USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 63
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 63
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 63
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About 1764, Joseph Orr built a large block-house on the farm now owned by Bradbury Wilson. It stood near the middle of Orr's Island, on the northwest side of the hill, northwest of the present house. This block-house was standing within the memory of Captain James Sinnett, of Bailey's Island. There is now no trace of it to be discovered.
On the Neck, on the point of land now owned by Paul Stover, there was a block-house ; by whom erected, or at what date, is not known. It was taken down by Daniel Randall and erected as a store- house, near his dwelling. In 1822 it was again taken down, and re- built as a dwelling, which is still standing.
It is quite probable that there were other block-houses or garrisons on the Neck, and also on Great Island, but these are all of which we have any account.
CHURCHES.
The old meeting-house of the First Parish in this town was prob- ably commenced about the year 1757 or 1759. Elisha Eaton, son of the Reverend Elisha Eaton, who was a carpenter living in Boston, wrote in his diary, August 7, 1757 : -
"getting stuff for window frames and Sashes for Meeting house which is for North Yarmouth ye sec'd Parish."
" Sept. 21. Caping window frames for meeting house."
" 1759 June 13th. Puting sashes on board ye vessel for Meeting house at Harpswell."
" Octo. 6th, sail'd for Harpswell -arrived there ye 8th where I tarried until Nov. 27th."
Although there is no proof, yet it is quite likely that Mr. Eaton worked upon the meeting-house during his stay in Harpswell, and probably put in the windows he had been so long at work upon.
663
FORTS, GARRISONS, ETC., IN TOPSHAM AND HARPSWELL.
From an examination of the town records it appears that this house was a long time in being completed. At a special meeting of the town, November 14, 1774, it was voted that the " Advance ground in the Galleries and seats in the same shall be for the use of the Parish, except the Pew in the Front of the Front Gallery, they (the members of the Parish) paying the cost of the Same." And it was also voted " to put in the glass wanting in the meeting-house, mend the putty, Prime the Sashes and window Frames."
At another meeting held the same year it was voted to lay a floor in the porch, build the stairs and doors in the porch, put up the breast- work in the galleries, and put in the seats there, and to mend the windows. Nothing further seems to have been done until June, 1781, when it was voted to shingle the " four side " of the meeting-house, and to hang the doors.
This completed the work on the church until January 16, 1792, when it was voted that there should be " four pews built in the body of the meeting-house on the Neck adjoining the pews now built, two on each side of the front alley," and that the money arising from the sale of the same should be expended in repairing the meeting-house. Also, that the pew ground should be sold at auction.
In November, 1797, the town voted to sell ten feet two inches of the pew space in each side gallery, the purchaser to pay two dollars down and the balance in ninety days, or forfeit the whole. At the sale, pew No. 5 was bid off to William Dunning, Jr., at twenty-one dollars ; No. 4 to Walter Merryman, Jr., at twenty-five dollars ; No. 3 to Joshua Bishop, at twenty-six dollars and fifty cents ; and No. 2 to Aleck Stover at the same price.
This meeting-house was occupied by the First Parish until 1844. At a meeting of the parish held May 31, 1841, it was voted, "to. take out the insides of the meeting-house, as far as necessary, take off the porch, turn the house round end to the road, and rebuild the inside of the house," and that Joseph Eaton be a committee to consult an architect and estimate the expense. It was also voted that the meeting house should not in future be used for town purposes, and that Eaton should inform the selectmen of this vote. At a meet- ing held July 5, the parish committee were instructed, in case the selectmen thought the town had a claim on the meeting-house, to refer the matter to some legal authority, and the committee were empowered to sue, and to defend the rights of the parish.
At a parish meeting, held March 26, 1842, it was voted to petition the District Court for leave to sell the meeting-house at private sale,
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
or otherwise, with or without the land on which it stood, as might be thought advisable.
The above illustration will convey a very good idea of the appear- ance of the pulpit and the pews on either side, and of the gallery and walls.
The last entry in the parish records is dated September 27, 1842. It was called in the legal manner, and a legal return was made upon the warrant, and was signed by the person who notified the members and by the parish clerk. For some reason, however, it was not deemed legal by some. The entry reads as follows : -
" At a certain meeting purporting to be a meeting of the First Parish in Harpswell held on the 27, of Sept. 1842, and which was called by Washington Garcelon, Jns. Peace, issuing his warrant to Thomas Alexander, voted as follows - Thomas Alexander, Modera- tor ; after which the meeting was objected to by a member of said Parish, in behalf of the Parish, and the'y refused to act, as being ille- gal on account of its not having been notified by said Alexander.
