USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > The village of Kennebunk, Maine : interesting facts from old documents and maps, and observations by the author > Part 3
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DIRECTORY OF KENNEBUNK, 1860
Town Clerk-George W. Wallingford.
Selectmen-Edw. W. Morton, Seth E. Bryant, Jos. A. Haley. Treasurer-Andrew Walker.
Clergymen-Rev. Joshua A. Swan, Unitarian; Rev. Franklin Fellows, Orthodox; Rev. Edmund Worth, Baptist; Rev. A. R. Sylvester, Methodist.
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Lawyers-Judge Edw. E. Bourne, Wm. B. Sewall, Joseph Dane, James M. Stone, Edw. E. Bourne, Jr.
Physicians-N. E. Smart, Orren Ross, Lemuel Richards, Edw. W. Morton, Chas. M. Sweat.
Ocean Bank-Joseph Titcomb, President; Christopher Little- field, Cashier.
School Teachers-Timothy B. Ross, Grammar; Misses Kimball and Taylor, Primary. Miss Gilman and Miss Mendum, private schools.
Post Master-William Fairfield.
Traders-John Cousens, John Osborn & Co., Isaac Furbush, Edw. C. Frost, William Downing, Benj. Perkins, George W. Hardy, Samuel Clark, John Cobby, Alvin Stevens, Chas. L. Dresser, Joseph Getchell, Col. Wm. L. Thompson, Daniel Rem- ich, Andrew Walker, Palmer Walker, Phineas Stevens, Charles Herrick, L. K. & J. Wells, Julia Webber, William Safford; Simon L. Whitten, tailor; Dr. L. Richards, apothecary.
Contractors and Builders-Benaiah Littlefield & Sons, Kimball and Day.
Blacksmiths-Daniel and Richard Gilpatric, -,- Kenney, John Downing, Benj. Furbush.
Foundry and Plow Manf .- Timothy Varney and Sons.
Carriage Maker and Wheelwright-Rev. N. K. Sargent, Alfred Littlefield, Dan'l Durrell.
Furniture and Coffins-Paul Junkins, J. W. Sargent.
Machine Shop-George Leach.
Planing Mill, Sash, Blinds, Doors and Mouldings-John H. Ferguson & Co.
Saw Mill-Samuel Clark. ?
Carriage Painter-Joseph Sargent.
House Painters-Nathan Cook, William Hubbard.
Brick Masons and Plasterers-Hosea Goodwin, James B. Gray, Richard Berry.
Stone Masons-Stephen Cleaves, Frank Goodwin.
Grist Mill-Sam'l Kimball.
Baker-Jos. Kimball.
Insurance-Wm. F. Lord.
Milk-A. Fernald, N. Dane, Jr.
Hotel Keepers-B. F. Goodwin, Edmund Warren.
Boot and Shoe Maker-Capt. Sam'l Littlefield.
Stage Drivers-W. H. Hall, Ithama Littlefield, Isaac Farwell. Sexton and Hearse Driver-Eben Huff.
Civil Engineer-L. K. Dorrance.
Fruit Trees and Nursery-Geo. W. Wallingford.
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Lumber Surveyor-George Mendum. Butchers-N. N. Wiggin, P. C. Wiggin. Trucking from Kennebunk Depot-James Littlefield. York Lodge Free Masons-Stephen Perkins, W. M. Mousam Lodge, I. O. O. F., George W. Wallingford, N. G.
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CHAPTER III
KENNEBUNK IN 1930-SOME OF THE CHANGES SINCE 1860
The Paper dated 1790 was the recollections of three aged per- sons given 75 years after the time that they described. The Paper 1860 is an attempt to describe how it looked then and to note some of the changes from 1790 as far as they could be ob- tained from the Town Histories, journals, records and other sources. That Paper was written in 1930. As a sequel to that Paper I will attempt to write a partial record of the 70 years from that time, during which time I have seen many changes. This will be from memory, journals, papers, and from other resi- dents. I think that dates will be correct. If in doubt I say "about."
