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 8
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Orthography of Mousam
The Annex was purchased in 1835 by Jonathan Stone of Kennebunkport, by whom it was fitted for a hotel, which was in successful operation in the fall of 1896. Mr. Stone had the word Mousam painted in large letters across the front of the building. The orthography of the word had not then been set- tled. It had been spelled Mousam-Mousom-Mousum. The painter had drawn out the letters "Mous" when he turned to Mr. Stone and inquired, "What is the next letter?" Mr. Stone did not know. Several of the old citizens were standing near and an appeal was made to them. They differed. Mr. Dane, Sen., was one of those standing near and he remarked that it was high time that the orthography of the word was established. "I pro- pose, gentlemen, that one of our number wait upon Daniel Rem- ich, submit the question to him, and his decision ever more be a finality." The proposition was seconded by Mr. Stone and those
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present. Mr. Remich in answer to the committee said that he had frequent occasion to write the word and had invariably spelled it M-o-u-s-a-m, not because he had any authority founded on a knowledge of the Indian dialect, but he regarded it as a smoother word when pronounced and more agreeable to the eye when written. The report of the committee was well received and the next letter was "a" which it has since been-Mousam.
Mr. Stone's health failed and within two years he relin- quished the business. He was succeeded by Simon L. Whitten and his father-in-law, Mr. Hinds (who came from Portland). They were there about two years. They were succeeded by B. Frank Goodwin, who in connection with his father, Hosea Good- win, had the contract for carrying the mails to and from the Eastern Depot, which was done in a passenger coach. Mr. Good- win bought it in 1847 and it was kept as a boarding house (not a hotel) until 1855, when he hung up the sign, Mousam House. It was kept as such until April 10, 1861, when he removed to the Jefferds Tavern, taking his sign with him and it has since been known as the Mousam House.
On the evening of Dec. 3, 1869, flames again swept through the walls of the Old Brick building and this time the walls crumbled. The Mousam House Annex on the eastern end and the stables and a store on Fletcher street were burned flat.
The Clark Mansion
The Clark mansion (residence of R. W. Lord) was built by Jonas Clark, first Collector of Customs for this District. This refers to the front or larger part, 54 ft. in length. The western face was sheathed with planed boards and adorned with Doric pilasters. The roof was balustraded and had a low attic story in the center with bow windows. When building, the owner was ad- vised to have an assembly room, as it was then called, or room for social occasions, which occupies one side entire of the first story, with recessed windows, shutters and seat; large fireplace with sandstone jambs and plain but dignified chimney piece. The hall was wide. The staircase was ample with a landing the whole width and above at the front a triple window with a seat as was then common. In this building as in others of the time of like cost the large windows were hung with weights. The L part of the house antedates the Revolution and once upon being
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repaired was found to have birchbark beneath the open points of clapboards and finish for a weatherproofing. An occupant of this small and eastern part of the house at this time was Moses Blais- dell, a forgeman, who owned three days rights at the Iron Works on Mousam River. (W. E. B.)
Dr. Samuel Emerson House, Pleasant Street
Dr. Samuel Emerson was born in Hollis, N. H., September 6, 1765. He was a fifer in the Revolutionary War at 11 years of age. He graduated at Harvard in 1785, studied medicine and settled in Kennebunk in 1790. Received the degree of M. D. from Harvard in 1824. He married Miss Olive Barrell of York in 1791. They had nine children. She died June 13 1844, aged 73. Sep- tember 24, 1844, he married Abigail, widow of Judge Thomas. He labored diligently in his profession for over sixty years and was present at the birth of over four thousand children. He died Au- gust 7, 1851, aged 86 years. He built, in 1798, the house now (1939) occupied by Mrs. Frank Parsons. It has a square double roof. He was very fond of music and had a small organ built into the wall of his house, traces of which are yet visible. Dur -. ing repairs to the building in later years when the sill was uncov. ered a copper cent of 1797, the date of the building of the house, rolled out (Mr. Barry). He was the first Worshipful Master of York Lodge of Masons.
While the record does not say, the lot was probably part of the lot cleared by Ichabod Cousens. It was a narrow lot extend- ing to the river, a short distance above the upper Wading place. The estate was sold to Joseph Parsons in 1855, and is still in pos. session of his family.
(By W. E. B.)
The Little House or First Parsonage
The Little House, or First Parsonage, at the Landing was built by the Rev. Daniel Little in 1752. (It is the next above the house now known as the Wedding Cake house.) It was occupied by the Rev. Little until about 1790 when he built another on the Sanford Road about a mile from the Village (later owned by Paul Stevens), where Mr. Little lived the rest of his life. He . died December 5, 1801.
