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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 03000 0027
Gc 974.102 Au4be Beck, Joseph T. Historical notes on Augusta, Maine
7
HISTORICAL NOTES
on Augusta, Maine
By JOSEPH T. BECK Member, Maine Historical Society
GIEN
FULLER'S OBSERVATORY,
Height 162 feet. AUGUSTA, MAINE.
F. H. BURGESS, Photographer.
HISTORICAL NOTES
on Augusta, Maine
By JOSEPH T. BECK Member, Maine Historical Society
THE KNOWLTON & MCLEARY CO., PRINTERS FARMINGTON, MAINE
1962
Copyright, 1962 by ALICE M. BECK
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
PREFACE
On the last day of December in the year 1895 high winds swept over the city of Augusta. At the top of Winthrop Street to the right a short distance an observation tower which had been built on Fuller's Ledge came crashing down. During the past four years a view for over five miles had been enjoyed by hundreds of people. The tower was a favorite Sunday excursion when walk- ing was not one of the "lost arts". From longer distances it was a leisurely drive with horse and buggy and from old photographs it was evident that the family dog went along.
Looking eastward from this tower a panoramic view of the streets lined with elm trees, the dignified old homes and the lofty spires of the churches of the city could be seen. In the following "Notes " many of these homes are mentioned, together with those who lived in them, and their activities and accomplishments. This will serve to link the past with the present and the names of those prominent in bygone days who had so much to do, not only with the city's progress, but that of the State and nation, will not be forgotten.
December 31, 1961
Joseph T. Beck
Historical Notes on Augusta By Joseph T. Beck
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Winthrop Street from Maine Central Railroad to Cemeteries. North Side, pages 1 to 16 South Side, pages 17 to 34
Western Avenue from Grove Street junction to Farnum Residence. North Side, pages 35 to 44 South Side, pages 45 to 50
Elm Street from Bridge Street to Winthrop Street. West Side, pages 51 to 57 East Side, pages 58 to 62
Summer Street from Bridge Street to Winthrop Street. West Side, pages 63 to 68 East Side, pages 69 to 73
Pleasant Street from Bridge Street to Winthrop Street. West Side, pages 74 to 76 East Side, page 77
State Street from Bridge Street to the State Capitol and State Park. West Side, pages 78 to 102 East Side, pages 103 to 118
Green Street from Hartford Square to No. 81 and No. 78 Green Street. North Side, pages 119 to 128 South Side, pages 129 to 139
Bibliography
Pages 140 and 141
18 Elm Street Augusta, Maine December 31, 1960
Winthrop Street - North Side
Number 7 Salvation Army, Corner of Winthrop and Dickman Streets.
This hall and living quarters were remodeled from the old Morton home and the Henry Bailey house, adjacent on the west side. Peleg Morton, carpenter, built the house after the Civil War. He was the grandfather of Arthur Morton, druggist of Augusta, whose father was Redington Morton. The Morton family made their home here until after the First World War, when it was ac- quired by the Salvation Army. Henry Bailey was a photographer, who besides taking family portraits found time to make many local views which have been printed in the Kennebec Journal from time to time. It is believed that the Kennebec Journal office once stood on this spot. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1865, which swept Water Street from Market Square to Bridge Street. The map of 1838 shows a street called Dudley from Winthrop to Court Street.
No. 13 Residence of Romeo Grondin.
This old house is listed as the Mahoney home in 1875. It fell into disrepair and was renovated by Warren Malcolm after the First World War. This area was the site of a tannery in 1838. It was operated by James Child, born in 1732. As a young man he lived in Hallowell and was the partner of Ashael Wyman in the fur trade. He went to Boston to renew his stock, was shipwrecked and the stock lost. To complete his misfortune he returned to find that his partner had absconded. He learned the tanning trade, built a house and tannery, was very successful and left when he died in 1840, $36,000.
No. 19. Residence of Mrs. William H. Tompkins and Winifred Jackson.
This old house was bought by Otis Whitney in 1851 from the Child estate and is believed to have been built soon after the turn of the century. It was sold by Sarah C. Whitney to Cora Tompkins in 1900 and occupied by various families among them being Fred W. Lee and Harriet A. Lee, widow of Merrill T. Lee, in 1906. Mr.
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Jackson, now deceased, was the co-owner of the Augusta Electro- Type Company. His wife, Maude, is a descendant of the General Cony family. Mrs. Tompkins, a widow, is the oldest living inhabitant of Augusta. She was one hundred years of age November 1, 1958. She is now (1960) in excellent possession of her faculties and as one friend put it " spry as a cat."
