USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Acushnet > History of the Town of Acushnet, Bristol County, State of Massachusetts > Part 4
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child of Samuel Jenney. This triangle was successively owned by Daniel Spooner, Ephraim Keith, Paul Mendell, John Crandon, "shop keeper," and in 1801 was owned by a descendant named John Crandon. Begin- ning with that date the front on the road began to be divided into lots and occupied by separate buildings.
The square building on the river was built about 1810 by Amos Pratt.
The building next east was originally a dwelling house and was probably built about 1813.
The third building was a dwelling house built by William Kempton between 1811 and 1819; was later occupied by Captain Worth Pope, and from 1820 to 1847 was a tavern or road house. This house came into possession of John R. Davis. Here he resided till his decease in 1888 and his widow till her death in 1904. This and the two buildings above mentioned are now owned by Thomas Hersom, Sr., who remodeled them in 1906.
See cut of the houses on a subsequent page.
The house next east is of recent construction, having taken the place of the dwelling house that was burned in 1847.
The house now owned by Walter R. Spooner and at one time occupied by Squire Cyrus E. Clark in which he conducted the post office, was probably the homestead of Amos Pratt, and built by him about 1810.
The house now owned by Thomas Hersom has been considerably re- modelled and was probably built by Silas Stetson about 1817.
The building now used as a town house was originally the schoolhouse of district No. 4 of Fairhaven, and was built in 1847.
The narrow dwelling house next east was wholly or in part the office building of Judge Nathaniel S. Spooner, who built the structure in 1823.
The parsonage property devised to the Methodist society by Edward Dillingham was originally occupied by a house which was recently re- moved and on the site of which the present house was built.
GREENWOOD HOUSE. Built about 1750.
This is situated on the east side of the Long Plain road, and about an eighth of a mile north of the Perry Hill road. The land was laid out in 1714 to William Allen.
1747. William Allen conveyed it to James Dexter.
1763. James Dexter conveyed it to Benjamin Terry.
1781. Benjamin Terry conveyed it to his son, Thomas Terry.
1826. Elias Terry to Isaac Vincent who devised the same to John M: Vincent, and in 1894 John M. Vincent sold it to John Greenwood. It seems probable that the original part was built by James Dexter after 1747, and the remainder by Benjamin Terry after the Revolutionary War.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
REUBEN MASON HOUSE. Built about 1736.
This honse is located a short distance north of Long Plain, on the east side of the road formerly called the Highway to Boston.
The land was laid out in 1712 to James Samson, Jr., who in 1717 conveyed it to Nathan Simmons. It descended in 1721 to the heirs of the latter who were brothers and sisters. After a division, Keziah Sim- mons, Sarah Walker, and Elizabeth and Stephen Wing, living in 1736, conveyed to Joseph Cook and he built this honse shortly after.
1793. Joseph Cook, Jr., conveyed the house and land to Ephraim Simmons. His daughter Amy married Samuel Tripp and their daughter's son conveyed to Ansel White.
1854. Ansel White to Lucy Ann Mason, the owner in 1904.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer. 1136511
JUDGE SPOONER HOUSE. Built about 1794.
Nathaniel S. Spooner was judge of the police court of New Bedford and attorney at law. When he died he left a considerable fortune. The basis of his will was the property left to him by Samuel Sprague, in whose footsteps he closely followed. Judge Spooner was a careful business adviser, settled estates, loaned money, and was highly respected in the community. His house shown in the above picture is on the east side of the Acushnet river, just over the bridge. Until the year 1903 his mill stood in the southwest corner of his house lot at the corner of the road and the river. A short distance east of the house, and on the op- posite side of the road next east of the town house, is a narrow building which has been enlarged, and is next to the Methodist parsonage. The original part of the building was Judge Spooner's office.
At his decease Judge Spooner left all his property to his daughter, Miss Martha Spooner, and she left the same to various organizations and provided funds to build the Congregational parsonage and chapel near
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Lunds corner. The land on which the house stands was a part of the mill lot set off in 1711. John Wing, Jr., purchased it in 1794 from Simpson Hart and about that time the house was built.
1817. Edward Wing sold it to Nathaniel S. Spooner.
EBENEZER KEENE HOUSE. Built about 1740.
Located on the west side of the Keene road near the Freetown line. The land was set off to James Sampson and by several transfers in 1740 was purchased by Ebenezer Keene. This house was probably built about this time. The farm remained in the Keene family until 1846, when it was sold to James Gracia.