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The Sanford road house was torn down about 1900. It was the next beyond Joseph Bragdon's.
Mr. Barry gives this decription of the first parsonage:
Two-storied houses were not common. Large moulded beams crossed its ceilings and posts obtruded in the corner of the rooms. Near the head of the front stairs were steps in a reverse posi- tion leading to a room in the rear. This was not an uncommon arrangement in early houses for reaching a room or hall. It ceased to be used as a minister's residence in 1791.
(I do not know the later owners and occupants.)
The Kingsbury House
The Kingsbury House at the Landing was built by Theodore Lyman, a merchant of the town, in 1784. It is one of the few houses in this place with a curb or gambrel roof and yet retain- ing the cumbersome hand-made sashes and small window panes. When the house was built the highway passed at the rear nearer the river. Like many ancient houses the rooms were not all fin- ished when the house was erected, but as circumstances or means permitted. Its lower western room has a fireplace ornamented with interesting English picture tales. In another room the fire- place wall was finished with panel but not any mantel. This was not uncommon in early times and an example may be seen in the Craigie or Longfellow house at Cambridge.
(The above is Mr. Barry's description.)
A picture of the house and description of Mr. Lyman may be found in Judge Bourne's History of Wells and Kennebunk, pages 494-495. Mr. Lyman left town in 1790.
In 1806 the house and shipyard were sold to John Bourne, who died June 6, 1837. His daughter, Julia Ann, married Henry Kingsbury, who in company with George W. Bourne were largely engaged in shipbuilding (Bourne & Kingsbury). Geo. W. Bourne built the Wedding Cake House.
The Kimball house (known as the Capt. John Clement Lord house), Summer street (its location now the U. S. Post Office) was one of the earliest houses of the town, the part facing the west having been built as nearly as can be ascertained in 1765, by James Kimball, who was a blacksmith and carried on his work nearby. At the site of the Town drinking fountain cinders from his forge have been found in recent years in excavating.
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The dwelling is of the style common before the dawn of the more prosperous era with low ceilings and generally comfortable ar ... rangement necessitated by heating from the open hearth. (W. E. B.)
See a description of the U. S. Post Office built on this site in . files of the Kennebunk Star of March 11, 1938. First occupied for business March 21, 1938.
Lexington Elms Set Out April 19, 1775
Thomas Cousens, son of Ichabod, had a house on the west corner before 1750. In 1770, Theodore Lyman occupied it but did not own it. He (Lyman) built about 1770 the two-story house in the upper story of which he lived. The lower story was a store. The Lyman house was removed to Zion's Hill about 1777 . and was occupied by Jacob Blaisdell, a forgeman at the Iron Works on Mousam River. The elm trees were set out April 19, . 1775, during the occupancy of Mr. Lyman, by him and James Kimball, the owner of the lot.
Nathaniel Frost came to Kennebunk in 1790 and opened a : country store near the Mills. He built the store afterwards . owned by James K. Remich in 1793. In 1799 he bought of James. . Kimball the lot now known as the Lexington Elms of about its present dimensions. In the same year, he married Abigail, daughter of James Kimball, and built the house the same year, Soon after the erection of the house he built a store near where the Cousens house stood. After his death, October 21, 1817, the store was occupied by Dan'l Sewell,-Moses Varney,-Edw. Gould and others. It was purchased by Chas. Herrick, moved to the eastern side of Fletcher street and used as a shoe shop; then by . Wm. Safford, hatter; John E. Staples, marble works; Chas. H., Lucas, also marble worker. Then it was moved across Fletcher .. street and was the meat shop of Chas. C. Perkins. Then moved . to Bourne street, and was the dwelling house of. Wm. P. Allison; Jr.
Capt. Frost was at one time captain of the Cavalry Co. July. . 4, 1809, he acted as marshal of the procession that was formed at Jefferds Tavern and marched to the Meeting House where there was an oration. The house was occupied a few years after his death by Thomas Drew. He was succeeded by Wm. B. Sewell. The estate was sold in 1828 to Joseph Storer, who hired carpen-
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ters from Portsmouth, N. H., and expended considerable money in repairs and alterations. It was then occupied a few years by his brother-in-law, Charles Cutts, Secretary of the United States Senate, Wm. Lord and others. Storer sold the property in 1832 to Isaac Lord of Effingham, N. H., who had purchased the Brick Store and it was occupied by his son, James Lord until April, 1854, when he sold to Capt. Noah Nason.