No. 25 Apartment House.
This place, well set back from the street, is shown on the 1875 map. It was for a time the home of Fred W. Spencer, who kept a livery stable on Winthrop Court. In the 1930's it was the home of William F. O'Brien, who conducted a barber shop for many years. On the front of the lot there stood a house built by James Flagg, which is shown on the 1838 map. The Flagg family was of very ancient lineage and is outlined in great detail in North's History of Augusta. Greenwood Flagg, the son of James, was born in 1847 and lived in the crumbling old house for years. He was a meat cutter in one of the Water Street grocery stores. It is said that he died before the first World War and that the house was torn down.
No. 29 Residence of Mrs. Clarice Leonard.
The house is shown on the 1838 map. In 1875 it was the home of H. S. Osgood, Eastern Express Agent. Afterwards it was the home of Marilla Hall, widow of Arthur Hall, superintendent of the City Farm. In 1884 Charles A. Hall is shown living here. He started as a bookkeeper in Vickery and Hill's and rose to be a superintendent before his death. Dr. John Anderson, a dentist, lived here for a number of years. Mrs. Anderson will be remembered as a church choir soloist. His brother, Dr. Ernest Anderson, practiced dentistry in Augusta, in later years removed to Richmond.
No. 31 Apartment House, Corner Winthrop Court.
This house is shown on the 1838 map as the property of Dr. Mclellan. In 1867 Mrs. David Folsom is shown; her husband was City Physician in 1857. Afterwards it was the home of Mrs. Folsom and Julia Folsom, who was a clerk in the Court House. In 1906 it was listed as the home of Daniel Sewall, who it is said was a civil engineer and invented the Sewall Car Heater, widely used on rail- road coaches. His daughter, Hulda, lived with him. After his death she married Frank E. Mace, prominent Democrat and one time Forest
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Commissioner and lumber dealer. The couple lived here for some time.
No. 45 Young Men's Christian Association Building, Corner State Street.
This brick building, the gift of the Governor Hill family, was erected in 1914. On this site was the original Kennebec Gaol, which was a wooden building, not very secure, constructed in 1793. Small apertures were cut in the walls to admit light and air. Through one of these a man from Winthrop who was confined for stealing a watch, once escaped. He enlarged the opening with a jackknife, then stripped naked, but so tight was the squeeze that he left some of his skin on the timber sides of the opening. He was not heard of afterwards. In 1808 the jail was set afire and an attempt made to liberate the prisoners, but they were mustered out and spent the night in the Artemas Libby house, now the residence of Thomas Buckley, 62 State Street. It was found that the jail was set afire by one of the inmates, Captain Edward Jones. In 1808 a stone jail was built on the same spot. On the Winthrop Court side of the lot was an old building, Waverly Hall, once the Town House which stood on the corner of Elm and Winthrop Streets where the Insurance Building now stands. The Town House was constructed of materials used in the Meeting House in Market Square, erected about 1780. It was first occupied as a town house in 1811 and continued to be used as such until it was sold and moved across the street and used for commercial purposes. It is shown as the Town House on the 1838 map. On the 1852 map it was located on the corner of Win- throp and Elm where the Merrill house now is. By the time of the Civil War it had been moved to the Y.M.C.A. lot. It was the scene of many gatherings, a Civil War hospital, a dance hall, a laundry, a paint shop and the first office of the Vickery and Hill Publishing house. Finally it was a dilapidated old store house for a local up- holsterer and regardless of its famous history people thought the splendid new Y.M.C.A. building a welcome change. Facing Win- throp Street in front of the old building was a small building, oc- cupied as a florist's shop. In 1914 this was moved down State Street, across the Grove Street intersection, past the State House to a point on the east side of State Street where it was used for a garage. On the State Street corner stood an old brick residence remodeled from the old jail which for many years was the home of Ai Staples and which was removed in 1914.
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Coming back to the old stone gaol there were many stories told of the brutality inflicted upon the prisoners for divers offenses. In the early part of the 19th century, people were imprisoned for debt and stayed there until their debts were paid. Thieves could be punished, if the jury so prescribed, by a fine of a hundred pounds or thirty-nine stripes or if the person convicted could not pay, he could be bound out to some person that the owner of the stolen goods should designate. Under this law Timothy Hill, a deaf and dumb man, was sentenced after stealing a considerable amount of goods, to be set upon the gallows with a rope around his neck and then to be severely whipped fifteen stripes and in default of the pay- ment for the theft, to be sold into service to any person whatsoever for two years. This kind of punishment was also inflicted on Samuel Uling in June, 1805, and others.