1848. James Gracia to William M. Scott.
1861. William M. Scott to Adeline Silvey.
1866. Adeline Silvey to Sturtevant and Sherman of New Bedford.
1867. Sturtevant and Sherman to Nicholas Hall.
1869. Nicholas HIall to Betsey W. Harvey.
1873. Betsey W. Harvey to Drucilla R. Wilbur.
1898. Drucilla R. Wilbur to Michael Frank, the owner in 1905.
The interior construction strongly resembles that of the William White house, has summer, but the corner posts without brackets, chimney built of brick and large stone mixed. House faces the east.
JAMES CUSHMAN HOUSE. Built about 1732.
Located on the east side of the road between Acushnet village and Long Plain, and is the second house north of the corner on which is located the Friends' Meeting cemetery.
The land was part of the John Spooner homestead, and in 1728 was devised to his son, Barnabas Spooner.
1732. Barnabas Spooner to James Cushman.
1796. Division of estate of James Cushman, in which this land went to son James.
1796. James Cushman to Elisha Cushman.
1800. Elisha Cushman to William Smith.
1818. Smith to Zaccheus Cushman.
1821. Cushman to John R. Davis, and by inheritance to his son, John R.
1852. Davis to son James Davis.
1868. Davis to Daniel Thornton.
1883. Thornton to George W. Gibbs.
1883. Gibbs to Lizzietta Ashley, the present owner.
The house is of the same type as that occupied by Daniel Summerton, and was probably built by James Cushman about 1732.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
JENNEY-MORSE HOUSE. Built previous to 1725.
This house is located on the north side of the Middle Long Plain road about two miles north of the bridge, in the vicinity of the Deep Brook saw mill.
The water privilege at Deep Brook from early times has been one of the most important in the old town. It was first utilized by Samuel Jenney, to whom a large area of land was set off in 1711.
In some way all of Samuel Jenney's property at his death became vested in Stephen West, Jr., and with it the forge, water privilege, mills, etc.
1738. Stephen West, Jr. to James Fuller, a bloomer, a small tract of land on which the latter started the bloomery or forge.
1743. Stephen West, Jr., to Stephen Taber, 160 acres near the forge.
The Taber family operated the mill until 1764, when they sold the forge and mill to other parties, retaining possession of the house.
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1829. Tabers to Godfrey C. Macomber.
1861. Macomber to Charles M. Morse, and the property in 1904 is owned by C. M. Morse, Jr.
The house is located 250 yards north of the road on an eminence, faces south, and presents a very fine appearance. The roof is somewhat hidden by trees, but it is a "lean-to" of a late period. It was magnifi- cently built by a man of wealth. The chimney is constructed of brick of small size. Summers upstairs and down, running from end to the chimney. Corner-posts bracketed at top. All timbers have rounded edges and beaded. The indication is that the house was built previous to 1725 by either Samuel Jenney or his successor, Stephen West, Jr.
SPOONER-ASHLEY HOUSE. Built prior to 1725.
This house is located on the north side of the Middle road, between the Head of the Acushnet river to Long Plain, about one-fourth of a mile east of the saw mill on the stream formerly called Deep Brook.
1714. Land set off to John Spooner.
1730. John Spooner to son Nathan, where the latter lives, and all land west of the river at Deep Brook.
1745. Nathan Spooner to Jonathan, 52 acres.
1761. Jonathan Spooner to Elnathan Tobey.
1777. Elnathan Tobey to William Tallman. -
1795. William Tallman to Job Earle and Jonathan Potter. Earle and Potter divided and Earle took the east part and Potter the west, . with the house.
Potter by inheritance to son Daniel.
1841. Daniel Potter to Marcus T. C. Ashley. M. T. C. Ashley to Loring Ashley, the owner in 1904.
The house stands on a hill some distance north of the road and faces south at a slight angle with the road. In the east room down stairs is a summer parallel to the end of the house. As far as observed, the corner posts were not bracketed. A singular condition was noticed in the north and south plates. Mortises were cut into the upper part as though sometime intending to take a beam such as is usually seen in large barns at the inner and upper edge of the mow. This would lead to the inference that these beams had sometime been part of the frame of a barn. The rafters are of pine, but all other timbers are of oak. In the chimney is a considerable quantity of small sized brick.
There exists a tradition that this house was once injured by lightning, necessitating the rebuilding of the structure. The presence of the sum- mer would indicate an origin prior to 1725, and there seems to be no doubt that the east part of the house, at least, if not the whole, was constructed by John Spooner before he sold the farm to his son Nathan.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo by Fred. W. Palmer.