I will start as in 1860 at the southwest corner of the bridge over Mousam River. The bronze Tablet on the Electric Light post is the exact corner of the counting room of the Mousam Manf. Co., built in 1832. It was razed about 1920. It was used for a private school in the 1860's; by the Union Lace Co. as a dye house; as a carriage mart; the photograph studio of C. S. Gurney; the' Paper Mill used it for storage; the Ebonine Mfg. Co. used the basement and a part of the main floor. This site was vacant until 1933 when Jones' Diner was established.
The bridges are described in another chapter.
At the east end of the bridge in 1869 was the Old Grist Mill. It was torn down and a part of the building removed to Water Street. It may be well to say here, although mentioned in an- other Paper, that all of the Mill property was owned by Mr. Wm. Lord from 1854 until Dec. 22, 1863, when he sold to Capt. N. L. Thompson, Jos. Dane and Jos. Titcomb. Capt. Thompson erected a new grist mill in 1869 which was burned May 3, 1903. The site is vacant. Water Street was formerly very near the mill.| About 1877 the location was changed several rods east making a straight road to the front of the Leatherboard Mill. To the cor- ner lot thus formed was removed about 1882 the building which in 1860 I called Ivory Cousens' store and tenement. It was occu- pied several years by Chas. Sleeper as a restaurant. It was then moved across Water Street and was the Old Corner Gro- cery of George E. Cousens. It was destroyed by fire May 3, 1903. On the same site J. Hiram Cousens had a small shop and Alvin Moody a photograph saloon. All burned May 3. In 1912, N. L. Thompson, Jr., built the present block, Thompson's-at-the-Bridge. It is now occupied by Baitler's Restaurant and Nichols & Co. Dry Goods.
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On the east corner of Water Street there was in 1860 a store built by Sam'l Clark. This was purchased about 1870 by John Roberts, removed up Main Street to the vacant lot east of the White Store and will be described later. The next store had several tenants. Capt. Claudius Williams and Mark H. Ford, who after trading many years, removed the building to Pleasant Street in the early 1890's, and converted it into a dwelling house.
On or near its site was moved a small building in 1895 which was the coal office of W. E. Warren. This also burned in 1903.
On the corner after the fire Geo. E. Cousens built the new Old Corner Grocery store, now an A. & P. Store. There is a tene- ment in the second story. In the Wise yard after the fire B. F. Whitcomb built a photograph studio. It was used as such sev- eral years. Now it is Gonneville's Market. The Wise house is owned by their heirs. The small building on the Mason lot, be- fore mentioned (built before 1790) was bought in 1878 by H. F. Curtis and removed to the corner of Main and Fletcher Streets.
The Michael Wise house, built in 1792, had several tenants. Some time in the 1870's Capt. John Frank Mason, the owner, re- moved from Kennebunkport and occupied it several years. In 1878 he built the Mason block. There are three stores on the first floor, offices in the second. The eastern store was occupied by William Downing until his death in 1898, then by his daugh- ter, Mrs. Ida Elwell, now by his nephew, Edward I. Downing, who now owns the block. Soon after building the block Capt. Mason returned to Kennebunkport, where he died Oct. 14, 1879. The property then came into the possession of his daughter, Mrs. Jennie L. Moody of Kennebunkport and Brunswick. She sold all except the block to Edgar C. Damon who owned it several years and had different tenants. During this time a small building was erected east of the house and was the jewelry store of J. William Barker. His last tenant in the house was Asa Seavey. In the summer of 1895 Damon sold all this property to Mousam Lodge, I. O. O. F. Seavey was notified to vacate, fail- ing to do so he was evicted. The store that had been occupied by Barker was sold to W. E. Warren as described. The Wise house was moved back and remodeled for two tenements. After a few years sold to C. H. Lucas. He sold it to Dr. F. M. Ross. It is now owned by his heirs.