" Voted, that a Committee of three be chosen to remonstrate at Court against the Meeting House being sold. Voted, Joshua Stover, Rufus Dunning and Simeon Stover 2d. be this committee. Voted, that this committee have power to call on papers and witnesses.
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FORTS, GARRISONS, ETC., IN TOPSHAM AND HARPSWELL.
Voted, that John Stover be an agent to carry the remonstrance to Court. Voted to pass over the 3d article in the warrant [to see if the parish would repair the meeting-house]. Voted, that all votes passed on the 26th of March last, concerning the sale of the Meeting House. be rescinded. Voted, that the Meeting House be occupied as it has been. Voted, not to assess any money for the support of the Minis- try. Voted that this meeting be dissolved.
" Attest. " WILLIAM C. EATON, P. Clerk."
After this date the meeting-house remained, for the most part, unused, until 1856, when it was taken possession of by the town as a town-house and selectmen's office.
This building, though probably one hundred and twenty years old, is still standing, and in use as a town-house, and is in a fair state of preservation. The boards, an inch and a half thick, and the birch bark covering the cracks beneath the clapboards, are still to be seen in it, as well as the curious hinges and the original hand-made nails.
The old meeting-house of the First Parish, on Great Island, was built about 1770, and was taken down in 1843. It was similar, both externally and internally, to the old meeting-house on the Neck, and does not, therefore, require further description.
The CENTRE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING-HOUSE on Harpswell Neck, directly opposite the old First Parish Meeting-House, was built in 1843. It was built by individuals who entered into the following agree- ment : -
" We the subscribers being desirous to have a meeting-house built in the vicinity of the old meeting-house on Harpswell Neck, to be ever owned, managed, and conducted by the Congregational Society in Harpswell, with the privilege of its being occupied by others hold- ing evangelical sentiments, at the request of any pew-holder, when not occupied by the said Congregational Society. To contain about forty pews, with a belfry and steeple, and to be of such dimensions as the building committee and some experienced joiner shall deem best.
" And we hereby agree to take the number of pews set against our names, and to pay the assessments as agreed upon at any regular meeting of said subscribers, the first meeting to be called by the building committee or any three of the subscribers, to choose such officers and
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
make such regulations as said meeting may think proper, and to determine the manner of calling future meetings. And the build- ing committee to be Silvester Stover, Clement Martin, and James Stover. And all who can conveniently, to pay in to the Building Committee.
". Silvester Stover .
10 pews.
Joseph Stover .
Dominicus Jordan
George S. Dunning
James Stover
Isaac Dunning .
William Barnes .
2
Joseph Eaton
1
. 6
Jacob Merryman
1
William C. Eaton
1 . .
Hugh Farr
1
Elisha Allen, Jr.
1
Abraham Allen
1
James Dunning
1
Simeon Orr
1
..
Richard Orr, Jr.
1
Stephen Sinnet, Jr.
Michael Sinnet .
2
Norton Stover, 2d
1
66
Clement Martin .
3
George R. Skolfield
1
Daniel Randall .
1
George Skolfield
1
Mary Skolfield .
1
1
·
1
.
·
1
1
.
.
1
66
..
..
.
At their first meeting the foregoing proprietors voted to purchase three sixteenths of an acre of land of Elisha Stover, for the meeting- house lot. At another meeting of the same, held June 30, it was voted, in explanation of one clause of their agreement, " that when the meeting-house is not supplied by Congregational preaching, it shall be opened on the Sabbath under the direction of the committee or agent having charge of it, and at the request of one or more pew- holders, for preaching by other authorized ministers in regular stand- ing, holding the sentiments commonly called Evangelical, such as the atonement, regeneration, the special influences of the Holy Spirit,
667
FORTS, GARRISONS, ETC., IN TOPSHAM AND HARPSWELL.
and future retribution. But for preachers of other sentiments than those referred to, and for all other public occasions and uses whatever, it cannot be opened except in the usual way, viz., by the committee or agent acting under the direction of the Congregational Society." It was also voted at this meeting that Joseph Eaton, George R. Skol- field, and George S. Dunning be a committee to take measures in regard to forming a new parish, whenever it should be thought expe- dient. At a meeting of the proprietors, held September 25, George R. Skolfield, James Stover, and Daniel Randall were chosen a committee of arrangements for the dedication. It was also voted, " That we, the proprietors of the new meeting-house recently built on Harpswell Neck, do hereby convey and transfer to the Centre Congregational Parish in Harpswell when formed, all our right, title, and interest in and to said meeting-house, authorizing said parish to give deeds of conveyance to any persons who may purchase pews in said house, and to do such other acts as may be legally done by parishes in respect to meeting-houses."