SPOONER-BRADFORD HOUSE. Built probably before 1775.
This house, owned by Philip A. Bradford, is located on the north side of the road leading from Acushnet to Mattapoisett, about one-half of a mile east of the Friends' meeting house.
This land was owned in 1729 by William Spooner, who devised this part of his homestead to his son Nathaniel.
1750. Nathaniel Spooner conveys 80 acres to Isaac Spooner.
1791. Isaac Spooner to his son Jeremiah, the west part of the farm, including his house.
1814. Heirs of Jeremiah Spooner to Oliver Bradford, the father of Philip A. Bradford, the present owner.
This house has been the subject of considerable alteration. Rooms have been added and partitions changed until it is difficult to determine which parts belonged to the original house, but it seemed probable that it may have been a small structure later changed to a five-roomed house. The chimney is built of stone, but is not of the Rhode Island type, but seems to have been rather of the ordinary shape, in which stone was used instead of brick as a matter of economy or convenience. It seems probable that the house was built by Nathaniel Spooner pre- vious to the Revolution.
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!
Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo by Fred W. Palmer.
CAPTAIN HUMPHREY HATHAWAY (Alice Roosevelt) HOUSE.
Residents of Acushnet now point to the Haskell house near the post office as the home of a White House bride's grandparents. During the early part of the last century, Alice Hathaway Haskell, grandmother of Mrs. Alice Roosevelt Longworth's mother, lived in the pleasant home at the Head of the River, the property having descended to her from her father, Humphrey Hathaway, who erected it. The building is a double house of the style very popular in this section for thirty years before 1820. It remained in the possession of the Haskell family until 1881, when it was purchased by Jonathan Bourne and his heirs, and in 1890 it was transferred to James B. Hamlin of Acushnet.
Miss Alice Lee, who was the first wife of Theodore Roosevelt, at- tended the funeral of her grandfather, Elisha Haskell, which was held in the old Hathaway-IIaskell house, and Alice Roosevelt's father, Presi- dent Roosevelt, came with her.
The three acre lot on the south side of the road between the river and premises of George A. Cobb on which the house is situated, was set off in 1711 to Samuel Joy, blacksmith. In the northeast corner he built a house and in 1722 conveyed land and house to Nathaniel Blackwell. In 1794 the property was purchased from the Blackwell heirs by Hum- phrey Hathaway, and he then removed or demolished the Joy home- stead and erected the present building.
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The house on the northwest corner of Elm and Purchase streets was the "town" residence of Humphrey Hathaway and his oil works were at the corner of School and Fourth streets.
THE POST OFFICE BUILDING
Is located at Swift's corner, west of the village bridge-the northwest corner. The tract was a part of the mill lot set off to persons as com- pensation for undertaking to build a mill. In 1770 it became the property of Jacob Taber.
1780. Jacob Taber conveyed the property to Jireh Swift.
1789. Jireh Swift conveyed the same to Jonathan Swift.
1802. Jireh Swift sold to Jonathan Swift all the land between his house and shop. The house is the dwelling standing fifty feet west of the post office building, consequently in 1802 this corner store had been built by Jonathan Swift. Jireh Swift sold the store on the corner to Charles H. Kenyon and it is now the property of his widow, Abbie Kenyon.
See a cut of the post office building on another page.
WILLIAM WHITE HOUSE.
Located on the farm which extends southward from the Freetown line and lies about half a mile east of the county road leading from Acushnet to East Freetown. The farm is approached by means of wood roads not quite impassible.
This farm was laid out in 1741 to Joseph Lake and Jonathan Butts, who immediately sold the same to William White, a descendant of Peregrine. It remained in the White family until 1851, when Ansel White sold the farm to Calvin Harvey. It was later owned by Charles Nestell.
The house faces south and, except as it has been kept in repair, has remained unchanged since it was built by William White. The south- east room has a summer and corner-posts, slightly bracketed, thus in- dicating that among the residents of Freetown, where the Whites lived, these features had not been abandoned.
It is said that, while owned by the Harveys, the house was a great social centre; one of the sons played the violin and conducted neighbor- hood dances, and many couples in the locality thought it desirable to be married at the house.
The chimney is built of field stone up to the roof and the brick stack was constructed later.
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I
Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
SAMUEL SPRAGUE HOUSE. Built about 1731.
This house is located on the east side of the road to Long Plain and about three-quarters of a mile north of the .Perry Hill, Rochester road, and in 1904 was owned by C. T. Hersey.
