USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > Kennebunk history : not a history of Kennebunk but a few items in addition to and a sequel to "The village of Kennebunk, Maine" (revised to 1939) : a description of a few more old homes, a few biographical sketches > Part 10
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"Some items of the home life of our worthy citizen: The original cabin of 1783 was upon lower ground than the present house and a little to the west of it. After this building ceased to be used as a dwelling it was utilized as a wheelwright shop, but later was taken down and the material made into the ell of the present building. Moses Littlefield was a carpenter withal as was his father before him and his son Aaron afterwards. He also made plows, harrows and wheels. His especial business was in framing of buildings and in the old-fashioned way. He framed the large Frost mansion. He was also captain of a military company."
The Estate of Wm. A. Rogers of Buffalo, N. Y.
It was purchased by Mr. Rogers in 1900. It is a part of the estate of John Mitchell, who came from York about 1736 and bought 200 acres of land of Sir William Pepperrell on the Ken- nebunk River. It extends 'to the inlet made famous in the book "Arundel." His old garrison house was standing when Mr.
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Rogers bought but it was torn down to make room for the en- trance drive. Mr. Rogers built the house and landscaped the grounds and is described later. The estate, called "Fairfields," was sold in 1936 to Col. William N. Campbell of Sanford, and Brookline, Mass.
"Fairfields," one of the most distinguished summer homes on the Atlantic coast, consists of 60 acres on the river and 90 acres of pine on the westerly side of the avenue, a manor house, gar- ages and servants' quarters. The assessed valuation is $100,000. The property was purchased by Mr. Rogers, an industrialist of Buffalo, N. Y., in 1900. The residence, designed in true Eliza- bethan tradition, has a first story of brick construction and half timber above. The house may be used with equal ease for ex- tensive entertaining or for simple family living. The first floor woodwork and electrical fixtures are examples of the care lav- ished on all the decorative details. On the first floor are a spa- cious oak paneled entrance hall, lavatory, reception room, living room, 26x42; library, 23x28, with built-in bookcases; den, dining room 23x23; butler's pantry, kitchen, kitchen pantry, servant's dining room and laundry. On the second floor are nine master bedrooms and seven baths; six servants' rooms and two baths. On the third floor are two servants' rooms. Out buildings in- clude a gardener's cottage, a stable court with stables, garage and wagon, shed, a greenhouse and a boathouse on the river. The grounds were laid out in English style. Sweeping lawns are bordered by massed evergreens, mountain laurel and other flow- ering shrubs. On the south which is the ocean side, the wild na- tive growth has been preserved producing an effect which no planting could attain. There is a fine tennis court.
Scotchman's Brook
Scotchman's Brook flowed down Main Street May 17, 1916. It rises in the swamp back of the Parson Fletcher farm, through the ice pond excavated by P. C. Wiggin back of his residence, where he cut ice for several years; then through the Osborn woods which were a heavy white pine growth in 1860, and had been for years; thence from Wiggin's butchering establishment to the tanyard field, thence across Fletcher and Bourne street, under the corner of the Acme Theatre and diagonally across Main Street under the east end of the Ross Block, back of I. O.
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O. F. Block, across Water Street and into Mousam River, just above the dam. May 16 and 17, there was a very heavy rain, the local gauge registering 7.6 inches. Wednesday afternoon, May 17, the cellars of the Rice building, the Acme Theatre and Bowdoin's were filled. Bourne Street was full. The street on which borders the Curtis building was the bed of a madly rush- ing stream 18 in. deep. Main Street from :Curtis Lane to Water Street was covered by six inches of water. For a detailed ac- count and pictures, see the Kennebunk Star of May 19, 1916.
The Wedding Cake House of Kennebunk Landing
A well-known and described house is situated not far from the Kennebunk River and between the house of Parson Little on the north, built in 1752, and the Theodore Lyman house of about 1784, on the south. It was built by George W. Bourne, son of John Bourne, and a ship-builder, as was his father. Their ship- yard was between the house and the river. George W. and his brother-in-law, Henry Kingsbury, were the firm of Bourne and Kingsbury. George W. Bourne married Jane Jefferds, daughter of Samuel Jefferds, Jr. They had one daughter, Lucy, who mar- ried George W. Lord. The Wedding Cake house was built in 1826. (I don't know when named.) It is a brick house, painted yellow, nearly square. It was probably planned by Mr. Bourne and was thoroughly built. The ornamentation is of later date and it is said was largely Mr. Bourne's own work as he was not only a ship builder but a cabinet maker and wood carver. The barn and fence were ornamented to correspond with the house. It was probably the work of several years.
