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 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
The house was sold to Capt. Charles W. Williams, who re- sided there until his death in 1860, aged 80 years. Next by his son, Capt. Claudius Williams. He sold about 1873 to Mrs. Sarah Perkins, who made some additions and alterations. On her death it became the property of her son, Wm. E. Barry. (See record of Summer Street.)
95
The Wallingford House
The Wallingford house, York Street, nearly opposite Swan Street, and back from the street, was built by George W. Wal- lingford, Sen., in 1804. Its site was then a blueberry pasture. Mr. Barry gives this description: "This house was constructed in the best manner with outside underpinning lined on the inside with brick for warmth. Plastering between the outside wall stud- ding throughout for the same purpose, as well as the usual plas- tering inside. The upper surface of the sills was strewn with tin scraps to prevent rats and mice from rising. It was provided with seven fireplaces, large brick oven, smoke closet, etc. The land about the house was planted with wheat. On the walls of the two principal rooms was scenic paper, one being a view of the Bay of Naples and Virgil's Tomb. To the west of the house, in the War of 1812, was a camp of U. S. recruits. Mr. Walling- ford was appointed paymaster for them."
George W. Wallingford, Sen., came from Somersworth, N. H., about 1800. (His father was a Captain in the Revolutionary War and was killed in an engagement with the British.) George W. (son) graduated at Harvard College in 1795 (then being but 17 years of age). He studied law, was admitted to the Bar and opened an office in Kennebunk. He was for several years a rep- resentative to the Legislature of Massachusetts. In 1806, he married Miss Abigail Chadbourne of Berwick. They had one daughter who married Dr. Dow of Dover. His wife died January 1, 1808, aged 23 years. In 1815, he married Miss Mary Fisher, daughter of Dr. Jacob Fisher, by whom he had five children: Lucretia married Francis E. Sabine of Bangor; Geo. W., Jr., mar- ried Mrs. Mary E. Pettingill, sister of M. H. Ford; Olive not married; Sophia married Benj. Smith, Jr .; Helen married first Dr. Hooper. They had two children: Florence W. married Wm. E. Barry, and Josephine. Helen married, second husband, Edwin C. Frost.
George W., Sen., died January 19, 1824, in the 49th year of his age. His widow married Dr. James Dorrance. His son, Lem- uel K. Dorrance, a civil engineer, was living at the Wallingford house about 1860 and later.
George W. Wallingford, Jr., was an insurance agent and had several other occupations. He was, I suppose, the best penman that ever lived in Kennebunk. The letters were perfect and all
96
the same angle. He died June 3, 1878, aged 63. Mr. Barry owned and occupied the house several years after 1882. Then other owners. Now owned by Louis Korn. Thomas Eaton was the architect and builder.
Washington Hall
In 1805, James Kimball and Parker Webster built a building 63 ft. long, two-story, between James Kimball's house and the County road. In the first story were two stores which had many different occupants. In the second story was a hall first called Webster's then Assembly, and after 1812, Washington Hall. It was used for lectures and entertainments. The first Masonic meeting held in Kennebunk was in this hall. In 1823 Webster sold the western part of the building to John Skeele. He sold to Phineas Stevens, who built an annex with a circular window which was his jewelry store. In the second story was the law office of Edw. E. Bourne and the Selectmen's room. After 1858, Town Meetings were held in this hall. The building was de- stroyed by fire November 26, 1866. April 27, 1867, the Town voted to buy the lot and build a Town Hall which was built in 1867-68, two-story. The second story was partially owned by the Town. The building was dedicated in the fall of 1868. In 1892 the Town bought the shares of the hall owners and enlarged the building. It was destroyed by fire March 1, 1920. (See Summer Street.)
Jefferds Tavern (Description by Mr. W. E. Barry)
The Jefferds Tavern (hotel) was built by Mr. Wm. Jefferds shortly before the year 1800. Enlarged to a three-storied build- ing with a long dance hall added later. This house was finished in the good style of the time with paneled dadoes, staircase with scrolls and parlor cornice worked with a fret. At the east end outside the ground was flagged with large stones and a commo- dions stable accommodated the horses of the Eastern Stage Co. The land on which the house stands was cleared by Dominicus Lord at the commencement of the Revolution, and it is said that the historic Lexington Elms were transplanted from this lot. In the time of the threatened Madawaska War, Gen. Winfield
MOUSAM HOUSE,
MOUSAM HOUSE ON TAVERN HILL
Jefferds Tavern prior to April 10, 1861. Built shortly before 1800. Razed 1936.