Capt. Nason built the front portico and the iron fence in front. The back field was at that time nearly all covered with apple trees. Capt. Nason sold it in August, 1863, to Dr. N. E. Smart and his son-in-law, Capt. Wm. Symonds. Dr. Smart died May 19, 1869. Capt. Symonds, wife and daughter, Miss Susan, were drowned in the English Channel, October 14, 1874, by the collision of their ship, the Kingsbridge, of which Capt. Symonds was master, with the ship Candahara. The Kingsbridge sailed from London, October 10, for Sydney, New South Wales. Mrs. Smart resided there until her death in 1879. She devised the estate to her nephew, Nathan Dane, Jr. He moved there Decem- ber 11, 1879. The balustrade was removed from the roof by Mr. Dane and the iron fence cut down. Mr. Dane sold the estate about 1900 to David Littlefield, who resided there until his death, January 12, 1905. It was then occupied by his son, W. O. Lit- tlefield, and his daughter, Mrs. Howe, until June, 1936, when it was sold to Edwin R. Marshall, president of the Old Colony Trust Co., Boston.
(The house was framed by Moses Littlefield. Thomas Eaton was the architect and builder.)
The Lexington Elms House (By, W. E. Barry)
May we now, hat in hand, enter the spacious dwelling. The front door swinging open we. view a wide, high wall of white well-moulded woodwork. On either side of it, however, is a com- modious room, height giving dignity to it, finished with dado. Wooden cornice and plain but genteel chimney piece of the era when the house was built. Such an apartment as lights well with ยท frazen-stemmed, marble-footed girandoles having glass prism pendants and not a few flickering candles. Returning to the hall to ascend the wide dadoed stairway with landing midway beneath which is an elliptical topped door going to the rear of the dwell-
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ing. We tarry for a moment to gaze at the slender balusters and fluted newel post itself a proof of eighteenth century work. As a verification of this, visit the Barnard Tavern, upon the Port -. land road. Reaching the top of the flight we see before us a wide Palladian window with window seat, a familiar characteristic of the better houses of the earlier time. Upon either side of the hallway upon this story is an airy chamber having clothes presses at its rear. Upon the eastern facade of the building the house wall continues in its full proportion and giving the mansion the form of an L furnished other chambers there, in this respect differing from some mansions of the time here.
Now is appended the long two-storied woodshed, also the barn, a custom then coming into vogue, as previously these utili- ties had been in the manner of detached buildings. In the base- ment of the house are the usual brick arches, ash pens, etc., in substantial form.
This house was at one time occupied by Wm. Lord, a pro- gressive young merchant of the Town, born in 1790. And here first saw the light of day his daughter, Sarah, a life long resi- dent of Kennebunk, and who when an infant and left to the care of a servant in this house was in jeopardy from a spark thrown out of the fireplace and igniting the linen of the cradle which stood nearby.
The Parsons House-The Only Three-Story House
John U. Parsons, a native of Parsonsfield, and a trader in Kennebunk, bought the buildings that were built by Caleb Bur- bank on the lot bought by Burbank of the Storer Brothers in 1793. Parsons converted the blacksmith shop into a store where he traded until about 1817 when he removed to the brick block. Mr. Parsons exchanged houses with Stephen Furbush about 1804. Furbush dwelt on the corner of Sewell Lane, now called Bourne Street. This exchange gave Parsons the ownership of all of the Main Street property from Perkins' to the eastern boundary of the Furbush lot.
Mr. Parsons married Mrs. Susanna Savery of Newburyport in February, 1804. In 1814, he built the house in the lane now occupied by Judge Bourne and moved into it the same year. Mra. Parsons died about six months afterwards, July 3, 1815. The house was built in all particulars, size, interior and exterior fin.
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ish, after the plans used in the erection of the house in which Mrs. Parsons dwelt in Newburyport which was destroyed in the great fire in that town a few years prior to her removal to this place. Mr. Parsons returned to Parsonsfield, failing health com- pelling him to relinquish business. He was a State Senator from York County in 1825. He died October 12, 1825, aged 55 years.
Daniel Sewell purchased the Parsons house and lot in 1815, coming here from York. The lot extended to Main Street until 1891 when the Main Street end was sold to Myrtle Lodge, K. of P. There was a lane extending to the house called Sewell lane. The field in front to Main Street was bordered by a neat hedge. Across the field diagonally flowed Scotchman's Brook and there was a winding path beyond to the front door.
