USA > Maine > Hancock County > Traditions and records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert island, Maine > Part 23
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Harry Haynes built his house in 1903 and his widow now occupies it. Just north of the Haynes house there was a house owned by a Mr. Baker and sometimes rented to different families. This has been demolished.
Across the road was a house owned by John W. Somes which was burned some years ago. The old lilac bushes bloom every spring and show that a home once stood there.
Just at the junction of the Pretty Marsh Road with the Southwest Harbor highway was a house belonging to a Dr. Hutchinson and the corner was known as Hutchinson's Corner. The house was part of one of the old Somes houses which was taken down to make way for a new one.
Opposite the Pretty Marsh Road is the Davis garage, which was built by John W. Somes as a house for Ezra Richardson. Mr. Richardson sold it to John A. Somes, who sold to Mrs. Clark Davis. She had the building moved to its present site and made into a garage with living rooms on the second floor.
Masonic Hall is built on the site of a former hall that was burned April 1st, 1928, and rebuilt in 1929.
On the Pretty Marsh Road the first house on the right is owned by Lewis Reed. It was once part of a building used as
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a post-office and stood just south of the John A. Somes house. It was moved to its present site by Gilman Hodgdon, who lived in it for some years, then sold it to Orville Bartlett and Mr. Reed bought it in 1927.
Stearns Harriman built his house in 1927. Orville C. Bart- lett's house was built about 1861 by Edward Richardson. It had several different owners through the years including Amos Hooper, whose daughter, Mrs. John Jacob Somes, sold it to Joseph P. Carter in 1884. Mrs. Grace M. Bartlett (Mrs. Orville C.) is a daughter of Mr. Carter and now owns and occupies the house.
The next residence was built many years ago by A. J. Whit- ing and is now owned by Leslie Dwyer. Mr. Whiting also built the adjoining houses now owned-one by William Somes and one by Alton Brown. This last one was built about 1881.
The next house now owned by Rolf Motz was built by Edward Richardson around 1874. It has been owned by several persons. Mr. Motz bought it of Ernest Stanley in 1935.
Arthur Bunker's house has been mentioned before as having been built on the Southwest Harbor road and moved to its pres- ent location in 1918. Elton Bunker built his little cottage in 1934.
About 1856 Henry Kenniston began to build a house which he sold to Isaac Mason before it was completed. Mr. Mason sold to Loren Richardson, who deeded it to his daughter, Mrs. Emma Richardson Brown. Since her death it is owned by her sons, Julian and Emmons Brown, and is occupied by tenants (1937).
Fred Hewes owns the house built by Edward P. Somes, who had a saw mill for many years at the outlet of Somes Pond. His widow sold to Ernest Stanley and he to Mr. Hewes. A man by the name of Denning lived many years ago near the outlet of Denning's Pond, now called Echo Lake and he operated a saw- mill there.
Fred Gray bought his house of Harry Carter who inherited it from Frank Carter. This was in 1917. The house was built by A. J. Whiting and many families have occupied it.
Mr. and Mrs. Herschel Reed moved into their new home October 4, 1888. This house was built by Lewis Richardson for
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A. J. Whiting who sold to Mr. Reed. The Reeds owned another house on their lot to the north, which was built by Benjamin Leland for Mr. Whiting and this was taken down a few years ago.
Harry Gray's house was built by Aaron Bunker for Mr. Whiting and it has had several owners. Mr. Gray bought it from M. L. Allen and Elrie Holmes. There are a few small cottages and camps in this vicinity.
Going back to the Main Road and going north-the first house on the left was built by Burton Fernald in 1936 as his residence. The next house was built more than sixty years ago (1937) for John Green who travelled over Mount Desert Island with a pedler's cart and a store of small wares so difficult to get in those days. Mr. Green was a gentleman of the old school and was most warmly welcomed in the homes of the island. Many persons who can remember back half a century will recall the bright tin dippers from Mr. Green's red cart, that gladdened the hearts of the children. Mr. Green's heirs sold the house to Jason Hill whose daughter, Mrs. Agnes Hill Bridges of Atlantic, Mass., now owns it and sometimes visits it in summer.
Robert Fernald's house was built in 1934. M. L. Allen built his house in 1889 and has occupied it ever since.