On the site of the Wise house of 1792 and of the blacksmith shop of Dominicus Lord before that and in line with the sidewalk, was erected in 1895 the I O. O. F. block, three-story wood build- ing. On the first floor are three stores which have been occupied by Geo. and F. W. Bonser, Nevin, Raino, Balch, Christie, Trafton
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and perhaps others. In the second story has been the barber shop of A. P. Keane, now the Telephone Exchange; the law of- fice of A. E. Haley, later the wall-paper salesroom of W. F. Brian, the dental parlors of Drs. H. M. Yorke, A. C. Merriman and E. R. Hackett There has been an Odd Fellows' club on the back side for a number of years, and there is now an apartment also. The third story is the lodge room, banquet hall, kitchen and ante rooms of Mousam Lodge, Pine Tree Encampment and Olive Rebekah Lodge. These rooms were dedicated May 8, 1896.
The old Wise store become the property of J. W. Sargent, either purchased by him or by his father of the Mason heirs. He remodeled it about 1878 and it was leased to Geo. P. Lowell for a restaurant. In the second story, sleeping rooms. The carpenter's shop on the corner was purchased by Dr. F. M. Ross and re- modeled for an Apothecary store and office. This building and the Sargent building were destroyed by fire April 30, 1881. On the site of these two buildings was erected in the fall of 1881 the Sargent Ross Block, a two-story wooden block with a mansard roof. In the first story, western end, was the Post Office, re- moving from what is now the News Stand. A. W. Mendum, Post Master. The middle store was occupied by J. H. Otis, pa- pers and stationery. The eastern end was the Apothecary store and office of Dr. F. M. Ross. In the second were club rooms and offices. The Kennebunk Library's first reading room was in this block. In the third story was the lodge room of Mousam Lodge, I. O. O. F., and Webster Post, G. A. R. The Post vacated their rooms in 1883 and they were occupied by the Eastern Star Printing Co. until 1888 when they removed to Water Street and the I. O. O. F. lodges occupied all of the third floor. On the morning of March 5, 1895, the block was destroyed by fire. The Lodge record books in a safe were all that was saved from the second and third stories. Mr. Sargent had died before this time and his widow owned the Wise lot. She sold to Dr. Ross who erected the same year on the site of both lots the present brick Ross Block. It was built only two stories at that time. The Post Office was in the eastern end with Dr. Ross' office in the rear. Middle store occupied by J. H. Otis; western end, Geo. W. Larra- bee, hardware. The Post Office remained in this block until 1912 when it was removed to its present location. The east corner is now the Apothecary store of V. G. Fiske. The middle store had several tenants. The western end was occupied by G. W. Larra- bee until 1932 and he also occupied several rooms in the second story, offices in the east end.
In 1901 a third story was added for the Masonic bodies and it
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was dedicated May 28, 1902. Dr. Ross' estate sold the block in 1928 to E. C. Snowdon.
Grove Street, formerly only a lane to the house of Ralph Cur- tis, now winds around Centennial Hill and connects with Park Street. About 1906 H. F. Curtis purchased the Osborn house on the site of the present Library building, and removed it to the lot back of the Ross block on Grove Street.
The house on the eastern corner of Grove Street was occupied by Benj. Smith, Jr., until his death in 1875. It was sold the next year to Dr. Orren Ross and was occupied by him until the mar- riage of his son, Dr. F. M. Ross, in 1880. It then became the latter's residence where he lived until his death in 1927. He made many improvements in and around the house and grounds, among others the erection of a tower and windmill in 1892 which supplied water to the house and block also a drinking fountain on Main Street. (This tower was razed in 1929.) The estate was sold in 1928 to the Baitlers who remodeled the house and built a large addition. Also remodeled the grounds in the rear on Grove Street. It is now known as The Tavern.
Woodbury A. Hall bought the Safford house in 1870 and lived there until his death, June 13, 1922. He kept a boarding house and livery stable there, at Kennebunk Beach and Kennebunkport. His daughter, Mrs. Irving Emmons, sold the estate in 1928 to Mrs. Wm. Hobbs, who now occupies it. The Brown house has had several tenants. The last was Ernest A. Bodge who operated a filling station, auto supplies and an auto hospital.
