USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bremen > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 22
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bristol > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 22
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' The anonymous writer of an article in vol. II, p. 238, of the Maine Hist. Col- lections says that " James Phips, father of Sir William Phips, settled here about 1638, but afterward removed to the banks of the Kennebec, iu the town of Wool. wich," but cites no authority for the statement ; and the author of this work has been unable to find any support for it among the old writers.
OLD WHARF.
PEMAQUID INNER HARBOR .
BARBACAN ..
NCS LANDING.
CEMETERY
OLD CISTERN.
OLD STREET.
SurPosto STREET ...
..
PAVEMENT.
OLD SMITHS FORCESL
PRESENT
ROADS.
" TOBACCO PIPE FACTY
FISH POINT.
A Map of FI. FREDERICK,
FORTY
OUTER HARBOR.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
as those laid by Phips, it is entirely certain that the two occu- pied substantially the same site. A further description will be given when the subject comes again before us in the regular order of events.
The peculiar formation of the harbor is especially interesting to the geologist, being separated as it is from the sea on the south by an immense dyke of trap or basalt, which like an artificial breakwater, protects it from the waves, but allows a sufficient space for the passage of ships. 1 The rocks of this whole region are of the kind called by geologists, metamorphic, with frequent masses and veins of granite and quartz, and occa- sional dykes of trap, passing into horublende. The upheaval of the stratified gneiss and mica slate in all this region has been in lines nearly north and south, the axial lines being continued down into the promontories; and between these the tide flows up a greater or less distance, as in the Kennebec, Sheepscot, the Damarriscotta, and the Pemaquid rivers. Pemaquid point is the extreme southern termination of one of these promonto- ries, having the Muscongus bay on the east, and John's bay and the Damariscotta river on the west.
The projecting, basaltic sea wall at the harbor on the west side was often called the Barbacan by the early writers, pro- bably because of its supposed resemblance to certain walls or watch towers, which in those days were often erected near the entrance of fortifications or walled cities, and called by this name. A particular locality in the city of London was long known as the Barbacan, and a place of worship was main- tained there by some of the early puritans. It may be that the name is still retained. (Ante, p. 68).
Little more now remains of Dunbar's fort than the mere foundations or substructions, on which the walls formerly rested, but these enable us to fix precisely the location of the import- ant structure. It was on the east side of the entrance to the harbor, nearly opposite the sea-wall, or barbacan, but a little south of it, as required by the peculiar conformation of the sur- face. This point of land is really a small promontory by itself, made so by an indentation from John's bay, or Pemaquid outer
1 This dyke has been previously described, ante, p. 6. The appearance of the dyke near the head of Long cove was first pointed out to the writer by William Hackelton, Esq.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
harbor on the south, and a small cove on the north, connected with the Pemaquid inner harbor. This was formerly called Cox's cove, from the circumstance that a descendant, probably a son of William Cox, one of the witnesses to Brown's Indian deed, long lived there. 1 The name is not often heard now, and is not found on the recent map of Lincoln county. Be- tween this cove and the indentation from John's bay on the south, just alluded to, the land is low; and no very consider- able rise in the adjacent waters would be required to change the peninsula into an island. But to claim that it probably has been an island within the period of human history, and perhaps connected with the main land by an artificial bridge, as has been done by the author of the Ancient Dominion of Maine, is to draw quite too largely on the imagination for the legitimate purposes of history. 2
The remains of the fort show it to have been situated on the highest ground on the peninsula, which happens to be near the water's edge just at the entrance of the harbor. The fort was quadrangular in form but not perfectly square. The four sides faced towards the southwest, northwest, northeast and south- east, the four corners or angles being of course towards the four cardinal points. At the west angle is a huge boulder of granite, around which the wall was built, some of the stones still re- maining in their places. The southwest and northwest walls were continued nearly up to this rock, having it exactly in the angle between them; then starting from these the wall was carried around the rock in a perfect circle, the distance around being 130 feet. This has sometimes been called the round tower, or the greater flanker. The southeast and northeast sides were each 148 feet in length, and the southwest and north- west sides each 130 feet. The entrance was on the northeast side; and at the east angle and diagonally opposite the round tower there was a regular bastion. 3 Within the fort there is