97
Scott hastily drove up to the Tavern door with long cloak and chapeau with plume, refreshed himself with a glass of wine and an egg, reposed on a long sofa in the hall while his horses were being changed, and then continued on to the seat of disturbance. The settee or sofa thus made so famous was in the possession of Mr. Henry F. Curtis of this place for many years.
Revised history of the Jefferds Tavern:
It is generally supposed that the elm trees on the opposite side of the street from the Ocean Bank and the Monument lot on Main Street, in Kennebunk, were set out April 19, 1775, by James Kimball, Jr., and Theodore Lyman, who transplanted them from the site of the Jefferds Tavern. Mr. Remich's His- tory, page 118, says: That on April 19, 1775, the day so memora- ble in our national history, the late Dominicus Lord who had purchased the lot now known as Tavern hill, commenced the work of clearing it, felling trees, drawing logs to the mill, cut- ting and piling wood, etc. (It was slow work.) In 1784, in which year he married Mary Currier, he had prepared a com- fortable one-story dwelling in which they lived until 1791, when he sold to Wm. Jefferds (see the record of Mr. Jefferds on another page). Mr. Jefferds at once opened it as a public house; busi- ness increasing he added a second story and later raised the roof making a third story. (The hall and ell is a later addition.) Maj Wm. Jefferds was the landlord until 1814 when he was suc- ceeded by his son, Capt. George Jefferds, who managed it until his death in 1823. Maj. Wm. had died April 28, 1820. In the division of Maj. Wm.'s estate, the hotel property evidently be- came the property of his son, Wm. Jefferds, a sea captain and ship builder at Kennebunkport (he married Sarah Walker). Soon after the death of Capt. George, the hotel was sold to Capt. John Hovey. He did not manage it himself, but let or leased it. His first tenant was Nathaniel M. Towle, who came here from New Hampshire. He was the landlord for ten years or more (I do not know exact dates). Mr. Towle's wife died soon after he came here. His second wife was a daughter of Nathaniel Jef- ferds. I haven't exact dates, but sometime in the 1830's. Mr. Towle removed to Saco and was succeeded by Isaac Hilton from Standish, Maine. Mr. Hilton died in 1851 according to the rec- ord on his tombstone (his daughter was Hartley Lord's first wife). From this time until the death of Capt. Hovey in 1855, we have no record. April 30, 1856, the hotel was sold to Capt.
98
Wm. Lord, Jr., Captains George and Ivory Lord and Mr. Wm. Lord, who let it to Edmund Warren, who also had the stage route to the R. R. Depot.
April 10, 1861, the history of this hotel as the Jefferds Tav- ern ends. On this date Mr. B. F. Goodwin, who had been the landlord of the Mousam House, west corner of Main and Fletcher Streets, removed from that location taking his sign with him and the Jefferds Tavern then became the Mousam House (the previous history of the Mousam House can be found in the his- tory of the old Brick Block). Mr. Goodwin was the landlord about two years, followed by Woodbury A. Hall. The next owner of the property was Lorenzo Parsons, who bought about 1870. He built the piazza and portico. He sold to John C. Baker of Port- land. After his death a man named Goodwin from Sanford; then George C. Twing, and George Bonser and son. After Mr. Bonser it was bought by Charles C. Tibbetts and wife from Nor- way, Maine, in 1889. It was later leased to Charles E. Sawyer, who managed it about five years. Next was Daniel H. Swan. Mr. Tibbetts died December 17, 1907. Mrs. Tibbetts returned to Kennebunk in the late '90's and managed the hotel until her health gave out. It was leased or sold for a filling station in 1936. The hotel was razed, the road straightened, the ground graded and the station built in 1937. Now there is no trace of the old landmark.
Ocean Bank
The Ocean Bank was organized May 25, 1854, with Joseph Titcomb, President; Christopher Littlefield, Cashier. The first banking room was in the second story of the Brick Block built by Waterston and Pray, front room, west end, outside stairway en- trance. The building was destroyed by fire, December 3, 1869. Brick banking house was built on same site in the summer of 1870.
Kennebunk Savings Bank was organized 1871. Annex built on east side of building for the Saving department about 1903.
Building razed and the present handsome banking house was built on the same site for both departments in 1929. Hutchins and French were the architects.
99
The Public Library
East corner of Fletcher Street and fronting on Main Street, Kennebunk.
It was organized April 24, 1892. The first reading room was in the Sargent-Ross Block. Jan. 1, 1888, Mr. Andrew Walker gave his store and lot (next west of the block of Mr. William Lord) to the Library Association for a Public Library. It was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies in Mousam Hall, October 28, 1888. November, 1900, he gave the Association a legacy of $10,000. The present building is on the site of the Osborn store and house, and was built in 1906-7. Dedicated August 2, 1907, Old Home Week, with public ceremonies. It is the gift of Mr. George Parsons. Franklin H. Hutchins, son of a Kennebunk woman, was the architect.