The Bryant house was sold a little before 1900 and moved down the lane. It is now owned by the Fletchers and is known as the Blue Wave. On the site of the Bryant house Dr. David B. Credi- ford built the present house about 1900. It was later sold to Mrs. Pierce who resided there until her death. It is now owned by Mabel Joy.
The Richard Littlefield house was sold to Solomon Record who resided there until his death in 1895. It had several tenants. It was sold about 1920 to Dr. A. J. Stimpson. It is now his resi- dence and office. The lane formerly extended only to the house occupied by George W. Hardy. It now extends to the Blue Wave and is also the entrance to the Playground, foot travelers only. The Hardy house was sold to Catp. T. S. Nason who resided there until his death. It is now a part of John W. Bowdoin's estate.
The Baptist vestry was built in 1873 near Main Street. It has been moved and connected with the basement. Joseph Dane occupied the Mitchell house until 1866 when he sold it to the Or-
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thodox Society for a parsonage and it has since been occupied by their ministers.
There have been changes in the long building. Richard C. Raynes died in 1880. It was occupied by his widow and other tenants. Maj. Barnabas Palmer of the eastern end died in 1867 and that part was sold to Capt. N. L. Thompson. He sold the addition, or ell, to N. N. Wiggin, who removed it to Barnard street where with additions it became his residence. The east end had several tenants. In 1907 the Town bought both lots for a High school site. Later it was not considered suitable and it was sold at auction in 1908 to Mrs. Potter. She has remodeled it and it is now known as the Snapdragon Inn, for summer tour- ists.
Capt. Abram Hill occupied the next house until his death in 1893. It is now owned by Mrs. Lotta McAlpine, who deals in an- tiques. The Frost house of 1799 now occupied by Wm. O. Little- field and his sister, Mrs. Howe, and the Kimball house of 1795, now occupied by Dr. J. H. Macdonald, are described with other old house.
Dane Street-There have been many changes in the square from Dane to Green Streets and back on both streets to the Con- gregational Church property which now extends from Dane to Green Street. Don Chamberlin owns all except the Barry Block, including the house on Dane Street built about 1830, by John T. Kimball which he bought about 1920 and now occupies. I will note some changes in the stores.
The White Store (I use the old name) has had many different tenants. It has been the tailor shop of Messrs Whitten, Roberts and Bragdon; the apothecary store of Geo. W. Wallingford and Dr. John R. Haley; hardware store of Stephen Perkins. Also it has had a barber's shop, Littlefield & Webber, groceries, followed in 1932 by a chain store. In the second story David McKenney had a harness shop and it has been a tenement with entrance on Dane, now the entrance is from Main Street. About 1870 John Roberts removed the store formerly of Sam'l Clark, corner of Main and Water Streets to the vacant lot east of the White Store and it was a meat store. Later P. C. Wiggin used it for the same purpose. Roberts sold it to Charles Sleeper about 1883 who altered and improved it, and it was his restaurant until 1906 when he sold to Don Chamberlin who used it for an Auto Supply store, residing in the second story. He also had a re- pair shop below the old barn on Dane Street. He still occupies the store. Andrew Walker continued in the furniture business until 1888 when he gave the building and lot to the Kennebunk
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Library Association (organized Apr. 24, 1882). The building was formally dedicated Oct. 28, 1888, by exercises in Mousam Iall. It was used by the Library Association until the present uilding was dedicated in Old Home Week, Aug. 2, 1907. It was hen for several years the shoe store of Jesse Ham. It is now wned and occupied by Chamberlin.
The brick block is owned by the Barry Brothers. It was occu- ied by Isaac Furbish, general store, then by Capt. T. S. Nason, roceries. Since about 1907 it has been the office of the Mousam Vater Co., now the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District. The second story has been used by the I. O. O. F., Good Templars and the Rotary Club, now vacant. There is a back en- rance from Dane Street.
The Remich store had many tenants: Mr. Remich, Mrs. Oakes,. Irs. Chesley, Wm. H. Simonds, F. W. Nason. It is now an apart- nent. The Palmer Walker store was occupied by him until his eath in 1878. His brother converted it into a tenement and ived there until his death in 1899. The first story is now Cham- erlin's Auto Show Rooms. The second story is a tenement.