The UNION MEETING-HOUSE on Harpswell Neck was built in 1841, and was dedicated by the Universalists on the twenty-first of Septem- ber of the same year. It is situated near the academy in North Harpswell.
The METHODIST CHURCH on Harpswell Neck was erected in 1854-5. Work upon the building was commenced in October, 1854, when there were but seven members in the society, which was then under the pastoral charge of Reverend George C. Crawford. Captains Norton Stover and Nathaniel Pinkham assumed the entire pecuniary re- sponsibility. The building was dedicated May 17, 1855, and on that day the pews were sold. The cost of the building was about $4,000.
The ORR'S ISLAND MEETING-HOUSE, the first and only one ever built on that island, was erected in 1855, and is occupied one quar- ter of the time each by the Methodists, Free Baptists, Calvinist Baptists, and Congregationalists. The original owners were members of the three churches ou Harpswell Neck. A Free Baptist Church was organized after the building was erected, and the above arrange- ment as to meetings was made.
OTHER BUILDINGS.
Probably the oldest house now standing on Harpswell Neck is the one occupied by Horatio Toothaker. It is situated a short distance
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
east of the academy. It is a large, square-roofed house, and was built by Deacon Andrew Dunning in 1757.
THE ANDREW DUNNING HOUSE.
The house now owned by Paul Randall, which is set in from the road a short distance below the Baptist meeting-house, at Harpswell Centre, is of about the same age as the preceding, but the precise date of its erection cannot be ascertained.
The first framed house on Sebascodigan Island was erected in May, 1764, by Colonel Nathaniel Purinton. It was a large two-story house. This house was taken down in 1850 and another erected in its place, but the barn, which was built the same year as the old house, is now standing, and has been in constant use for one hundred and twelve years.
About 1767, Reverend Samuel Veasey built a large two-story house on the lot a few rods northwest of the burying-ground on this island, which was afterwards sold to Captain Isaac Rich, and was occupied by his descendants until within a few years. It has recently been taken down.
About 1766 a one-story house was built on this island, near Condy's Harbor, by James Eastman. It is still standing, and is now occupied by Mrs. Adaline Elliott.
The oldest house on Orr's Island and the oldest in the town is un- doubtedly that built by JOSEPH ORR. It is situated on a point of
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FORTS, GARRISONS, ETC., IN TOPSHAM AND HARPSWELL.
land about one half mile northwest of the middle of the island, and was probably erected about 1756. The sills are ten inches and the
beams eight inches in diameter. This house is now owned and occu- pied by Bradbury and Elbridge Wilson.
Another old house on this island is that built by MICHAEL SINNETT. It was probably erected about 1777 or 1787.
It is not unlikely that there are other very old houses still standing in Harpswell. A lack of personal knowledge of the town, however, and the great difficulty there is in determining the age of a building concerning which there is no documentary evidence, prevents us from mentioning others.
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
CHAPTER XXV.
INTERESTING RELICS IN BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
IN BRUNSWICK.
'THE relics that will be mentioned in this chapter are of articles that originally belonged in this vicinity or that were brought here by the early settlers.
The christening basin of Robert Jordan, son of Reverend Robert Jordan who came to this country in 1640, was in the Jordan family in this town until 1854 or 1855, when it was sold to Honorable Seth Storer of Scarborough. This basin was made of finely wrought brass, and was probably purchased about the year 1640 or 1650.
A book entitled ". Burkett's Commentary on the New Testament," which is said to have been brought over to this country in 1640 by Reverend Robert Jordan, is in the possession of Mrs. Narcissa Jordan, of Bath.
Honorable Charles J. Gilman has. in a fair state of preservation, a Bible once owned by Reverend Robert Dunlap. It was printed in 1698. Ile also has a silver mug, of about a quart in size, which was the property of Captain John Dunlap, and is now over a hundred years old. It is of solid silver and very heavy. It was used for drinking flip.