The Warren Block and a Section of Main Street
The second brick block in Kennebunk on the west corner of Green street, close to the sidewalk, was built about 1818 by Abial Kelly and Alexander Warren on land which they bought of Capt. Wm. Taylor. About 1860 it was occupied by Mr. Warren, east- ern end, apothecary. He was succeeded by Dr. L. Richards. In the western end was Wm. Downing, dry goods, followed by F. P. Hall, E. A. Fairfield, grocer, and perhaps others. The second story was the insurance office of Wm. F. Lord. The doorway in the center has over the door "Kennebunk Mutual Fire Insurance." The Masons occupied the third story 1856 to 1888. When the lot was cleared for the Town Hall (1920) the block was sold to Don Chamberlin who had it moved across Green Street to the back of the Palmer Walker store where it is a garage and tenements.
Green Street was laid out about 1800. The store, on the east corner was built in 1818 and was the harness shop and salesroom of Palmer Walker. In 1825, Abial Kelley, Jr., built a long one- story building back of this store and fitted it with stalls and tie ups for teams. The teamsters had accommodations in the cellar of the Warren block (those who came from the back towns with ship timber).
The next building west on Main Street was built by Na- thaniel Frost in 1793. For many years it was the printing office of James K. Remich and the book store of his son, Daniel Rem- ich. Now a tenement.
Next the Brick Block of Mr. Wm. Lord and used by him for
100
a store many years; then by Isaac Furbush and Capt. Tobias Nason and others. Now the office of the Water Company. The next was erected in 1810 by Col Enoch Hardy and used by him many years as a tobacco factory. It has been the furniture store of Andrew Walker and also used by the Public Library. Now owned by Don Chamberlin. The next was built by Sam'l Clark on the corner of Water Street; sold to John Roberts for a meat store; then to Chas. Sleeper, by him to Don Chamberlin. We now come to the White Store, as it was called, on the corner of what is now Dane Street, which shows why Dane Street does not run straight to Main Street. It was called the White Store. It was painted white, others were yellow. October 9, 1813, James Kimball sold to Moses Savery 50 ft. front, 75 ft. deep, parallel to Col. Hardy's lot. The store was probably built in 1814, the brick part later. It has had many different occupants.
101
CHAPTER IX
ITEMS OF TOWN HISTORY
Cemeteries-A Section of Main Street Revised-The John Cous- ens House-The Kennebunk Fire Society-Moses Littlefield and His Times (W. E. Barry)-The Rogers Estate Scotch- man's Brook-The Wedding Cake House-Bartlett's-Elec- tric Plant Site-The Day Street Schoolhouse Site-The Icha- bod Cousens House, High Street, Later called the Maj. Na- thaniel Cousens House.
Cemeteries in Kennebunk
The old records say that in the early days before 1750, nearly all of the deceased were buried near the Larrabee Garrison. Many of those graves were to be seen when the Kennebunkport R. R. was built. Later there were many private burying grounds on the farms or several small lots together. I know of quite a number, but there is now no means of telling who were buried there. Only field stones were used to mark the graves. There were no engraved stones for many years. There was one in front of the house of Wm. W, Wise. The bodies were all removed. One was a little east of the house of Hartley Lord; one a little above the B. & M. R. R., Summer Street. Bodies all removed. One near the intersection of the Sanford road and the road to upper Cat Mousam. It is enclosed with stone posts and iron rails. There are many bushes now but many graves and some stones with inscriptions. John (Hooker) Mitchell and family are there and other Mitchells and Hatches.
There is one in the Parsons field back of where E. I. Down- ing lives and supposed to be of the Cousens family, Maj. Na- thaniel and others. The location is hard to trace now.
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a small burial lot near the Unitarian Church, owned by John Low. The first burial there was the widow of Col. Joseph Storer, who died in 1790. It was the custom in those days to bury all except criminals with the head to the west. (Col. Storer died in the Army at Albany and was probably buried there.) In the year 1816. Mr. Low sold three-fourths of an acre, including this lot, to Joseph Porter, Stephen Smith, Joseph Dane, James Clark,
102
Daniel Sewell and others, who organized the Kennebunk Burial Ground, now known as the Old Cemetery, with Jacob Fisher, Joseph Porter and Saml. Hodskins as the Prudential Committee.