The three-story Warren Block of 1818 was bought by Cham- erlin when the corner was being cleared for the Town hall site n 1921, and moved across Green Street. The first story is a garage, the second and third are apartments with the entrance etween the Remich and Walker buildings. Back of the brick lock on Green Street is the large auto repair shop of Chamber- in extending to the Congregational Church lot.
Green Street-The Warren Block was occupied several years fter 1860 by William Downing, then by F. P. Hall, groceries, ollowed by Fairfield and Littlefield. Dr. Richards was in the pothecary store until his death in 1887. There have been sev- ral different tenants in each store. The rooms in the second and hird stories have had several tenants. The Masons vacated the hird story in 1888. The building was moved in 1921 as just de- cribed.
There have been many changes in owners and occupants in the quare bounded by Summer, Green and Elm Streets. All of it xcept the house on the corner of Green and Elm Streets have een purchased by Mr. Henry Parsons and given to the Town for he Town Hall site and grounds. The Phineas Stevens house on Green Street, the Old Store house, tenement and Engine house on Summer Street were removed in 1921, and the present handsome Town Hall erected. The corner stone was laid Oct. 29, 1921, with appropriate ceremonies. A few years later Mr. Parsons pur- hased the houses of Mrs. Littlefield, Huff and Webber on the
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corner of Summer and Elm Streets. They were removed, the grounds graded and presented to the town. All the grounds are now under the control of the Park Commission.
Back to the Bridge
Upper Side going East. In 1869 Capt. Thompson erected a building over the head gates of the flume, west end of the bridge. A few years later it was moved nearer the street in order to op- erate the gates outside the building. The first story has been a store and a barber's shop, the second a tenement.
The Warp Mill is described in another chapter. The Ivory Cousens store was moved back and later across the street. The Cook Paint shop is back of the A. & P. John Cousens moved his store across Storer Street in 1870 and in 1886 to Pleasant Street where it is a tenement.
On the west corner of Main and Storer Streets the Kennebunk Mill Co. built in 1877 a shoe shop, also described elsewhere. The western end of the Triangle was vacant from 1858 to 1870 ex- cept the hay scales. In 1887 Frank Parsons and his sister, Mrs. L. M. Perkins, built a three-story block on the western end. The first floor was the hardware store of L. M. Perkins, afterwards of H. E. Lunge and the apothecary store of A W. Meserve with the office of the American Express Co. in the back end. In the sec- ond story were offices. In the third story was the lodge rooms of York Lodge and Murray R. A. Chapter. These rooms were dedi- cated March 12, 1888, in one of the most severe snow storms of recent years. The Masons removed to the Ross Block in 1902. This building was destroyed by fire May 3, 1903. It was rebuilt by Lunge and Meserve and occupied by them several years; now by Robt. T. Cole, hardware, and B. K. Murdock, apothecary.
The Dresser store was occupied by him until his death in 1906. It was badly damaged by the fire of 1903, then remodeled and was the Daylight Store of his son, Wm. M. Dresser until 1909 when he sold part to Howard C. Wakefield, later the balance and block. The store is now owned by Chas. W. Hamilton and still operates as the Daylight store.
A Description of the Triangle .- The owners and occupants of the different stores and date of changes would require consider- able research. We give only a partial list of changes from 1860 to 1930. Sam'l Clark built east of the Dresser store about 1870, removing from the corner of Water Street. About 1880 he added a third story in which was a hall for Myrtle Lodge, K. of P. Col. Wm. L. Thompson had a flour and grain store for several years after 1860. Ithama Littlefield, succeeded by his son-in-law, Robt. A. Kimball, was in some of these store until about 1878.