It has a good description in the "American Guide Series, Description of Maine."
There used to be nice cabinet work in the ships' cabins.
There is a sad adventure in connection with Mr. Bourne's life. On September 13, 1855, he and his daughter, Lucy, and his niece, Miss Elizabeth Bourne (daughter of Judge E. E. Bourne), a young woman of twenty-two, were at the Glen House in New Hampshire and planned to walk to the top of Mount Washington. This was before the building of the cog railway and the carriage road up which they made their way. It was the only means of reaching the summit, house, observatory and signal station being on top of the mountain. A's they started the
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sun shone brightly, but a thick cloud rested upon the summit. When near the top this cloud enveloped them and they encoun- tered a fierce wind. Making their way with difficulty they were within twenty rods of shelter when Elizabeth Bourne became ex- hausted. In the mist they were unaware of their nearness to the Summit House and Mr. Bourne assisted his niece a short way down the path looking for some protection. About twenty rods farther down she fell and died without recovering conscious- ness. It was supposed some weakness of the heart existed and that her death was due to the exhaustion of the climb and buf- feting of the wind. She was a great favorite and the whole town was saddened by her death. A monument to her memory planned for erection on the mountain, now stands in Hope Ceme- tery, Kennebunk.
Littlefield's Mills
Littlefield's Mills, now known as Bartlett's, was one of the early settlements of the Town. It is situated on the Kennebunk River. Grants were obtained from both Wells and Arundel but the larger settlement was on the Wells side. The Littlefields were descendants of Edmund. Later, the Kimballs were the pi- oneer settlers. On the Wells side were the Garrison houses. Richard Kimball opened the first grocery store. Nathaniel the first public house. He was also the first postmaster, May, 1775.
William Bartlett was born November 3, 1845, son of John and Dolly (Fogg) Bartlett. At the age of 16 he bought one-half interest in the sawmill on the southwestern side of Portland Street, just below the bridge. A little later he became sole owner and for 70 years manufactured boards, timber and slabs and operated a country store. The mill became known as Bart- lett's. The three-lane cement road to Biddeford beyond is now called Bartlett's Boulevard. Mr. Bartlett died November 24, 1931, aged 86 years. He is succeeded by his grandson, Robert Bartlett.
HISTORY OF ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT SITE
A Description of the Site of the Present Electric Light Plant and Its Surroundings, West Corner of Storer and Main. . Street, Kennebunk
The date when the first dam was built on or near the pres-
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ent upper dam, and how many there may have been, is a little uncertain. The first dams were low log structures and there were big freshets in those days. There was, no doubt, one there in 1757 when Col. Joseph Storer came to this part of Wells to make it his home, and there was a saw-mill at the eastern end. In the description of Kennebunk as it looked in 1790 the bridge was low, that is, near the water. The travelers going east went over a hill in front of the triangle then down over the bridge at Scotchman's Brook, then there was a hill in front of the Howard and Brown houses (this was plowed down in 1827). In front of Bourne Street was a swamp as shown by the corduroy road there when the electric wires were placed under ground. How the power was divided between Joseph Storer and Maj. Wm. Jef- fers from the upper dam I do not know. Perhaps not much change from 1790 to 1825, Jos. Storer operating or leasing the saw mill.
New Dam and Cotton Mill
In 1825 all of the mill property and land each side of the river was acquired by a Company incorporated as the Kenne- bunk Manufacturing Co. They built a new dam 26 inches higher than the old one and made preparations to build a cotton mill. This work was under the supervision of Jonathan Fisk, superin- tendent of the Kennebunk Manf. Co. Aaron Littlefield was mas- ter carpenter of the dam. The company had to pay $1800 flowage damages. This company had troubles of some sort and all of their property was sold at auction, in November and December, 1828.
Not much doing the next few years. In the spring of 1832 a new company was formed, the counting room built and a cotton mill. Date of its erection uncertain. This company was incor- porated in 1834 as the Mousam Manf. Co.
A new bridge was built over the Mousam river in 1830 un- der the supervision of Capt. Ralph Curtis. This bridge was built 17 feet farther up the river than the old one. Seventeen feet was taken from the lower end of the saw mill and I suppose that the same length added to the upper end. Probably the stone abutments at each end of the bridge were built at that time, as the bridge was built higher. It was a wooden bridge, pier in the center, sidewalk on the upper side.