A. C. Fernald's house was built between 1836 and 1838 by John M. Noyes. Mr. Noyes was a carpenter and cabinet maker and much of his fine work may still be seen in the old houses on Mount Desert Island. He was born at what is now Stonington, Deer Isle, and it is said that early in the 1830's he and John H. Parker took their tools in a boat and rowed the thirty miles to Somesville where they set up business, and built many houses on the island. Mr. Noyes also made furniture and some choice pieces are among the household treasures of Mount Desert resi- dents. His wife was Emily Somes, daughter of John Somes and granddaughter of Abraham, the pioneer. When Mr. Noyes moved to Georgetown, Mass., he sold the house to A. J. Whiting whose home it was for many years and Mr. Fernald bought it from the Whiting estate.
The Fred Somes house was built by Jacob Somes, who left it to his daughter, Mrs. William Fennelly, who conducted it as
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a hotel under the name of Central House. Then she sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Somes whose son, Fred Somes, has greatly im- proved and altered it. West of this house is one now owned by Dr. and Mrs. Lethiecq of Brewer who use it as a summer home. This is the oldest house in the village and was built in the early part of the 1800's. During some alterations a board was found in the walls on which was written, "This house was finished in 1828."
As houses were often finished room by room in those days it is likely that it is much older than this date would imply. It still has the immense central chimney of olden time. The house was built by Isaac Somes, inherited by his son, Lyman Somes, and then by Mr. Somes' daughter, Mrs. Lethiecq.
Isaac Somes had a fulling and carding mill on the brook not far from his house which stood there until 1924 when it was taken down. He also had a building on his lot where he carried on a general store and later it was used for school purposes. A private school was held there and again it was rented by the town for the primary grades. It also served Mr. John Green as a tin shop.
The bungalow on the cemetery road was built by Hollis Hysom about 1929.
B. G. Lunt's store was built by A. J. Whiting and there he kept a general store for many years. Mr. Whiting was a good business man and interested in many enterprises. He built a number of houses for rent, he built vessels and he made con- siderable money from his stone quarries.
The next two large buildings are owned by Mrs. J. A. Somes. The small shed at the rear of the middle one was the second schoolhouse to be built in the village and stood near the site of Mrs. Lester Pray's garage just south of the church.
The lower building had a hall on the second floor and also a large room on the third floor. The Masonic lodge used the third floor room as their lodge room for many years. On the second floor the hall was used for many public affairs; the Sons of Veterans and the Women's Relief Corps met there and the high school was held there for ten years or more. The post-office occupied space in the middle building for some time.
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The tiny building close to the brook has been used as a town house, a shoemaker's shop, a private schoolhouse and is one of the oldest structures in the village. It is now used as a museum under direction of the Women's Club of Somesville. It was re- stored and renovated by J. A. Somes and Judge Smith and donated for its present use. The door with its massive brass lock and key shows workmanship of skill and of great age. The millstones near the entrance to the museum came from the grist mill which was the property of the Somes family and was on the brook back of where the building now stands. The museum contains a copy of the Salem Towne map of Mount Desert Island made in 1808 and showing the original owners of the land, the saddlebags owned and used for a lifetime by Dr. Kendal Kitt- redge, the first doctor on the Island, the first bag used to bring the mail to the island from Ellsworth, the first communion set used in church services, a set of surveyor's instruments used by Salem Towne, a plate once owned by Lady Jane Montgomery, who eloped from her ancestral home in England with her father's gardener, Stephen Richardson, and is the ancestress of the Rich- ardson family of Mount Desert, a table brought by the first Abraham Somes to his log cabin in 1762, a pitcher once owned by Elder Ebenezer Eaton, and many pieces of china, books, maps, charts and household articles of interest and value.
Going back to the Pretty Marsh road and taking the houses on the eastern side : the house north of Masonic Hall is now the property of the heirs of Mrs. B. H. Kellogg of Brookline, Mass. This house was built by Leander Richardson and sold to Her- schel Heath who was lost at sea. It was rented for many years to Dr. R. L. Grindle and finally sold to Mrs. Kellogg.
The next house was built by Richard Holmes in 1891 and sold to Lyman Somes whose widow now owns and occupies it.
The next house was built by Cyrus J. Hall about 1875. Mr. Hall owned and developed Hall Quarry. It has been owned by Leonard Holmes, William B. Ward and Thomas M. Richardson, whose heirs now own it. It is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. George Chilles-Mrs. Chilles being the daughter of Mr. Richardson.
Jonathan Hamor built the adjoining house and his daughter, Mrs. Eva Hamor Jacobson, inherited it and sold it to Mrs.