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Parker C. Wiggin purchased about 1883 a store which he painted blue-hence the name, the Blue Store. This he occupied for a meat store for many years. He died in 1913. It is now and has been for a long time a restaurant, operated by several differ- ent parties. William Downing was in the store next to Dresser's until the building of the Mason Block. F. W. Nason has been in a store on the Triangle since about 1900. George Bonser was in some of these stores until the I. O. O. F. Block was built. John H. Otis started a paper and stationery store in a small store next to the Blue Store. Christopher Littlefield built a store between the Blue Store and Getchell's, probably in the early 1870's, which was occupied by his son, John G., groceries, and by Geo. Tibbetts, boots and shoes. Later these stores have been occupied by Miss Boothby, Miss Jellison, Geo. R. Smith and I do not know how many others. Joseph Getchell continued in the stove and tin plate business for many years followed by his son, John. The store was bought by George L. Little, in 1889, remodeled and was the jew- elry store of his son-in-law, Geo. W. Frost. The second story was a lawyer's office. It was damaged by fire March 8, 1923.
Curtis & Roberts Block was built in 1923 and was occupied by them until 1927 then by Gordon & Hutchins, grocers, and now by C. H. Cole & Sons, insurance. On the street floor also are the D'Ascanio shoe store and the W. B. Russell barber shop. In the second story are offices.
The Town Pump at the eastern end of the Triangle was re- placed by a drinking fountain. Now that is gone.
Garden Street .- In 1860 the terraced lawn and garden of Capt. Wm. Lord, Jr., extended to this street. After Parsons Street was laid out about 1891 on the corner was the paint shop of Wm. C. Berry, who still occupies it. On the east corner of Parsons Street was erected in 1929 the Kennebunk Star Printing office, removing from Water Street. In the second story are tenements. The Dr. Orren Ross house was occupied by him until his death in 1881, since then it has had several different tenants. The Cobby store was used by him until his death. Afterwards, Geo. P. Lowell was there. After the burning of the Sargent and Ross Block the Post Office was in that building until the Ross Block was finished. It was afterwards used by Brown and Chase, gro- ceries. It is now the grocery store of Arthur Chase.
Lane .- Wm. Fairfield bought the corner store. He sold kitchen utensils, etc. His tenement was the rear of the store and in the second story. He also had a livery stable in the lane. After his death in 1916 it was sold to John W. Lord who has a hardware store there. The store on the east corner was occupied by Fair-
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field until he bought the west corner. It has had many occupants. Now Norton & Harden, electrical supplies. The house formerly occupied by Christopher Littlefield was purchased by John W. Bowdoin and in 1912 it was raised, a story built underneath it and the piazza now in front, built. The western end is the Post Office, eastern end was the apothecary store of J. W. Bowdoin, now owned by his estate. The second and third stories were used as a club room by the Lafayette club several years. They are now apartments.
The carpenter shop next is now a tenement and bake shop, also entrance to the Acme Theatre (moving pictures) which was built about After the Post Office removed from the next build- ing in 1882, Miss Rice had a fancy goods store there for several years. The Mousam Water Co. used it for an office from 1895 to about 1907. About it was remodled and it is now Wadding- ton's News Stand, first story. The second story is the law offices of Ralph Andrews and Harold H. Bourne.
John Cousens occupied his house until his death in 1894, then his son-in-law, Stillman F. Rice. He died in 1912, and his daugh- ter now owns it. The eastern end has had many tenants. Wm. B. Sewall lived in the Parsons house until his death, March 4, 1869, aged 86. At the death of Mrs. Sewall she devised the prop- erty to her nephew, Edw. E. Bourne, Jr. Dec. 1, 1894, it came into the possession of his son, Herbert E. Bourne who now occu- pies it. In 1891 Myrtle Lodge, K. of P., purchased the Main Street end of the Sewall field and erected the Pythian Block, two story, mansard roof. In the first story were the stores of Dr. George W. Bourne and brother, Benj. N. Bourne, sold to J. W. Bowdoin; and the stores of Geo. P. Lowell and A. W. Bragdon. There have been since then a number of different tenants. At the present time the tenants are The Spiller Elec. Co., N. Harden Davis and Hay's Tailoring establishment. On the second floor rear was the Uniform Rank Hall. In the front a hall which has been used by the G. A. R., Good Templars and others. The third floor was the lodge room of Myrtle Lodge. In 1919 the upper story was badly damaged by fire and was entirely remodeled.
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