Hope Cemetery Corporation
It was incorporated in 1854 with the following officers: George Wise, president; Edw. W. Morton, clerk and treasurer; Wm. Lord, Chas. Thompson and George W. Bourne, directors. October, 1854, Hope Cemetery Corporation bought of John and James Osborn six acres of land. A road was built across the low ground that fall. My father, Ivory Gilpatric, built the road with his ox-team. I remeber when he and my brother John worked there. All of the bodies buried there have been put there since I can remember. Many of them of course are removals from other cemeteries.
November 15, 1854, was the first sale of lots. The first burial was the removal of the bodies of George Wise's family. After the lot was laid out the Osborn family built a lot in the pasture, upper end, later it became in the cemetery.
The first receiving tomb was built in 1863. The present one in 1905. The handsome stone gateway entrance was given by Hartley Lord in 1904; before that there were wooden gates. There have been many additions to the cemetery grounds and handsome monuments erected and many bodies brought from pri- vate cemeteries.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, York Street
Incorporated Nov. 21, 1843. The members were Ralph Cur- tis, Jabez Smith, Parker Fall, Peter S. Holden, Abel M. Bryant, Nath. K. Sargent, Charles Fairfield, Charles F. Towne, Robert Hardy, Orrin Kimball, Samuel Clark, A. L. Bedee, Mark Prime, Benaiah Littlefield, James Larrabee, Samuel Kimball. The ceme- tery lot was eight rods wide, front; 20 rods deep. Lots were sold for $6.00 each, bid for choice. Many bodies have been removed from here to Hope. Some still buried here.
Pine Grove Cemetery at West Kennebunk, incorporated May 17, 1897.
Evergreen Cemetery at the Landing, incorporated November 3, 1877. (Formerly the Titcomb Cemetery, Aug. 28, 1876.)
Nearly every road leading from the Village has several pri- vate burying grounds of one or more families. I know of six on Cat Mousam road. The Alfred and Alewive have several large ones.
103
The first hearse was built by N. K. Sargent in 1855. Cost $175.00. The second also built by him, $475.00, in 1878. They were owned by a private company with a hearse house back of the Unitarian church. Cost was paid by subscription. A fee was charged for use. It was sold to C. H. Lucas and became a part of his funeral equipment.
A Section of Main Street (Revised)
The John Cousens house (so-called) on Main Street recently. sold (September, 1938) to the Tidewater Oil Co. Service Station stands on the east end of a lot bought of the Storer brothers, sons of Col. Joseph Storer, in 1793, by Caleb Burbank. He erected a blacksmith shop on the western end which he operated a few years; on the eastern end a dwelling house where he re- sided. After living there 10 or 12 years, Burbank sold to John U. Parsons. He converted the blacksmith shop into a store where he traded several years until about 1817, when he removed to the Brick block of Waterston and Pray. Soon after this the store that he had occupied was sold and moved to Pleasant Street where it now stands, known as the Simon Ross house. After Mr. Parsons moved he sold the property to Joseph G. Moody, who resided there until he moved to Augusta. To the spot made va- cant by the removal of the Parsons store he moved his father's store from about opposite James Titcomb's and traded there several years. He was succeeded by Andrew and Palmer Walker in partnership, 1835 to 1844; then by Andrew until 1856. The Post Office was here 1857 to 1882; the Mousam Water Co. office several years, and Miss Rice's fancy goods store. Remodeled and is now the Hill news stand. In the second story are the law offices of Harold H. Bourne and Ralph Andrews. (I have given these items as the building was on the original lot bought of the Storers and owned by the same parties.) Moody sold this prop- erty to John Cousens, who enlarged the dwelling house on the eastern end of the lot, making a two tenement house. He re- sided in the western end during his lifetime. The other end had various tenants. Simon L. Whitten lived there many years. Mr. Cousens died July 19, 1894, aged 79 years. His wife was Sylvia Haley. They had three daughters. Orilla married Still- man F. Rice; Eliza Ellen married Chas. D. Tripp; Susan married George Roberts. His son-in-law, Stillman F. Rice, succeeded him in the house. Mr. Rice died Nov. 12, 1912, aged 64, leaving one daughter, Florence (Mrs. Walter H. Hobbs). John was the son
104
of James and Hannah (Webber) Cousens, born July 13, 1816. James and Hannah had 15 children (three pairs of twins). There seems to be an error in the book "The Village of Kenne- bunk, Me." page 14, in which the statement is made that the John Cousens house was formerly the store of Joseph Moody and stood opposite the house of James Titcomb. That store was the building on the west end of the lot now the news stand. The house, or the first unit of it, was built by Caleb Burbank.