Daniel Sewell was a lawyer, as was his son, William B. Sew- ell, who succeeded him. Wm. B. was born in York in 1782, grad- uated at Harvard in 1803, admitted to the bar in 1806. His first wife was Betsey Cross of Portland. His second was Maria Moody Gillpatrick, daughter of Richard Gillpatrick, married June 26, 1841. He died March 4, 1869, leaving no children. An interesting record of Dan'l and Wm. B. Sewell can be found in Remich's History. When Mrs. Sewell died he devised the prop- erty to her nephew, Edw. E. Bourne, Jr. It was occupied by him and his son, Herbert E. Bourne and now by his grandson, Judge Harold H. Bourne.
The street was named by the town Bourne Street and now extends to Parsons Street.
Moses Savery as a son-in-law of John U. Parsons and was born in Newburyport in 1792. He was a partner of Mr. Parsons in Kennebunk. He married June 5, 1821, Betsy Hamilton Clark, daughter of Judge Jonas Clark. He was worshipful master of York Lodge of Masons in 1822. He removed to Bangor where he died September 13, 1866.
Mr. F. P. Hall gives this record: He was a descendant of Duc de Rovigo of Italian descent, who was Field Marshal of France and Chief of Police under the first Empire. He desired greatly to partake of the exile of Napoleon, being a personal and interested friend.
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The Parsons House Where Judge Harold H. Bourne Now Lives (1938)
(Mr. Barry's Description of the House)
It was built by John U. Parsons in 1812. He was a merchant of this place and constrained to build this great house at the wish of his Lady. At this time it was the acme of ambition to build a three-storied mansion. This house was modeled from a similar one at Newburyport and was undoubtedly the finest dwelling ever erected in Kennebunk, with its wide hall, side en- try with arched ceiling, elaborately finished spiral staircase of three flights with paneled splayed window and tall clock niche, airy well finished room, lofty cellars, balustraded roof and ter- raced lawn and long approach from the street. The present portico was a later addition. Longfellow's verse says:
A little back from the village street
Stands the old-fashioned country seat,
Across its antique portico tall poplar trees Their shadows throw.
Blocks and Lots
The History of the Mason Block, built in 1878, by Capt. John Frank Mason of Kennebunkport.
The Sargent-Ross Block, built in 1881-2 by J. W. Sargent and Dr. F. M. Ross. Destroyed by fire March 5, 1895.
The Ross Block built in the Summer of 1895, two stories, a third story added in 1901.
The I. O. O. F. Block, built in the Fall and Winter of 1895-96 by Mousam Lodge, No. 26, I. O. O. F.
A description of the lots on which these blocks were built may be of interest as they are closely connected.
The first record is in the description of Kennebunk as it looked in 1790 by Mr. Walker in his Centennial Address. He says that Dominicus Lord had a blacksmith shop where the I. O. O. F. block now is. The next record of the lot is that Michael Wise built a house on it in 1792 in which year he married Han -. nah, daughter of Nathaniel Kimball. He occupied it until his death in 1833, aged 67. His widow married Capt. Jeremiah Paul, who purchased the homestead and resided there until his death, when it became the property of his daughter, Abiah Paul of Ken -.
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nebunkport. She married Benj. F. Mason. The next owner was their son, Capt. John Frank Mason. Wise built a store a short distance east of the house about 1793 which was used as such for several years.
About 1833, a small building was moved from the triangle where it was built by Tobias Lord, to the Wise lot, occupying the site of the present Mason Block or rather a small part of it, and was used for many different purposes such as barber shop, harness making, dry goods store, cobbler's, and other uses. It was purchased about 1878 by H. F. Curtis and moved up Main street to nearly the corner of Fletcher Street and has been described there. The Wise store became the wheelwright shop of Rev. N. K. Sargent and his son, J. W., who also made coffins and per- formed the duties of undertaker. The second story was the car- riage and painting shop of Joseph Sargent, with a long slip at the western end. There was a small building east of the store, the shop of Mr. Brown.
There was a building on the corner of Curtis Lane (now Grove Street) built about 1800 which was the bake shop of Benj. Smith, Sen .; later the carpenter shop of Orrin Kimbail and Joseph Day. This building was bought by Dr. F. M. Ross, re- modeled for an apothecary store and office.
This building, the Brown building and former Wise store were destroyed by fire April 30, 1881. Mr. J. W. Sargent was then the owner of the old Wise store which he had remodeled for a restaurant for Geo. P. Lowell. The Wise house had several tenants who did not own it. About 1876, Capt. J. F. Mason re- moved from Kennebunkport and occupied it several years. Dur- ing that time (about 1878) he sold the small building and built what has been known as the Mason block, a two-story building, three stores in first story, offices in second story. It is now owned by E. I. Downing.