It was from this stone jail that Joseph L. Sager of Gardiner was led to the scaffold on a wintry day, January 2, 1835. He was con- victed of murdering his wife by arsenic. A gallows was erected on Winthrop Street near the southeast corner of the jail. A piece of the gallows is said to be in the Fort Western Museum. A crowd, estimated to be in the thousands, packed the streets radiating from the jail, awaiting the hanging. When the time came, Sheriff George W. Stanley cut the rope and the drop fell. It was said that after Sager was pronounced dead, his body was carried to Hallowell, and that attempts were made to restore his life by galvanism. It has been further stated that his body was buried on a pond near Win- throp. A rather macabre version of Sager's last hour was related to the writer by an old resident. It seems that Sager was playing cards with the Sheriff, who looked out the window and exclaimed, " There are a thousand people out there getting their death of cold waiting for you to be hanged. Why don't you be a good fellow and get out there and have it over with?"
State Street crosses. . .
Lithgow Library and Reading Room.
This fine stone building was dedicated on the 14th day of June 1894 with Masonic ceremonies. The Lithgow Library was the out- come of a fund raised by a number of public spirited citizens and a gift from Andrew Carnegie. Llewellyn W. Lithgow of Augusta, who had long been interested in building a library, willed the Augusta Literary and Library Association $20,000. For many years the As-
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sociation had rooms on Water Street, which were presided over by Miss Julia A. Clapp from November 4, 1876, and she was chosen Librarian of the new Library, which she held until her death in 1935. She will be remembered by the older generation for her efficiency and strict supervision of the younger generation. Miss Ruth Briggs is the present Librarian and Miss Eleanor Beane the Children's Li- brarian. The architect for the building was Joseph L. Neale, a cele- brated designer in the nineties. A complete description of the Library, its history, names of the contributors and photographs and autographs of the trustees at the time and architectural features is contained in a book called " The Lithgow Library and Reading Room ", published by the Maine Farmers Press in 1897. Recently the manuscript of the book in the handwriting of Captain Charles Nash, journalist and historian, was found by the writer. The formal opening of the Li- brary was on January 27, 1896. The site of the Library was occupied by a famous old tavern, the Cushnoc House, which stood on the corner of Winthrop and State Streets. It was built by Amos Par- tridge for a store and dwelling in 1803 and afterwards remodeled into a tavern. Pitt Dillingham, Selectman from 1813 to 1817, Deputy Sheriff and father of eleven children, was one of the landlords. It burned in 1892 and for several years there remained a livery stable on the west end of the lot.
Pleasant Street begins. . . .
No. 57 St. Mark's Home for Elderly Women.
This old mansion is shown on the 1838 map as the home of Dr. I. Snell. It was purchased from the Snell estate by Allen Lam- bard in 1870 to be used as a " Home for Aged and Indigent Women ", under the management of St. Mark's Church. Allen Lambard was born in Hallowell in 1796, the son of Barnabas Lambard, a carpenter, and Dorothy Ballard, daughter of Ephraim Ballard, early settler. He was the proprietor of a distillery on the east side of the river, but when this business became unpopular because of temperance reform he changed the works into a foundry and car shop. Afterwards he went to Sacramento, California and built a large flour mill and returned with a fortune. Ultimately he sold the mill to General Alfred Redington, the first Mayor of Augusta. He also founded St. Catherine's School for Girls which was located in what is now the wooden part of the Augusta General Hospital. This mansion was built by General Redington for a home and is shown on the
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1838 map. Dr. Issachar Snell, who lived in the house for twenty years, was a famous surgeon. He was born in 1775 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and came to Augusta in 1805. The next year he went to Winthrop where he practiced for twenty years, after which he returned to Augusta. At the age of 74 years, Dr. Snell was in- stantly killed by the overturning of his sulky as he was riding through the village.
No. 61 Residence of Dr. M. T. Shelton.