The late Doctor John D. Lincoln had the first silver dollar ever owned by his grandfather, Captain John Dunlap, who is said to have been at his death the richest man in Maine. The doctor had also a silver flagon with the arms of the Toppan family engraved upon it, which was the property of his grandmother Dunlap, and is upwards of one hundred years old. He had also a fire-fender which once belonged to General Knox, and which is an elegant article. The doc- tor had also a collection of coins which is one of the finest collections in the State.
There is in possession of the Woodside family a portrait of Rev- erend James Woodside, who preached in Brunswick in 1719. It bears date " 1726, by Gibson."
671
RELICS IN BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
The hat-box of William Woodside and a brass warming-pan once owned by him are now in the possession of the Woodside family. The hat-box is triangular in shape, each side being eighteen inches long, and the depth of the box is six inches. The box is covered with a figured paper, and is lined with newspapers bearing the date 1761. It was made to contain the triangular hat which Woodside used to wear.
The church of the First Parish in Brunswick has in its possession nine pieces of sacramental plate, which were given to the church in 1737. Of these are two flagons, upon one of which is inscribed, " Gift of Benjamin Larrabee Esquire, 1737"; and upon the other, Gift of Cupt. John Minot, Esq. 1737, To the Church of Christ in Brunswick." The other pieces are three plates and four cups.
Two pewter plates, a part of the wedding outfit of William and Mary Sylvester, who were married in 1736, and who moved to Harps- well soon after, are now in the possession of Mrs. George E. Springer, of Brunswick, who is their great-granddaughter. Mrs. Springer has also a wooden candlestick, made by Mr. Sylvester with a jackknife. It consists of a wooden shaft about four feet high, an inch and a half in diameter at the bottom and for half its length, the upper half being about three fourths of an inch in diameter, and is cut like a screw. Upon this staff a cross-arm screws up and down. At each end of the cross-arm there is a socket for a candle, the screw allowing the can- dles to be raised or lowered as desired.
In possession of the Maine Historical Society is the gun which was captured from an Indian in 1725 by James Cochran.
Mr. Chapin Weston has a basket made by his great-grandfather, Jacob Weston, in 1775. It is what was called a bottle basket, being made of the right shape and size to carry a large bottle. The dimen- sions are twelve inches deep, and six inches square across the top, tapering slightly towards the bottom. It is made of white-oak strips, and the handle is made without a splice. It is a nice piece of work- manship, and must have been a convenient article in the days when a bott e was carried wherever one went. It might also have served in the place of the modern canteen. Mr Weston also has a three-dollar bill, Continental money, dated 1777, it being a part of what was paid Jacob Weston for his services as a private in the Revolution.
Mr. Samuel Adams, of Bowdoinham, has in his possession a blank book which was used for arithmetical problems by Samuel Adams, who was a private in Captain White's company, of Brunswick, in Washington's army, while encamped at Valley Forge. The cover is
672
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
made of a piece of his tent cloth, and the strings were torn from a piece of cloth of which his breeches were made.
Theodore S. Mclellan, of Brunswick, has an axe which was made by Thomas Stone about the year 1795.
T. M. Giveen, Esquire, has a very formidable club, which, it is said, was years ago taken from a " yagger"1 during a conflict with the students. It is of hard wood, sixteen inches in length and about an inch and a half in diameter. At one end is a huge knot, into which a hole was bored and filled with lead. Nails were also driven into this end of the club and filed off, leaving sharp points about half an inch in length. There are four of these iron points. At the opposite end a groove was cut, to which a cord was tied. In the hands of a strong man, this club would be a deadly weapon.
IN TOPSHAM.
Mr. David Work has several relics. Among them are two small, leaf-shaped dishes which belonged to "Skipper" Malcom, and are now one hundred and ten years old. They were probably used to hold the snuffings of the candles. He has also a table-plate of the " Skipper's." He has, too, a cup and saucer which belonged to Mrs. William Randall, and are now more than one hundred and ten years old. He has also a pewter spoon and an iron fork which he dug out of the cellar of the house in which Doctor Philip G. Hoyt once resided. The supposed age of these latter relics is ninety years.
A candlestick purchased in Boston in 1770, by Brigadier Samuel Thompson, is now the property of Mrs. Robert Tate. The base is of marble surmounted by two bronze statuettes holding the brass socket for the candle. It was doubtless considered, at the time it was pur- chased, a handsome and valuable article.
