. He then sold the farm to Jacob Taber. In 1784, Robert Bennett became owner of the portion on the east side of the road, and in 1794 he sold it to Amaziah Taber, who devised it to his grandson, Thomas Wood.
1811. Thomas Wood conveyed it to Gideon Wood.
1833. Gideon Wood to Taber Wood.
1839. Taber Wood to Nathaniel S. Spooner, Silas Stetson, Jacob S. Davis, Ellis Mendall.
1850. The property was in possession of Capt. Jas. R. Allen ; 1859, Caroline B. Wing; 1876. James A. Wing. The house was probably built by Amaziah Taber or Robert Bennett before the year 1800.
The place is now ocenpied by the family of Eugene White, whose wife, Annie, is a daughter of Capt. Andrew J. Wing.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
MASON TABER TAVERN. Built About 1770.
This house was built on the west side of the road leading from Acushnet bridge to Long Plain, and nearly at the head of the Rochester road over Perry's Hill.
The land was a part of the extensive farm owned in 1720 by Capt. Seth Pope, and named the Spring Brook Farm, from the stream which flowed through it. The farm was devised by Seth Pope to his son, Elnathan, and by the latter to his son, Isaac.
1794. Isaac Pope's will devised to his son, Isaac, "the north part of my homestead and my now dwelling house," indicating that the deceased had formerly lived in another house that was then standing.
1817. Jonathan Pope to Salisbury Blackmer.
1824. Salisbury Blackmer to Joseph Taber.
1825. Joseph Taber to Mason Taber.
The house and farm are now owned by Joseph T. Brownell.
This house was one of several that were built in different parts of Old Dartmouth preceding the Revolutionary war. During the ownership of Mason Taber it was used as a stage house and tavern, and its con-
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venient location at the head of the Rochester road suggests that it may have been originally intended for the same business. It was probably built between 1770 and 1776 by Isaac Pope.
JABEZ TABER'S TAVERN. Built Before 1715.
This interesting house is located on the east side of the road to Long Plain, about a mile and a half north of Acushnet Bridge, and near the terminus of the White's Factory road. A large tract was laid out to Capt. Thomas Taber in 1714 for his sons John and Joseph. On the road it extended north and south of the Cushman Mill Brook crossing nearly half a mile. In a division made later John received the south half and Joseph the north. In 1750 John Taber conveyed his farm to his three sons, the north third to Elnathan, the middle to Jabez and the south to Amazialı. For over a century the central portion was owned by a Taber whose first name was Jabez. The last of that family, who died about 1870, over ninety years of age, lived during his entire life on this farm, and yet was a resident of four different towns.
In 1874 the part of the farm including the old house was purchased by Capt. Francis C. Eldredge, whose widow, Katharine H., is the present owner.
In a conveyance of land in that locality in 1715 mention is made of "young Taber's house." This was the gambrel roof rear which in posi- tion, form and construction belongs to that period. In 1812 the three- story front was built, giving the house a shape like the letter T. Its history as a tavern began at about that date. There was then no sug- gestion that the highway in front would ever cease to be the "Post road from New Bedford to Boston," nor that the stage lines passing its door would be discontinued. Therefore the proprietor built the front exceed- ingly commodious and comfortable. Nearly two-thirds of the old section was the extensive dining room and the front was devoted to entertainment and lodging. No public house presented a more cheerful and inviting interior than this Wayside Inn. But after twenty-five years the situation had seriously changed. The railroad to Taunton was established ; travellers adopted the new method of transportation; one after another the stage lines were withdrawn and the numerous hotels and road houses on this highway to Boston were closed to the public. About 1843 Jabez Taber removed the sign that for thirty years had swung near the roadside and the tavern became a retired country home.
Jeremiah Hammet remembers the sign hung between two posts so that the stages would pass under it. It was 4 feet square and had on it the painting of a man riding a horse. Below the horse was the name of . the proprietor, Jabez Taber. See a cut of the tavern on another page.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
SANDS WING HOUSE. Built About 1735.
This house is located on the west side of the road, about three-fourths of a mile south of Long Plain, and is owned by John S. Perry.
This farm was set off to Capt. Seth Pope, and at his death in 1726 it was devised to his son, Elnathan, and in 1735 to Seth Pope, who built the gambrel roof section of the house, probably between 1735 and 1740. Seth Pope in 1759 conveyed his farm to Jacob Taber and then it was trans- ferred in 1787 to Silas Sweet.
1797. Silas Sweet to Aaron Wing.
1806. Aaron Wing to Sands Wing.
1888. Sands Wing's daughter, Mary Ann Wing, to John S. Perry.
.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
DR. TOBEY HOUSE. Built About 1748.
This house is located on the east side of Mill road, about an eighth of a mile north of the bridge in the village.
The land was the south end of the homestead of Mark Jenney, who devised the same in 1740 to his son Lettice.
1748. Lettice Jenney to Zaccheus Jenney, who conveyed the same to Dr. Elisha Tobey, who built this house about this date.
This house faces south, and therefore stands end to the road in exact conformity to the Puritan regulations. The dormer windows are of recent construction.
Among the descendants of the doctor has been preserved a tradition that during the British invasion in September, 1778, some of the troops visited this house and attempted to make a thorough examination of the same for the purpose of confiscating whatever they might select. Owing to the peculiar construction of the house, the door into the cellar when opened concealed the door into a closet where were stored the valuables
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that belonged to the family, and so these escaped the attention of the English soldiers.
This property is now owned and occupied by James A. Dexter.