This large, old time mansion with ornate trimmings is shown on the 1838 map with the name "Wing". It was the home of Joseph Baker, well known Augusta lawyer, for many years. He grad- uated from Bowdoin in 1836, studied law with Vose and Lancaster and became a partner of Lancaster and Baker. Sewall Lancaster was the father of Judge Stephen Lancaster who married Mary Woart, the daughter of William Woart, Augusta attorney. Their children were: William Woart, Lucy W., Stephanie, Margaret and Edward Sewall. The Lancaster family occupied the premises at No. 24 South Chestnut Street for over 120 years, Sewall Lancaster being shown as the resident in 1838. Joseph Baker was Editor of the Kennebec Journal in 1854, later was County Attorney. He died in 1883. His son, Orville Dewey, was born in 1847 and was a graduate of Bowdoin and Harvard Law School. He was State Attorney General and was noted for his oratorical ability and was much in demand at patriotic gatherings and college commencements. A book containing many of his addresses was privately printed after his death in 1908. They show his broad knowledge of the traditional classical education. After his demise the old mansion was occupied by Edwin C. Dudley, one time local banker, and his wife Harriet, who was a relative of the Bakers. Mrs. Dudley was a member of the State Hospital Board for several years. After their passing the place was acquired by Dr. and Mrs. M. T. Shelton in 1936.
Summer Street begins. . . .
No. 67 Winthrop Street Universalist Church. Reverend Douglas H. Robbins, Pastor.
This edifice was built in 1868. It is said to be of the Romanesque style of architecture and had originally a steeple one hundred feet in height which was taken down after the First World War. The church cost, with organ and bell, $36,000 raised by subscription.
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The pastor, Reverend C. R. Moore, contributed $1,000 and another member gave $2,500, the fourth part of his property. By 1870 it was entirely paid for. From time to time the building has been remodeled and repaired. The famous Ballard Memorial Window, depicting the "Last Supper", was placed in 1910, replacing a paint- ing on the wall by Schumacher, a copy of Raphael's Ascension. By the will of Mrs. Gracie Drummond a large sum was left to the parish, making possible extensive renovation. By a bequest of Mrs. Edgar Hussey it was feasible to replace the original pipe organ, which was in need of extensive repair, with a modern electric one, said to be the largest of its type in Maine. The first Universalist Church was built in 1835 on the corner of Chapel and Court Streets. The build- ing is now an apartment house. Rev. William A. Drew, editor and publisher of the Gospel Banner, was the first minister. The Banner was a religious newspaper founded in 1835 and advocated the doc- trine of "Universal salvation". Some copies are in the Lithgow Library.
No. 71 Apartment House.
This house was the home of Charles B. Morton, one time member of Plaisted and Morton, which published the "New Age", a Demo- cratic weekly newspaper. Mr. Morton was subsequently in the U. S. Consular Service and after his death the house was occupied by his daughter, Miss Mabel.
No. 75 Residence of Leroy Merrill.
This bungalow was built by Stanley Patten before World War One. After the death of his widow it was occupied by the daughter, Ashley, and John Gould, her guardian, well known in Augusta bank- ing circles. It finally came into the possession of the Lathbury family who sold it to the present owner. The house is a perfect example of the bungalow era, painted brown with dark interior finish. It was on the site of the Town House after it was moved from its original location where the insurance company now is. After the Town House was moved, a small store kept by the Misses Noble, where notions and small gifts could be bought, stood on the lot.
Elm Street begins. . . .
No. 77 Metropolitan Insurance Company Office Building.
This building occupies the site of the famous Anthony House, built by Joseph Anthony, dealer in hats and furs on lower Water
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Street. The old residence was an imposing structure and the front was decorated by two-story Doric columns. It was of Greek-Doric style with a portico, similar in style to some Southern plantation homes. The roof was surmounted by a cupola. The house at the time of its demolition was in fine repair and exceedingly well built. It resisted strenuously the efforts of wreckers who worked with cables and bulldozers and finally managed to pull it down July 4, 1958. At the death of Mrs. Anthony it passed to the George Hunt family who in turn sold the building to Edwin Reid. It was bought by Dr. V. T. Lathbury, a physician, who lived there and had his office in the ell part of the building. He resided there until his un- timely death by automobile accident, after which his widow oc- cupied the place until her demise. After remaining vacant for several years it was sold by the Lathbury heirs to the insurance company. The old mansion was a showplace and very distinctive looking, but it has joined the ranks of the Ruel Williams homestead on Cony Hill and the Haynes residence on Western Avenue. As mentioned in the paragraph on the Y. M. C. A. lot, the Anthony house stood on the site of the Town House. It is said that previous to that the place was designated as a cemetery, but there seems to be no record of its having been used as such.
About 1850 the elm trees which line the street were planted fifteen feet from the line of the street and forty feet apart. During the past decade their number has been considerably diminished by death, hurricane or disease. Because of possible danger to traffic a number have been cut down. Perhaps when the Anthony House was built it was possible to see the river from its cupola. There are no power lines visible on the street because of underground cables.