The land on which this house is situated was laid out to William Allen.
1747. William Allen to James Dexter.
1763. James Dexter to Benjamin Terry.
1781. Benjamin Terry to Joshua Sherman and James Foster.
1785. Sherman and Foster to Samuel Sprague.
Squire Sprague was one of the most important men in local affairs of his day. He was justice of the peace, representative to the general court, acted as business adviser, loaned money on mortgages and other- wise, and at his death in 1825 had accumulated a considerable fortune for that period. Ecclesiastically he seems to have affiliated with Dr. West's church at Acushnet. The most of his estate was given by will to Nathaniel S. Spooner of Acushnet who followed strictly in the foot- steps of his benefactor.
1846. Nathaniel S. Spooner to Ellis Mandell.
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1846. Ellis Mandell to Captain Jacob Taber, whose daughters married John S. Perry and Horace Lawton, both of New Bedford.
When Captain Taber bought this place he moved the house about 250 yards north of its original location and on the site built a new house. In the removal the old stone chimney was pulled down and the present, much smaller, was built. The house is a wide and large gambrel-roof, 38 feet long and 32 wide.
The irregular position of the windows at the end suggests an ancient construction and it was probably built by William Allen about 1720.
P
Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
WALTER SPOONER HOUSE. Built about 1743.
Located on the west side of the road, north of Long Plain, next to the northernmost house in Acushnet. The land in 1733 was conveyed by Seth Hathaway to Seth Spooner, who in 1743 sold it to Walter Spooner, and it has been owned by his descendants since that time.
The house was built at three different periods, the oldest being the part comprising the ell, and was probably built by Seth Spooner before 1743, but has been considerably altered in recent years.
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
STEPHEN HATHAWAY HOUSE. Built in 1725.
This house is located on the east side of the road leading from Dahls corner to Acushnet, and about a quarter of a mile north of the line between Acushnet and Fairhaven, and immediately north of the resi- dence of Captain Franklyn Howland.
Thomas Hathaway owned a farm half a mile wide, north and south, extending from the Acushnet river east nearly two miles and com- prising over 600 acres. He was a son of Arthur Hathaway, who married one of the daughters of John Cook, and it was from the latter that Arthur Hathaway obtained his extensive landed interests in Dartmouth, which descended to his three .sons, Thomas, John and Jonathan.
In 1737 Thomas conveyed the north third of his farm to his son Antipas, and in 1740 he conveyed the middle section to his son Jethro, and the south third to his son Thomas.
1792. Jethro Hathaway to his son Stephen his homestead.
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1826. Stephen Hathaway devises his real estate to six daughters, Mary Taber, Hannah Nye, Rebecca Dillingham, Abigail Howland, Eliza- beth Swift and Sylvia Nye.
1838. Heirs of these devisees to Leonard Macomber.
1839. Leonard Macomber to Francis D. Williams.
1844. F. D. Williams to Jireh Swift and Gideon Nye the part east of the road.
In 1904 the land whereon this house is located was owned by a Mrs. Edward E. Chase.
This house faces south and end to the road, and in that way suggests the possible ancient origin. In both first and second stories there are heavy summers, running parallel to the end of the house; the corner- posts are heavy and bracketed at the top. The edges of all timbers are chamfered; the woodwork throughout the house elaborate and finely finished. The massive chimney provides a fireplace in every room.
Some very significant facts have been discovered that assist, in connection with the features of construction, in determining the age of this house. Thomas Hathaway was clerk of the Dartmouth proprietary, and in December, 1725, the records show that the proprietor's book "in and with the house of the clerk" were destroyed by fire. Although not named there is sufficient evidence to establish the fact that Thomas Hathaway was the clerk, and therefore the fact is unquestioned that on that date his house was destroyed. Presumably he built a new house as soon as possible, unless it may be discovered that he had already commenced a new house when the old one was burned. Being a man of wealth he could afford as fine a house as could be planned by colonial builders. All the foregoing facts lead to the conclusion that the Stephen Hathaway house was the one which was built by Thomas just before or after the old one was destroyed. Thomas Hathaway, Sr., married Hephzibah, the daughter of the "Great Mary Starbuck" of Nantucket.
LEONARD BOAT HOUSE.