Cotton Mill Destroyed in 1850
This left the old grist mill (date of building unknown) a
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little distance from Main Street. The street graded each side of the river to the new bridge. The saw mill was either operated by the company or leased. In June, 1843, there was a vote passed by the Mousam Mfg. Co. to take down the saw mill the ensuing fall and build a new one at the eastern end of the lower dam, also to fence the lot to define the bounds. This was prob- ably done. The cotton mlll of the M. M. Co. was destroyed by fire April 5, 1850. It was very near or on the site of the mill erected in 1878 for Griffin & Reed.
I have heard that Oliver Littlefield (a brother of Benaiah and Richard) had the first wood planer in town about 1844. If so, he must have had a mill to put it in where he could belt from a pulley on a shaft driven from a water wheel. No electric power then. I also know that he had a Sash, Blind and Door Factory on that site before 1851. I should guess that the wood working machinery was removed to the Pierson Tannery build- ing at the west end of the lower dam when the Warp Mill started.
Yarn Company Organized
No doubt the Mousam Mfg. Co. owned the land and power. Did they build a mill for him or did he lease the land and build it himself? Was the building that the Warp Co. put their ma- chinery in the same that he used for his factory? or did he move it and build them a new one? A company was organized in 1851 called the Warp Yarn Manf. Co. with a capital stock of $7,000. The company consisted of Jabez Smith, Oliver Littlefield, Joseph Titcomb, John A. Lord, Joseph Dane and George Mendum. Work started December 2, 1851, with John Colby as general manager. It was in operation several years, I don't know how many. In August, 1854, all of the property of the Mosuam Mfg. Co. was sold to William Lord for $25,000. Did this include the Warp Mill building?
Description of Corner, 1858-1860
The land and power was then owned by William Lord. Build- ings the Warp Mill next the river; store and tenement of Ivory Cousens. This building was later moved a little, then moved across Main Street to the west corner of Water Street where it was occupied by Charles Sleeper, then sold and moved across Water Stret, where it was the Old Corner Grocery of Geo. E.
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Cousens and was burned May 3, 1903. In the rear of this was the paint shop of Nathan Cook, now back of the present A. & P. store. On the corner of Main and Storer Streets was the coun- try store of John Cousens with a tenement in the second story. I do not know whether he built it or moved a building from some other location. He probably owned it as he moved it across Storer Street in 1870 to the western end of the triangle and from there in 1886 to Pleasant Street where it is now a tenement. The town then had a street or right of way to the river next to Mr. Dresser's field. The religious societies used to have baptisms there. The town relinquished this right in 1884 when the shoe shop wing was built. This was how it looked un- til 1865.
Warp Mill Remodelled
Mr. Lord sold all of this property in December, 1863, to Capt. Nathaniel L. Thompson, Joseph Dane, and Joseph Titcomb for $31,000. I do not know how long there were three partners. In the fall of 1865 Capt. Thompson commenced to remodel the Warp Mill. It was then a narrow building standing end to Main Street. Twenty-eight feet was built on the eastern side, the old roof taken off, a new one built side to Main Street, belfry and bell, new water wheel installed, new picker building in the rear. The whole plant let to Mr. Hewitt to spin cotton yarn. It was formerly called the Warp Mill, since then the Hewitt Mill. Mr. Hewitt occupied it several years, vacant a few years, then used by the Shoe String people until they moved to New Hampshire in 1878. I think that the Shoe Shop used it for storage. When the site was needed for the Main Street wing of the Shoe Shop (1885) it was removed to Water Street. The picker building is the store house in the rear. In 1889 it was remodeled for a tene- ment, then owned by R. W. Lord. It has since been known as the Kennebunk House.
Water Power Ownership
In 1873 a new upper dam was built by Capt. Thompson. In 1920 another dam was built. The water power is now owned by the Rogers Fibre Co. three-fifths, and Town of Kennebunk, two-fifths. The wooden bridge of 1830 was replaced in 1882 by an iron one, trussed above, sidewalk on upper side, pier removed. In 1906 the Electric R. R. extended their line to York and
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the iron bridge was moved up river four feet to make room for the railway tracks and the street grade was changed. It was raised about one foot at the eastern end, more at the western end. There was a fill of four feet at the entrance of the then Paper Mill yard. The top of the hill was cut down.
In 1921 the State Highway Commission and the Town built the present handsome concrete bridge with sidewalk each side. The bronze tablet on the southwest corner post is the exact cor- ner of the counting room built in 1832 by the Mousam Mfg. Co. and razed about 1920 by the Rogers Fibre Co.