1 It may be that the cove formerly called by this name is the similar indentation from the same harbor further east.
2 Anc. Dominions of Maine, p. 115.
3 Our artist in drawing the map has taken the liberty to represent a round tower at the eastern angle of the fort, but probably it was a regular bastion. The place of entrance was closed by massive gates of oak. The late Mrs. Sarah (Johnston) Barnet, who was born in the fort, and lived there in her childhood, in her old age used to describe the scene when after the close of the French war the big gates were thrown open, and the heavy cannon removed and put on a ship to be taken to Boston.'
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
a small but well preserved cellar, and at one end of it the re- mains of a brick chimney.
The huge granite boulder, inclosed within the round tower, is partly buried in the soil, but if the rubbish were removed that has accumulated around it, would be probably on the west side at least twenty feet in height, and doubtless weighs many hundred tons .. On the east side of the rock and partly under it, in an excavation made for the purpose, was the principal magazine of the fort. The entrance to it was by a trap door from above ; a portion of the walls lining it on three sides may yet be seen. Probably another magazine was contained in the bastion in the east angle of the fort.
Northeast from the fort, about forty rods distant, is the an- cient cemetery, now handsomely inclosed, but formerly making a part of the open field, and extending over a much larger surface than at present. Unfortunately for us no monuments were placed at the ancient graves, but only rough head and foot stones, obtained from the shore; and it is well known that many of those once standing here were long ago removed, and the ground leveled by the plow.
One rough stone which formerly stood alone, at some distance from the present inclosure, contains on it the letters HI and MI (but they are cut together, thus, EM), and beneath them the date of the year, which some read 1625, but probably it should be read 1695. Some suppose that this is only the foot stone of the grare, the more elaborate head stone having been removed ; but there may be some doubt of this. Formerly the places of several graves were indicated by pieces of plank placed at the head and foot, the one at the head having a piece of lead in- serted, with an inscription engraved upon it; but they have long since disappeared. On one of these the inscription was in a language that no one in the place could read but Parson McLean, a clergyman of the place. 1 The grave probably was that of a French lady, the wife of a French captain, whose remains were brought on shore there and buried, perhaps about the time of the Revolutionary war, or soon after its close.
From the eastern angle of the fort towards the cemetery, directly on the highest point of the ridge, and but little con- cealed beneath the soil, are the remains of an ancient pavement,
1 Mrs. Dr. How, 1860. Some account of Rev. Mr. McLean will be given fur- ther on.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
which probably formed the principal street of the village. The pavement probably was not laid regularly, but was made by throwing in loose stones, which in time became imbedded in the soil, as we now find them. They are so compacted together that it is found impossible to pass the plow through them. 1 Some large flat stones, formerly covered a part of the street, appearing as if laid for flagging ; and only a few years ago an old lady (Mrs. Robinson) remembered to have seen the weeds growing up between them when she once visited the place in her childhood. The pavement extends several rods from the fort, but not as far as the cemetery, which is about forty rods distant. On both sides of the supposed main street are the remains of former cellars more or less distinct.
From a point near the present cemetery fence, another street evidently connected with this principal street, making nearly a right angle with it, and extending to the shore, where are still to be found in position, a number of the timbers of a former wharf. One of these, perfectly sound, was removed from its old bed in the gravel only a few years ago. On both' sides of these supposed streets, are many depressions indicating the exist- ence of cellars. At present there are no walls to the cellars that can be seen, but it is known that formerly, in some of them at least, there were well laid walls; and persons are now living who twenty or thirty years ago aided in removing the stones which appeared at the surface, and in filling the cellars with earth.