This dilapidated structure, once a dwelling house, is located on the south side of the Middle road to Long Plain, a short distance west of the Acushnet river. Shortly after the Revolutionary War the land was in the possession of Thomas Severance, and in 1825 he conveyed it to Jabez Taber, who held it until 1864, when he sold it to Abraham Ashley; 1864, George T. and Allen Russell; 1869, John C. Peckham; 1872, Ebenezer F. and Charles F. Leonard.
The house was built at two periods, the south end being the older and probably erected by Thomas Severance about 1780, and the other end after 1810.
·
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Courtesy of New Bedford Mercury.
Photo. by Fred W. Palmer.
SUMMERTON HOUSE. Built about 1712.
The house now owned by the Russell family is located east of the bridge and next east of the site of the Methodist church. It is the oldest gambrel-roof in Old Dartmouth and so far as known in this part of Massachusetts.
The land on which it stands in 1710 belonged to Samuel Jenney.
1711. Samuel Jenney to Samuel Hunt, 12 pounds.
1719. Samuel Ilunt to Joseph Clark, land and "housing," 280 pounds.
1723. Joseph Clark to Isaac Nye, 150 pounds ..
1730. Isaac Nye to Bartholomew West, 250 pounds.
1755. Bartholomew West to Daniel Summerton, "where latter lives," 100 pounds.
1814. Daniel Summerton to Humphrey Hathaway.
Humphrey Hathaway was ancestor of Horatio and Francis Hathaway, late of New Bedford. Now owned by heirs of George T. Russell, Sr.
The house is located end to the street and fronting east and looks to- wards the top of the hill on which was built about 1710 the meeting house of the First church. The over-hanged cornice and massive chimney of the house and the irregular position of windows in the end, together with the proportion of measurements of the different dimensions, mark the
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dwelling as belonging to the earliest variety of the gambrel-roof style.
There seems to be no doubt that this identical house was in existence in 1755 when it was purchased by Summerton. The peculiarities of con- struction and the significance of the price paid by different purchasers lead to the conclusion that it was built by Rev. Samuel Hunt at about the time when he purchased the land. About this date the young minister had married Hannah, the daughter of Captain Seth Pope, the wealthiest and most influential Puritan then living in the town, and it seems prob- able that this house was built for their first minister according to what was then the most modern type of house.
In 1716 Mr. Hunt received from his father-in-law a deed of 100 acres on the west side of the river, the house on which was located where in later years has been the residence of Simeon Hawes and near his ice houses just west of the Congregational church. To this new residence the minister moved and he disposed of the smaller place on the east side of the river. He lived and died in his second homestead. It has been erroneously inferred that Mr. Hunt occupied the Harrington house, now the residence of Dr. Weeks. This mistake probably owns its origin to the fact that Rev. Richard Peirce and Rev. Israel Cheever, the second and third ministers of the First church, owned and occupied this house and Hunt's house was in the same neighborhood. But by the records the latter house is located north of the road over 600 feet, which fixes its position and distinguishes it from the other, which is within 100 feet from the street line.
THE THOMAS WOOD HOUSE. Built before the year 1700.
The Thomas Wood house was built by Capt. Thomas Taber, accord- ing to tradition about 1680. It was located several hundred feet east of the Long Plain road, on the spot now occupied by the barn of Moses S. Douglass. This house and the mill near by were in the south part of the Thomas Taber farm. The large tract of land on which it stands was originally laid out for Capt. Thomas Taber, as a homestead for his two sons, John and Joseph. In a division which was made later, Joseph took the north portion. The south part of the farm went to John Taber and in 1750 he divided it into three parts, conveying the south third to son Amaziah. The latter devised the farm to his grandson, Thomas Wood, and in 1874 it was sold by the administrator of the latter to Moses S. Douglass. The house burned down about 1869. From the appearance given in the picture it was a typical Rhode Island stone end house of the period of the King Philip War, 1676, and it had the usual stone chimney. It was probably built very soon after the Indian War.
See a cut of this house on another page.
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WIND MILLS An interesting structure of this period, one of incalculable value to the inhabitants and a picturesque feature in every landscape where it stood, was the wind mill, with its immense arms and sails of canvas attached to a round or octagonal turreted building. At the first appearance of this object the Indians were filled with wonder and consternation. They looked upon them with alarm when in motion, believing that some spirits unknown to them were the propelling power. One of these stood on the highland southwest of Parting Ways and others elsewhere in town. In Fairhaven there was one at Oxford village on Dolly Hill, so called, near the northwest corner of North and Main streets; another in the vicinity of the present pumping station, and the one of which a cut is given below, stood on the granite ledge near Fort Phoenix.
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