Mr. James F. Mustard has a gun of French manufacture, which is supposed to be over one hundred years old, and a pair of saddle-bags of about the same age. 3.
The late Mr. Rufus Rogers had quite a number of Indian relics, such as tomahawks, arrow-heads, stone tools, etc., which are now in the possession of the Maine Historical Society.
An Indian tomahawk was dug up in 1863 in a field near the house of William Sprague.
Several cannon-balls - four-pounders - have been dug up in Mr.
1 The name applied by the college students to the rowdies who lived at the north end of the town. The word is probably a corruption of the German Yüger, meaning a hunter.
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RELICS IN BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
James Wilson's field adjoining his house, where was once a block- house. Various Indian relics have also been dug up there.
There is in the possession of Mrs. Samuel Douglass a set of silver sleeve-buttons which were worn by Captain John Rogers at his wed- ding, about the year 1775.
Mr. W. W. Patten has a foot-stove which was used early in this century, and perhaps previously, for keeping the feet warm "in meeting." It is made of perforated tin, in which were placed live coals, the tin being encased in a wooden frame. It is about nine or ten inches square. Probably there are quite a number of other foot- stoves in existence in this vicinity, but this is the only one we have seen.
The family of Major Joshua Haskell have in their possession the arms and equipments which he used while in service in the war of 1812.
IN HARPSWELL.
Owing to a lack of personal acquaintance with many of the citizens of Harpswell, and to the scattered situation of its inhabitants, it has not been found practicable to obtain accounts of many of the relics which are doubtless preserved in private families as heirlooms.
A sword once owned by Captain Johnson Harmon, a hero of the Indian wars in the early part of the last century, and which was probably worn by him in his attacks upon the Indians, is now the property of Captain A. C. Stover. It is straight, single-edged, with a deer engraved on each side of the blade, about six inches from the hilt. The handle is of buck-horn.
Mr. David S. Dunning, of Portland, formerly of Harpswell, has a little pocket-compass which Captain Andrew Dunning bought of a French prisoner, whom he was conveying from Quebec to Virginia shortly after the capture of Quebec in 1759.
Mr. Stephen Purinton, of Harpswell, has a warming-pan which was once the property of the wife of Jolin Merrill, Esquire. of Topsham. Its age is not known, but it is probably over a hundred years old.
The sword of Nathaniel Purinton, of Harpswell, an officer in the Revolution, is now in the possession of Charles E. Purinton, of Bow- doinham.
Mr. Stephen Purinton has a stone gouge which he found on a shell- bank on his premises. It is of hard sandstone, and is about five inches long by two and a half broad. Quite a number of flint arrow- heads have been dug up in this vicinity.
There is in the possession of James E. Skolfield a part of a gun and
43
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
a knife which were ploughed out where a house is supposed to have once stood, though there is no account, traditional or otherwise, of any resident at that place.
Mr. Skolfield's wife has also a salt-cellar, in good condition, in the shape of an oak-leaf, which is over one hundred years old.
There is in the family of Charles N. Leavitt a white earthen platc which was his great-grandmother's. It is over one hundred and fifty years old. The picture on the plate is a representation of a party at a festival in the cabin of a vessel. Under it are the words, "The Captains Cabin." It is really a fine thing.
Thomas S. Skolfield has a gun which formerly belonged to Thomas Spear. It was given to Skolfield by Spear more than seventy years ago, and is supposed to be about two hundred years old.
The following account of the discovery in Harpswell of an old Indian burying-ground, with some curious ornaments found on or near some of the skeletons, is taken from some notes written by the late Reverend Edward Ballard, D. D.
On May 24, 1861, seven skeletons, evidently Indian, were thrown up by the ploughshare on the farm of Mr. Henry Barnes, on the eastern side of Middle Bay, near the shore. They were about twelve or fifteen inches below the surface of the ground, and lay in the direc- tion of northeast and southwest. In the ground near these skeletons were found the following ornaments : ---
1. Three copper tubes, a little less than half an inch in diameter, one being over a foot long One of these was filled with decayed twisted bark, which was probably used as a cord. Four others were found that were only two inches in length, and a little more than an eighth of an inch in diameter. They were attached in couples, as pendants, to two strings of prepared deer-skin, which were curiously knotted at their point of union.
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