CAPTAIN FRANKLYN HOWLAND PLACE.
"Wayside" is situated on the east side of Fairhaven road, about 600 feet south of the brook. It was part of the Stephen Hathaway farm of 350 acres. In 1838 the devisees of Stephen Hathaway, being his six daughters, conveyed this tract, consisting of fourteen acres, to Leonard Hammond.
1839. Lemuel Hammond to Francis D. Williams.
1844. Francis D. Williams to Jireh Swift and Gideon Nye.
1854. Swift and' Nye to Lettice Washburn.
1861. Lettice Washburn to Job L. Shaw.
1863. Job L. Shaw to Charles H. Wilcox.
1864. Charles H. Wilcox to Thomas N. Allen.
1871. Thomas N. Allen to Charles H. Hathaway.
1873. Charles H. Hathaway to A. Franklyn Howland.
The present dwelling house which was constructed in 1844 was originally more than twice its present dimensions. It was built for a boarding school called the "Union Seminary." When it ceased to be used as such, a part of the house was moved to the opposite side of the highway, about 200 feet north of the brook. It is now owned and occu- pied by Samuel Cory. See a cut of the house on a subsequent page.
THE LAURA KEENE FARM.
This was the south third of the immense tract of real estate of Thomas 2 Hathaway, son of Arthur 1.
Thomas 2 Hathaway in 1740 conveyed it to his son Thomas.
1786. Thomas 3 Hathaway by will devised the same to Jonathan Kempton.
1823. Jonathan Kempton devised it to his children.
1836. His son Charles Kempton had acquired the entire farm.
1851. Charles Kempton failed and the property passed to Mary Gifford, wife of Joseph.
1855. Mary Gifford conveyed to Nathan Breed of Lynn, Mass.
1865. Nathan Breed to Laura Keene.
1906. The property is now owned and occupied by Dr. Frederick B. Lawson. Laura Keene, who possessed this estate in 1865, was a famous actress. She had the leading part in a play at Ford Theatre where and when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
DR. SAMUEL WEST HOUSE. Probably built before 1775.
Located on the road between the head of Acushnet river and Long Plain on the northeast corner of that road and the highway leading to Mattapoisett.
It has been erroneously supposed that the West house, which was burned by the British, occupied the same site as that of the Dr. West homestead; this was directly south of the old cemetery at the top of the hill. While Dr. West may have lived in that locality, he never owned the honse and at the time of his death was the owner of the property herein- after described.
The land where this house stands was the east section of John Jenney's lot, the west part being that occupied by the church and cemetery.
1742. JJohn JJenney to Daniel Spooner.
1746. Daniel Spooner to Ephraim Keith.
1746. Ephraim Keith to Paul Mandell.
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1748. Paul Mandell to John Crandon, and the same was inherited by Thomas Crandon, innholder.
1785. Samuel West recovered judgment against Crandon and seized this land on execution.
1811. Samuel West, Jr., to William Wood.
1823. William Wood to Stephen Taber.
1828. Stephen Taber to Jashub Wing.
1836. Jashub Wing to William Payson, M. D.
1843. Dr. Payson to William M. Dunham.
1854. William M. Dunham to Charles H. Adams.
1869. Charles H. Adams to Rhoda S. Bassett.
1873. Henry H. Forbes to Huldah W. Burt. 1
The description in these deeds established the fact that Dr. West lived in this house, which he owned after 1785, and he used and occupied the land north of his house, which was owned by the First Church, from 1743 to 1813, and designated as the Parish Lots and were kept for the minister's use.
The house has been considerably modernized in later years.
HARRINGTON HOUSE.
This house is located on the northwest corner of the cross roads known as Lunds corner.
The land was originally owned, wholly or in part, by George Babcock.
1736. George Babcock to Richard Peirce, whose wife was the daughter of Samuel Hunt.
1757. Richard Peirce had died and his wife, Mercy, had married Samuel Dunbar and they conveyed this land to Israel Cheever.
1761. Israel Cheever to William Kempton.
1825. William Kempton to Alexander Waggoner.
1841. Heirs of Alexander Waggoner to Augustus Harrington, whose descendants have been the owners since.
It has been erroneously stated that this house was the residence of Rev. Samuel Hunt. Hunt never owned the Harrington property, and there is no evidence that he ever lived there. Richard Peirce above named, who married Hunt's daughter, Mercy, was the second minister over the First church, and the above named Israel Cheever was the third minister of the same church. It will also be remembered that Hunt's homestead was located about 700 feet northwest of the Harrington house. These facts would easily become confused and give rise to the tradition that Samuel Hunt, the first minister of the First church, owned and occupied the same house as Peirce or Cheever. This has been the residence for several years of J. Frank Weeks, M. D., whose wife is a granddaughter of Augustus Harrington.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
JONATHAN SWIFT HOUSE. Built Before 1799.
The JJonathan Swift house is located on the north side of the road in Acushnet village, between Lunds corner and the post office. The land was conveyed by Jireh Swift to his son Jonathan, who built the house about 1800. He left it by will to his sister Nancy; the wife of Captain Loum Snow. . In 1871 she conveyed the property to Susan W. Snow. Subsequent owners have been heirs of Susan Snow; then John Little and now Susan, widow of John Little.
THE POPE TAVERN.
On the east side of the bridge on the south side of the road from the river to a brook which extends through the homestead of the late . Rodolphus N. Swift is a triangle comprising about four acres on which are nine buildings, all of which have an eventful history. The entire tract in 1738 belonged to Stephen West, Jr., whose wife was the only
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