The Kennebunk Fire Society
The first volume of the records began thus: "Kennebunk, Monday, 10th Feb., 1812." But it is evident that there had been something before that time as there are buckets in existence dated 1803. The Society organized by the choice of Joseph Thomas, president, and other officers.
The first record books have unfortunately been burned. Each member had to have two buckets and ladders. The Society started with 34 members, and on several occasions rendered effi- cient service. The last fire at which the buckets were used was at the burning of John Roberts' barn, Sept. 27, 1878. The fire started in the barn which was connected with the'ell of the house by a long shed. The fire engine pumped the well drv, then two lines were formed to the river with buckets, one filled and the other empty, and supplied water for the engine. The fire was stopped in the shed and the house saved. The writer of this sketch stood in the river and filled buckets that night.
In the first years of the Society the members had their an- nual suppers at the Jefferds Tavern; later they included their wives. When I joined in 1876, it was the leading social event of the season each November. The meetings were held in Mousam Hall with supper in the hall below. After the business meeting, supper, a social hour, an entertainment. At that time there were members of the old days. Joseph Dane was president; Rob- ert W. Lord, secretary. Later the officers served only two years. I had my turn in 1911 and '12. One of the interesting events of the evening was the report of the historian, usually some inci- dent of town history. Probably not many of them are now in existence, but I have one by Mr. W. E. Barry in the early 1900's which was printed in the Kennebunk Star, title "Moses Little- field and His Times." It gives a sketch of the early life in Kennebunk. I give extracts from his paper. His paper gave a
105
genealogical sketch of Moses' descent from Edmund Littlefield, one of the earliest settlers of Wells.
"Moses Littlefield and His Times"
(Paper by Wm. E. Barry at Kennebunk Fire Society)
"His house was in the lane left side of Cat Mousam road, just below Jones' hill. To this spot came Moses Littlefield with his family from Ogunquit (after a short intermediary residence in Alewive) in 1783 and built a one-storied house, 22 ft. square. The frame was raised and boarded but not a shingle nor a clap- board was upon the building. He first took possession of this house in the month of December and during the night of the day following this event, a foot of snow fell. In the morning when the head of the family arose and built a fire in the large old-fashioned fireplace, then universal, the snow upon the roof began to melt and the water to trickle down upon the wife and children below. This discomfort they could not endure and con- sequently after scraping the snow from the roof the father ob- tained the loan of a neighbor's yoke of oxen and visiting a mill not far distant, returned with a load of log sidings with which he battened the roof.
"Mr. Littlefield's family at this time consisted besides him- self of his wife and five small children. Only one of these, Aaron, remained in Kennebunk. He built the present building and al- ways remained in Kennebunk; he built the spacious farmhouse of the style in use nearly 100 years ago. This house was built in 1804. We will for a moment picture the Kennebunk of that neighborhood and time. On the hill where is now Mr. Thatcher Jones' house was in 1783 a still earlier building. On the level land below Moses Littlefield's farm was yet another house. A dwelling also stood near the Cat Mousam Mill, not far above the farm and one or two houses were upon the present cross-road where is now the ancient Stevens homestead. Although hearths were being planted so commonly then, the four-footed residents of the woods had not deserted their ancient territory. When Moses Littlefield built his rustic dwelling deer, wolves, bears and moose were in the vicinity and often seen. About this time a neighbor of Mr. Littlefield, Mr. Saml. Mitchell, was so fortunate ยท as to bring down two deer at one shot at about 80 yards distant. "At this time, Mr. John Webber, a citizen of the town, was
106
engaged in sawing logs at the Cat Mousam Mill. His home was nearly one and a half miles distant from the mill near what is now known as the Maddox plains. It was the custom of Mr. Webber's wife and young son, Obadiah, to visit the mill in the afternoon and remain until the father went home at night. One day as they were returning home at about dusk the growl of a wolf was heard and presently the growls of other wolves. They were soon surrounded by these animals, but Mr. Webber, although armed with but an axe, was strong and active, and constantly encircled his wife and boy, flourishing the weapon. With every circle some progress was made and ere long home was reached in safety.
"On one occasion, not long after the close of the Revolution, Moses Littlefield and his wife were returning on horseback from a visit to Alfred in Winter, the ground being covered with snow two feet deep. As they neared the locality of the present Plains schoolhouse, they discovered a moose leisurely trotting along in the road in advance of them. He continued this pace for a short time, but presently discovering the riders tossed up his head and dashed into the woods, making a great crashing in the crust which was only partially strong enough to support him." (Mr. Barry then gives a family history.)
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.