No. 81 Residence of Everett S. Maxcy, Esq.
This house is noticed on the 1838 map as the home of Stephen Winslow, listed in the 1850 census as a master builder. It is con- sidered one of the best examples of well-balanced pre-Civil-War architecture. Stephen Winslow and his family lived here for some time, moved away but he was buried in Augusta. His son Edward moved to Iowa before the Civil War. During the War he became General of Volunteers and afterwards was engaged in the railroad business. The building was a two-family residence for a time and the occupants difficult to trace due to no number shown in the older directories. However, it is believed that it was occupied by the
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Rollins family as a boarding house in the eighties. Afterwards it is believed to have been the home of the Methodist minister, the Rev. Ira G. Ross, in 1892. It was finally sold by the Winslow heirs to Frederick G. Lyman, President of the Cushnoc Paper Company, who made extensive alterations. Mr. Lyman was the guiding genius of the mill when it was founded in 1888 and was President until he sold out to R. H. Smith of New York, who operated it under the name of the Kennebec Paper Company. Subsequently the home was oc- cupied by Smith Randall and later by Eugene Lebar.
Winter Street begins. . . .
No. 87 Residence of Dr. Leon S. Pratt, D. D. S.
This imposing residence was built in 1860, according to the pres- ent owner. The rooms are high vaulted with elaborate woodwork and from the upper stories a fine view of Winthrop Street may be had. At one time it was occupied by Colonel H. A. DeWitt, Edwards Mill Agent. It was the home of W. S. Badger, one time Postmaster and for thirty-six years co-publisher of the "Maine Farmer". Mr. Badger died in 1897. At the time of his death he was associated with Joseph A. Homan. The house was bought in 1897 by Fred L. Hersey, proprietor of Hersey's Shoe Store, now Lamey-Wellehan Shoe Store on Water Street. William G. Boothby, Treasurer of the Ken- nebec Savings Bank, lived here for many years; afterwards the present owner purchased the home from his widow, Mrs. Estelle Boothby, in 1943.
No. 88 Residence of Dr. Lee W. Richards, M. D.
This fine old house, similar to that of Dr. Pratt, was built by Peleg O. Vickery in the 1870's. Mr. Vickery began life as a farmer's boy in Danville, Maine and then as a printer in the Kennebec Journal office. He left the Journal office to enter the Union Army during the Civil War, where he served with distinction. After the war he opened a job printing office in Augusta. He was full of ambition and enterprise and saw his chance in the popular demand for story papers. The result was that he opened an office in 1874 in the old Waverly Hall Building where he began the publication of Vickery's Fireside Visitor. This was a success and was followed by other papers of similar character. In 1879 the Vickery and Hill Building on Chapel Street was opened and for many years the business flourished. It is now used by the State for offices. In 1882 Dr. John F. Hill, who
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had married Mr. Vickery's daughter, was taken into the business. Dr. Hill afterwards went into politics and became Governor of Maine. P. O. Vickery was Mayor of Augusta in 1880-83 and was active in church and fraternal affairs. The large window of the Universalist Church facing Winthrop Street was erected as a memorial to his name. He died in 1903. Luther G. Straw, President of the Marston Brooks Shoe Company of Hallowell, made his home here for several years.
Spring Street begins. . . .
No. 97 Residence of Robert Nivison.
This old house, located at the corner of Spring and Winthrop Streets, was the home of the Parrott families for many years. In 1838 the house was occupied by the Rev. Edward Edes, a Unitarian minister who supplied the local pulpit for several years. It is said that the Rev. Edes was of independent spirit which led him to exercise his "right of suffrage". This gave offense to some of his people who thought that he identified himself with party politics at the time of heated partisanship. "Finding the general harmony dis- turbed," he asked dismission in 1839 and it was granted. In 1856 the house was the home of John McArthur, grocer on Water Street. On the 1875 map it is shown as the residence of Benjamin Franklin Parrott. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1832, came to Augusta in 1847 and was a clerk in the McArthur Grocery store. From 1858 he was in partnership with Henry Bradbury in the grain business, later with John Chase. Afterwards he took his son, Arthur Franklin, in partnership. The firm had a storehouse on Water Street and also a mill on Bond Brook. He married Lizzie H., daughter of William Hunt of Augusta. She died in 1891 and for many years his daughter, Miss Florence, lived with him until his death in 1922, after which his son Arthur and family moved from the house above and occupied the old home. Several years ago the property was purchased by the late Robert Nivison, who was identified for many years with the pulp and paper industry in Maine.
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