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George Arnold. The present owners are Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Bossange.
Toward the shore of Somes Sound are several fine summer homes. That of Mrs. Clark Davis was built for her by J. A. Somes, the large house belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Wil- son of Cincinnati was built in 1931 and the Colonial house be- longing to Mr. and Mrs. Barry Smith of New York was built in 1934.
The house adjoining the Jonathan Hamor house was built in 1889 by Capt. Lester Pray for his brother, John Pray, who was lost at sea October 23, 1891. It is now the property of Mrs. Lester Pray.
Mrs. Pray also owns the next house where she lives. This house was built by A. J. Whiting who lived there until he pur- chased the John M. Noyes house and sold this one to Capt. Pray in 1891.
The church was built in 1852 from one designed by Chris- topher Wren. The land on which it stands was given by John M. Somes, Jr.
The house to the north of the church was built by Isaac Somes for his daughter Julia (Mrs. Shepherd Thompson). It was sold to Obadiah Allen who lived in it for many years and it is now owned by Mrs. J. A. Somes. The J. A. Somes house was built in 1840 by John Somes, Jr., who inherited the property from Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Reed. Mrs. Reed was Hannah, eldest daughter of the pioneer Abraham and Hannah Herrick Somes and therefore an aunt to John Somes, Jr. He cared for Mr. and Mrs. Reed in their old age and inherited their property. The Reed house stood on a rising ground toward the east from where the J. A. Somes house now stands. Mrs. Adelma F. Joy of Northeast Harbor, a member of the Somes family wrote a paper for a club meeting about the early days of Somesville say- ing: "The Reed house was built on a little steep hill a short distance from the salt water shore of what was called Jim's Cove. The north side of the house was plastered with white plaster the same as the inside. Mrs. Reed was a sister to my grandfather and so was an aunt to Uncle John and he and Aunt Julia lived with them when they were old and John Somes, Jr.,
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had the place for their maintenance. Judith was born there and also John W.
A minister, Mr. Bowker, lived in the upper part at one time and we went there a great deal then. Mrs. Bowker was a fine musician and gave us our first lessons in music. Mr. Bowker, I think, started the movement to have a church built in Somes- ville. After many years, when the old house had been occupied by many different families, it was moved across the ice to Sheep Island, by a Wade family and there the remains now rest." The island is now owned by Dr. Virginia Sanderson of Ohio.
Records show that the house was cut in two before being moved and half was moved to Hutchinson's Corner (Pretty Marsh and Main Road) where it was later torn down.
Abraham Somes' three oldest sons settled in Somesville and also Hannah, the oldest daughter who married Samuel Reed. It seems that he divided his land among these four children. The Reed place was the one owned later by John William Somes, coming to him from his father John, Jr., and to him from his aunt, Hannah Somes Reed.
The oldest son Abraham had the land on the south side of the stream, also the place where his father first settled. John had the land on the opposite side of the stream and Daniel's joined his and he had a brook all to himself. These three brothers dammed the brook and built mills. Abraham had the carding mill afterwards carried on by his son Isaac with fulling mill, dyehouse and later, looms. John had a shingle mill opposite. Two flumes side by side carried the water to each mill. Daniel had a tannery. His mill was where the brook flows into the Cove. At this time the village was called Betwixt The Hills.
The main road in the early days went west of what is now the village, leading off in that direction just south of the Ernest R. Kittredge place, past the Arnold cottage, turned south and crossed the Oak Hill road to the east of the Knox house, crossed the brook below the cemetery and came into the present road south of M. L. Allen's house.
The house on the shore of the Sound, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. O. C. Nutting as a summer home was built in 1929 by J. A. Somes whose heirs now own it. This house is on the site of the Somes shipyard.
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There was a building almost opposite the Museum where several persons had a store at different times. Mrs. Herschel Heath lived there and had a store for some years. David Was- gatt, Calvin Kittredge and others were in business there at dif- ferent times. The building was taken down in 1923.
An old blacksmith shop stood on the other side of the brook from the Museum. This was burned by sparks from a forest fire. There was also an old building back of Mrs. Heath's store owned by John Somes, Jr., and occupied for many years by different tenants.
The mill pond was for many years a busy place when the waters of the brook furnished power for saw mills, grist mill, carding and fulling mill, shingle mill, etc. The remains of the last old saw mill were burned on July 4, 1934. Since then a new dam has been built by labor from the C C C camps and a fishway constructed.