Capt. Mason died October 14, 1879. He was born at Kenne- bunkport December 22, 1818. He married Jane Lord of Kenne- bunk. After his death the old Wise house and Mason block be- came the property of his daughter, Mrs. Jennie L. Moody of Ken- mebunkport and Brunswick, Maine, wife of Professor Wm. Moody of Bowdoin college. After a few years she sold to Edgar C. Damon, who owned it several years and had different tenants.
On the site of the buildings burned April 30, 1881, and cov- ering both lots, Mr. J. W. Sargent and Dr. F. M. Ross erected
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in the Fall of 1881, what was known as the Sargent-Ross block, two-story with a mansard roof. In the first story, western end, was the Post Office removed from where is now the news stand, A. W. Mendum, Postmaster; the middle store, J. H. Otis, statico- ery and papers; the eastern end, apothecary store and office of Dr. Ross. Second story, club rooms and offices. The Kennebunk Library's first reading room was on this floor. Third story, the lodge room of Mousam Lodge of Odd Fellows and Webster Post, G. A. R. The Post vacated in 1883 and the rooms they had were occupied by the Eastern Star Printing Co. until 1888 when the printing office was removed to Water Street and the I. O. O. F. Lodges occupied all of the third story. In the early morning of March 5, 1895, the alarm of fire was given and when daylight came the Sargent-Ross block was a mass of smouldering ruins. The fire caught in the Otis store, center of the building, and en- trance to the second and third stories was cut off. The I. O. O. F. records were in a small safe in the hall and were saved.
The Rebekah Lodge was named Olive for Mrs. Morton. She had given them a set of officers' jewels for the officers' regalia. These were all found in the ashes in good condition. While the block was burning, the trustees of Myrtle Lodge, K. of P., ten- dered the use of their hall to the trustees of Mousam Lodge for Lodge meetings which was accepted and the I. O. O. F. Lodges met in K. P. hall for a little over a year.
Mr. J. W. Sargent, one of the owners of the block burned and that part of the lot which was the old Wise store, died June 24, 1884, and that part of the lot belonged to his widow. She sold the lot to Dr. F. M. Ross. Dr. Ross erected a brick block covering both lots in the summer of 1895. (Scotchman's Broek flows diagonally under the east corner.) It was only built two- story that summer. The Post Office was in the eastern end. Dr. Ross' office was in back, in first story; the middle store, J. H. Otis; west end, G. W. Larrabee. Second story, offices and rooms. In 1901 a third story was added for the Masonic bodies. It was dedicated May 28, 1902. York Lodge, Murray Royal Arch Chap- ter, St. Amand Commandery, Knights Templar. June 11, 1907, Madonna Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star was organized. After the death of Dr. Ross, the block was sold to E. C. Snow- don and George W. Larrabee.
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I .O. O. F. Block
The Odd Fellows had been considering for several years buy- ing a lot and building a block or hall and a committee had been appointed. That committee was now enlarged and given power to act. The committee organized with W. H. Cloudman, chair- man, and George A. Gilpatric, secretary. Many meetings were held and there was much discussion as to lots. It was finally voted to incorporate the lodge and buy of Mr. Damon all his property, except the Mason Block. This also included a small building east of the house, occupied by J. W. Barker as a jewelry store. Plans were prepared, the lot cleared, the Wise house moved back and fitted for two tenants. The Trustees of the Lodge were appointed as the Building Committee. They were George A. Gilpatric, W. H. Cloudman and F. C. Simonds. The funds were furnished by members of the Lodge on notes signed by the trustees, which were all paid several years ago.
The Taylor House
"The Taylor house, residence of Mrs. S. C. Perkins, was built by Wm. Taylor in 1803. It is a large, square house with a door in the center of each of its four sides, and oaken king post in the attic. An inside brick underpinning, an outside granite underpinning with air space between, and a double line of hewn pine sills around the entire circuit. The chimneys and hearth rest upon deep brick arches. On the east side was formerly a brick paneled veranda or platform. Within, two of the apart- ments are finished with high mantels, dadoes and cornices den- tiled and each decorated with small ornaments, such as vases, rosettes, festoons, a figure of Ceres in her chariot, etc., done in London putty, this being a 19th century substitute for wood carv- ing. During the War of 1812, the house was occupied by two families, the head of one of which was a Privateersman."-W. E. Barry.
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