It is believed that another street once existed, on the south- east side of the main street, just described, and running parallel with it, but the houses on it were mostly without walled cellars. Its supposed place is indicated on the map.
From the southeast wall of the fort the ground descends quite rapidly, and at the distance of several rods another pavement is found, even more interesting than the preceding, and the pur- pose for which it was laid not so easy to understand. It is situated on the very edge of the bank from which probably some considerable earth has been washed away, though proba- bly it is not reached by the highest tides. The stones of the pavement until recently were entirely concealed by black earth and gravel to the depth of six to ten inches, and in it the couch- grass roots are thoroughly intertwined so as to form a very 1 Mr. Partridge, the present owner of the field.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
tough sod. Near the edge of the bank the covering of earth has been removed so as to expose to view a considerable arca ; and it is shown to be a pavement of rather small water-worn peb- bles, as regularly laid as in a street of a city, and all of them in place except as they have been disturbed by very recent intrud- ers. The appearance instantly suggests the idea of a street having a width of twelve or fourteen feet, one side of which is found to rest against a regular cellar wall, and on the other side is a row of larger stones, evidently designed for curb stones. Near the cellar wall a depression in the pavement was plainly intended to carry off the water.
Assuming this to be the pavement of a street leading north- casterly towards the present town road, search was made some years ago by a company of gentlemen, at which the writer was present, and the following facts were determined. The cellar though small ha's a well faced wall probably on all its four sides. The western wall is situated just at the edge of the bank, so that the washing away of a very little more earth would expose it to view. On the south side is the pavement just de- scribed, some twelve or fourteen feet in width, and might well be taken for the pavement of a narrow street, but when exa- mined further, it is found to extend around the east and north sides of the cellar wall about the same width; though on the north side the stones have been somewhat displaced. All around on the south and east sides at the outer edge a row of larger stones is placed as if for a curbing; though the stones appear to have been only laid upon the surface, and are not fixed in the earth, as is done in modern times. The lines are perfectly straight, so far as exposed to view, and at the south- east angle every stone was found nicely adjusted to its place.
The conclusion arrived at from these facts must be that these pavements were designed for the courtyard of a gentleman's house or perhaps some public building, and not for a public street.
1. The stones of which it was made are too small and light, for a street pavement, and are simply laid upon the earth, which was carefully levelled for the purpose, but were not ein- bedded in mortar, as must be done to resist the tread of horses and the pressure of heavy wheels.
2. The pavement is found only on the three sides of the cel- lar, and does not extend in any direction from the cellar wall
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
more than twelve or fourteen feet, which would not be the case if it formed a part of a street. Search was made in every direction, especially on a line towards the present country road but without finding any indications of a further continuance of the pavement. 3. In the early history of the place when these pavements were constructed there were no roads in all this region except on a very small scale in the village here at the fort, and no pleasure carriages whatever, and of course no need of paved streets. 4. The partial pavement or flagging of the main street leading northeasterly from the fort was pro- bably designed to facilitate the passage of heavy teams between the fort and the wharf for which there would be constant need.
Traveling in those days in this region was entirely by boat or on horseback, even down to the time when Phips's fort was destroyed in 1696 ; and though there were probably at the latter period a few roads leading from the fort to other places, as New Harbor and Round Pond and Broad Cove, as also to the Falls and to Damariscotta even, they were prepared only for the use of ox teams, and were but barely passable for these.
The cellar connected with these pavements has long been completely filled, so that the plow has passed over it as over other parts of the field, yet the walls are easily found, and im- bedded in the earth in the cellar fragments of charred and rotten wood, and nails, and the remains of articles of domestic use have been found.