Shoe Shop Built in 1877
In the summer of 1877 the Kennebunk Mill Co. was formed for the purpose of building a shoe shop. The lot corner of Main and Storer Streets was acquired. A building was erected 160 feet by 35 feet, four stories high, with boiler house at upper end. This was built by local carpenters and raised by Kennebunkport ship riggers. This was completed in December, 1877, and occu- pied by the Ventilating Waterproof Shoe Co., of Jos. Davis of Lynn, Mass., coming here from Mechanic Falls. I don't know when Mr. Davis bought or acquired control of the property.
In 1884 an ell was built on the upper end 60x60 feet, four- story. In 1885 the Hewitt Mill was removed to Water Street and another addition built, 50x72 feet, and a tower. To use a homely phrase, Mr. Davis bit off more than he could chew and he failed in 1891, Spinney & Co., assignees. I don't know the story of when the water power was divided at the upper dam, but there was this division: Eastern side, 2-5 to Shoe Shop, 1-5 to Grist and Colvin Mill, 2-5 to the mill on the western side. The build- ing over the head gates and flume, western side, not included.
Big Fire May 3, 1903
The Town bought the plant in 1893 for an Electric Light plant. The upper part was leased to the Mason Cobb Co. of Au- burn a few years, to Rice & Hutchins a few years. Vacant in the winter of 1903. Water drawn out of sprinkler. A hot box started a fire May 3, 1903.
The large Shoe shop, Grist mill, Colvin's mill, Old Corner Grocery store and Parsons block were entirely destroyed and other buildings badly scorched. The brick mill was erected in the summer of 1903. Basement used for light plant; upper part
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by the Goodall Matting Co. until 1909. In that year the mill was extended to Storer Street and leased to the Goodall Worsted Co. until 1927. It is now leased by the Kesslen Shoe Company. The Goodall Mill, a three-story brick building, was erected in 1918. A story was added in 1920. Kesslen Shoe Company leased one floor of Goodall building in November, 1929. The four-story building was purchased by the town in 1930. The old and new buildings are leased by the Kesslen Company.
On the corner of Water Street in 1912 N. L. Thompson, Jr., built what was then called Thompson's-at-the-Bridge. The site of this building was formerly Water Street location, changed about 1877 to make a straight street to the front of the Leatherboard Plant. The site of the Grist mill built in 1869, and of an older one built nobody knows when, has been vacant since the fire.
There is a tunnel under Main street where the old flume is. I do not know whether the Rogers Fibre Co. still owns the Grist mill site. If they do and have not sold it there is the right to one-fifth of the power of the upper dam from a flume under the Electric Light Plant according to the division made by Capt. Thompson. After the shoe shop fire the Paper mill used it all on the west side. Page 66 of Town Report, 1934, gives a record of the Plant since it was owned by the Town.
Day Street Schoolhouse of 1934
The site was formerly a part of Richard Gilpatrick's Fac- tory property which was sold to the Kennebunk Manf. Co. in 1825. The lot is on what used to be called the Sea Road, laid out in 1796, from the sea to the Village on the west side of the Jefferds Tavern. Charles F. Towne had a lot there and built a house before 1850. He removed from Kennebunk about 1860. He sold to Oliver Whitehouse, coming from Lyman. It was occupied by him and his heirs until the late 1870's. Arthur Clough lived there a short time. It was sold to Joseph Day. He did not live there, but he or some one for him, named the street Day Street. Loring S. Edgcomb lived there several years. Also Everett L. Littlefield and F. E. Hodge, whose heirs sold to the Town of Kennebunk for a site to replace the Swan Street schoolhouse of 1856. A brick building was erected in the summer of 1934, R. J. Grant, contractor. The Town voted March 7, 1938, to name it the Nathaniel Cousens School.
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Major Cousens' House
Ichabod Cousens, who had been living in that part of Wells now Kennebunk since 1745, cleared a part of the hill on the north side of Pleasant Street nearly opposite its present intersection with High Street and built the house that was known in later years as the Maj. Cousens house. It was a low, wide house, side to the street, front door in the center, a small porch on the western end. It had quite a sharp roof. The house was never painted. The barn was quite a distance west of the house, side to the road, and a shed perhaps half way between the house and barn. There was a large balm of Gilead tree in the barn yard next the street, west corner. The eaves of the barn were a fa- vorite nesting place for eaves swallows. It was the first house built on the western side of the river in the Village of Kenne- bunk and the History says that these were the only buildings there in 1775. Records in the office of the York County Registry of Deeds show that Ichabod Cousens and his wife, Ruth Cousens, sold to Nathaniel and Ichabod Cousens, Jr., the homestead, March 5, 1761. Nathaniel Cousens sold to Abner Cousens April 14, 1832. Nathaniel died Aug. 13, 1832, at the advanced age of 92 years. July 2, 1833, Abner Cousens sold to James Lord. No- vember 3, 1836, James and Isaac Lord sold to Alexander G. Fer- nald. June 11, 1874, Alexander Fernald Est. sold to Joseph Parsons. It was torn down in 1897 by Frank Parsons and the hill graded.