May not this pavement and other ruins found here, belong to an earlier period than we have supposed, and indicate the presence of civilized people before the advent of either the English or French ? This inquiry naturally suggests itself, and has constantly been kept in mind during the explorations here, and elsewhere in this vicinity; and the reply must be very decidedly in the negative. The fragments of many articles of domestic use which have been found, in the opinion of compe- tent judges, are not older than the beginning of the seventeenth century. Some copper coins were found at different times, many years ago, but unfortunately they have not been preserved, and we have not their nationalities or dates. A large copper coin found more recently, and now in the possession of R. H. Sewall, Esq., of Wiscasset, though so much corroded that the inscription and various characters upon it can not all be made out satisfactorily, is believed to be a Portugese coin of not ancient date.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
The fact that the pavement is covered to the depth of six to twelve inches with soil may be thought to indicate a more ancient origin than we are disposed to allow it, but it is to be noted that it is on low ground, and so situated as to receive any loose material that might be washed upon it by the rains, 1
Leaving this pavement and following the shore in a south- easterly direction towards Fish point, we pass the remains of several blacksmith shops, which too plainly indicate their cha- racter to be mistaken, and at length, at only a little distance find other remains the character of which is not so evident. They are mostly covered with green turf, but in digging a little beneath it, for a space of several square yards, we find in abundance fragments of clay tobacco pipes, and occasionally a whole pipe. The soil also appears unlike that in the vicinity, as if mixed with proper pipe clay ; and it has been suggested that probably a manufactory of clay pipes once stood here. Other appearances which can not here be given in detail de- cidedly favor the suggestion.
Returning again to the site of the old fort, we find under the banks, a little distance from the round tower, at the western angle, and down near the water's edge, a remarkable structure, the design of which has as yet baffled all explanatory attempts by the antiquarians. It has the appearance of a well about seven feet in diameter, and nine or ten feet deep, with a wall of coarse red brick, made of a trapezoidal form, and evidently struck in a mould made for this special purpose. Probably they were made here, but, so far as we know, no remains of an ancient brick-kiln has ever been found in the neighborhood. The wall is not perfectly circular but slightly eliptical, having its major axis of about seven feet, the other being about six inches less. The brick wall rests on a smooth surface of solid rock, which at very high tides, may probably be covered with water. The brick were probably laid in clay, instead of lime mortar, but much of it has been washed out by the water. There are no stairs or steps or other indications of any means for persons to descend into it.
The structure is imbedded in the bank of loose gravel and sand, and when discovered was quite concealed by the native
1 Though much has been said of the ancient voyages of the Northmen, and many efforts made to discover some traces of their works on the coast and islands of New England, it has hitherto been without any other than a negative result.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
shrubbery growing there. It was also entirely filled with the same sand and gravel that form the bank. The top of the wall when discovered, corresponded all around with the slanting surface of the bank, and was of course higher on one side than on the other, several courses of the brick on the lower side having fallen down to the beach below. The discovery of these fallen brick on the shore by a neighbor of Mr. Partridge led him to search for their origin, and eventually brought the whole thing to light. It should be added that the top of the higher part of the wall inelines inward a little, and seems to indicate that it may once have been arched over.
It is difficult to imagine what could have been the design of such a structure, in such a place. It is outside of the fort, and not very 'readily accessible from it; and probably never was capable of holding water. The suggestion has been made that it was used as a place of punishment, by solitary confinement, of unruly or disobedient soldiers; but if we adopt this view several puzzling questions at once suggest themselves in regard to it; and we are obliged to leave the intelligent reader to form his own opinion.
Besides the streets described above, there were probably others -and some have thought they were able to indicate their locality --- but the writer chooses to confine himself to facts that have been determined with reasonable certainty. Some one, a few years ago, found on the peninsula the remains of forty-seven cellars, and at least seven blacksmith's forges; and probably there were many houses without cellars. Near the remains of the old wharf there appears to have been a very large cellar, on which (some one has suggested) perhaps stood the public store-house. Perhaps the custom-house of the Duke of York, stood on this very spot, as all foreign vessels, arriving on the coast, anywhere between the Kennebec and the St. Croix rivers-and even fishing-boats - were required to enter and clear at this port, of course paying the required duties and fees. 1
Some old cellars, apparently of ancient date, are found on the west side of the harbor, nearly opposite the fort; but half or three quarters of a mile further north - at a place frequently called Lewis's field, from the name of the present owner - are ruins of a deeply interesting, because of their somewhat myste-
1 Maine Hist. Coll., v. 80.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
rious character. The presumption of course is that the works were designed by the early settlers as means of defense against their enemies, but it is not so clear how they were constructed, or used. Was there a small fort there, or only a tower for ob- serving the enemy, and also serving to protect the guard for a time, until help could be sent from the fort ?
The ruins alluded to here are on a point of land a little elevated above the adjacent field, which projects so much into the river as to give a clear view upward to the falls and down- ward to the fort. Towards the north, the ridge, which lies nearly east and west, falls off quite abruptly, and for several rods presents something of the appearance of an artificial work ; but probably this has been produced in modern times by the repeated passing of the plow along the hill-side. Just at the highest point, which is a little back from the edge of the bank, there is concealed under the soil, a perpendicular wall of stone very well faced, having the appearance of a cellar wall, or per- haps the foundations of a tower; but the whole is so much concealed by the earth and overgrowing weeds that it is diffi- cult to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. Among the ruins some pieces of a kind of freestone are found, that were evi- dently brought from abroad, as the like is not produced in this . region.
Both north and south of these ruins, are pavements of small stones, like those previously described, and concealed from the direet view only by the grassy turf that has grown over them. These pavements evidently were not for streets, but what pur- pose they served we know not. In one or two places they have the appearance of paved water courses leading down to the edge of the bank. Some have thought they found down under the bank indications that there may have been a subterranean passage, leading from the water's edge at high tide to the forti- fications, or whatever it was, upon the point of the ridge already described.
Near this spot are many old cellars, that appear not to have been disturbed in modern times. From one of these the carth and rubbish were partly removed a few years ago, disclosing very good cellar walls, and bringing to light the remains of articles of domestic use and quite a number of clay tobacco pipes.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
Near this spot some pieces of fossiliferous limestone are found lying loosely upon the surface, which evidently have been brought from abroad, but for what purpose can not now be known. The few fragments found would probably be called calcareous tufa, by the mineralogists.
At a little distance from the fortification (if such it was) but in the same field, in a low wet place, are the remains of a tan- nery, which, it is believed, dates back to the early settlement of the place. One or two of the ancient vats can yet be traced, and by using a short stick, some of the planks that formed the vats can be felt. A few years ago some pieces of leather well preserved were removed from one of them.
Mr. R. K. Sewall has suggested that a Spanish military or naval establishment may have been located here, which is not improbable considering the many Spanish fishing vessels em- ployed on the coast at a very early period, but we need more evidence before accepting the view. He has in his possession two coins found in the vicinity, one Russian and the other a Portuguese coin of the time of John IV of Portugal (1640-'55).
The tide flows about a mile northeast from this point to the falls, so called, because of the water-power that occurs here. It was a place of great importance to the early inhabitants, for the reason that it afforded a good place for the erection of mills, and also because of its excellent shad and alewives fisheries, at the proper season of the year.
An object of special interest here is the ancient canal, or water course on the east side of the stream, still tolerably well preserved. It begins near the present road, and extends down- ward about twenty rods, curving considerably at places so as to follow along the bank at about the same level. It was probably about ten feet in width and six or eight in depth, but is some- what less now; evidently it was constructed for the purpose of carrying water to the mills situated below. On the side next to the stream were several sidecuts to draw off the water to the mills situated below on the edge of the stream. Only a short and inexpensive draw was required, exactly in the place occu- pied by the present bridge, for the purpose of turning the water - as much of it as was needed - into the canal. Tradi- tion informs us that when the ancestors of the present inhabit- ants came here, nearly a century and a half ago, large forest trees were found growing in the bed of the canal, and on its
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