Mr. W. E. Barry says this of the old Cousens house:
"There has recently been demolished (1897) in this town a house of more than usual interest linking as it were the present with an historic past. We refer to the dwelling built in 1758 on the present High Street and formerly inhabited by Maj. Nathan- iel Cousens. It occupied a prominent site as was usual with old buildings and dominated the wide fields about it. Its roof was high and steeply pitched, a characteristic of houses of that early period. Their extreme peaks were sometimes used as granaries or garrets for the storing of the long braids of yellow corn. The timbers of this dwelling were as might be expected substantial, the corner posts being ten inches square, sufficient surely for a building of one and a half stories in height. In one portion of the house the floor boards were secured to the timbers with wooden pins.
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"There was an ample chimney nine feet square with several fireplaces. The bricks, as was customary in early days, were laid with clay mortar. The owner of this comfortable dwelling was one of the town's worthy and well known citizens. His name appears as one of the four selectmen of the town of Wells (this community being then included) in 1803. He had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War serving in Col. Joseph Storer's regiment; he also accompanied, as an under officer, the expedi- tion to Major Bagaduce, now Castine on the Penobscot, which ended so disastrously. 1
"Previously he had served as a sergeant in General Aber- crombie's expedition to Ticonderoga in the old French War of 1758, and possessing a knowledge of carpentry he assisted in the building of the one thousand batteaux in which the fifteen thou- sand English soldiers with their military belongings so gaily sailed down Lake George one July morning to attack the French and indeed they might have been successful had not, as Mont- calm's soldiers afterwards related, the Virgin Mary appeared on the parapets to help the French.
"Alas! our old buildings and the pleasing imagery of the past depart together."
YORK COUNTY COURT HOUSE
An effort was made in 1823-24-25 to secure the erection of the County buildings in Kennebunk. A site was offered by Joseph Storer between Storer and Fletcher Streets. A bond was given by several citizens that they would build the Court House and filed with the county treasurer. A vote of the Towns in the County was taken and a majority of the voters were in favor of Kennebunk. It went to the Legislature where evidently for po- litical reasons the vote was ignored and they voted to change to Alfred.
For a detailed description see Mr. Remich's history, pages 181-194.
ยท UNION ACADEMY
Union Academy. was built by subscription in the summer and fall of 1833, the Baptist Society taking the lead as it was con- sidered. a Baptist institution. It was built at the foot of Dane Street (then called Union Street) very nearly on the site of the present High school building (of 1894). The building was two
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stories high, painted white with green blinds. The four sided hip roof was ornamented with a handsome cupola. As a whole the Academy was unanimously called an ornament to the village. The broad side of the building faced Union Street with an en- trance at either end while in the center looking up the street were large green blinds in imitation of a door. Very pleasant must have been the impression of the outside world stamped on the minds of the first pupils of our High School as they gazed from the windows up through the green archway formed by the trees leading from the Academy to Main Street. The original amount of subscription for the land, academy fixtures, etc., was $2,849.95.
And upon the list of subscribers to this fund appear the fol -. lowing names familiar to many of our older citizens:
$300.00-Ralph Curtis.
$200.00-Benj. Smith, Wm. Lord, Ivory Lord ..
$100.00-Palmer Walker, George Lord, Horace Porter, Saml. Parks.
$50.00-James Titcomb, Joseph Storer, James and Ivory Lord, Gilpatric & Davis, James K. Remich, Benaiah Littlefield, Alpheus Shaw, Thomas Hammond, Joseph Noble.
$75.00-Barnabas Palmer.
$32.00 Joseph Porter.
$30.00-Bourne & Kingsbury.
$25.00-George W. Wells, Nath. M. Towle, Adam' McCulloch, Rufus Chase, Anthony Fernald, Danl. Burbank, Byron Green- ough, J. Pierce.
$20 00-Danl. Nason.
$10.00-Hosea Goodwin, Paul Junkins, " Humphrey Chad- bourne, James Hubbard, George Hussey, David Little, Isaac Fur -. bush, Levi P. Hillard, John Day, George F. Chaney, Cotton Owen, Wm. B. Stockbridge, D. Balch, Nathan Elden, Ellis B. Usher, Wm. Lord, Jr.
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