The public library stands on the site where a building owned by A. C. Fernald and used as an undertaker's shop and for the post-office was burned by lightning in 1891 with considerable loss in money as well as property. The land is owned by Mrs. George A. Somes and is leased to the library association, who built the present library in 1895-6.
A. C. Fernald's store was built by A. J. Whiting who carried on business there for many years. It was sold to R. H. B. and A. C. Fernald and is now owned by the latter. The hall on the second floor was used for public gatherings and the James M. Parker Post met there. Plays and dances were held there.
The old tannery was on or near this site extending over the brook. There was also a blacksmith shop near by owned by Thaddeus Somes and operated by Pearl Smith for some years.
The first house on the left side of the Oak Hill road is built on the site of one built before 1800 by John Somes, son of Abraham. Mrs. Adelma F. Joy, who lived for nearly a century and could remember her grandfather, John Somes, wrote thus of the first house :
"The three sons of Abraham Somes each built two-story houses exactly alike except for the ells and sheds. John's and Daniel's faced the south but Abraham's faced the west, his being
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the only one on the old road. (The old road ran to the west of what is now the village.) These houses had one very large chimney in the middle, three fireplaces on the first floor and two on the second floor. The one in the kitchen was very large and had swinging cranes with plenty of hooks to hang kettles on. A large brick oven at the side had a place underneath to put the hot ashes in after heating the oven. The front door opened into a small entry as wide as the parlor door but wider the other way. The stairs commenced right opposite the door. Three steps up onto a small landing was a door into the chimney about 21/2 feet wide and 4 feet high and on opening it one saw bars of iron across the chimney with hooks to hang hams on for smoking. The upper hall was the same width as the lower. It had one window and a tall chest on legs, which in my grandfather's house held grandmother's silk dresses and one cambric dress- pale buff with a figure, which she said cost more than the silks. These houses were very low posted and had large beams in the corners. John's parlor was painted green. There were no man- tels over the fireplaces except one narrow one in the kitchen so high that it could hardly be reached. There was no plaster on the chimney side of the room; they had panelled woodwork and except for the parlor and kitchen, they had no paint. Grand- father John's kitchen was painted dark red."
Mrs. Joy writes thus of the garden at the home of John Somes :
"John Somes' garden would properly be called a sunken gar- den. On the north side of the garden in front of the house was a wall four or five feet high, which walled a driveway. On the other three sides was a board fence-no cracks ; the string pieces nailed onto wire inside. Nothing could get through. About half the orchard was on the inside, the rest outside the garden. Around the four sides of the garden were red currant bushes and by the well sweep were black currants. A path to the grist mill led down by the outside of the board fence, passing between two tall poles covered with hop vines. Hop vines also grew on the well sweep. Below the garden was the spring which over- flowed and made the land swampy for some distance and sweet flag grew in abundance until the grandchildren of John probably destroyed or ate it as none grows there now."
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Mrs. Joy could remember walking in the garden with her grandmother and seeing the great red peonies and the tiny Ladies Delight and of sitting at the table while her grandfather asked a lengthy grace. This was about 1838. She remembered the big pewter platters on which the meal was served and the "pig roaster" with a little door that could be opened to watch the process of roasting before the open fire.
This house was partly destroyed by fire more than seventy years ago (1937) and John's son Jacob built the present house. It is now owned and occupied by Harry Somes, son of John Jacob, who was the son of Jacob.
The ell of the old house was moved to the western part of the lot and Mrs. Adelma F. Joy lived in it for some time. About sixty years ago the roof was raised and an addition built and it is now owned and occupied by A. C. Fernald, Jr. (third of that name). Thus a part of this house is one of the oldest in the village.
Harry Somes owns the next house occupied by tenants and Chauncey Somes built the next one about 1928 and occupies it.
Mrs. Fenelon Higgins' house is next and also a bungalow owned by George Richardson of New Jersey. The Clifford Richardson house is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Forrest Dickey, his adopted daughter, and the next one is the property of William S. Richardson, who built it and lives there.
Mrs. George Knox owns the house on the right side of the road opposite the building which is built over a spring of water.
Going north on the Main Road after crossing the brook which runs into the mill pond: the first house on the left was built by Abraham Somes, son of John Somes and grandson of the pioneer, in 1836.
It was inherited by Abraham's son Thaddeus. He died in 1913 and the death of his wife occurred a few years later. His heirs sold the place to Judge and Mrs. Samuel W. Smith of Cin- cinnati, Ohio, who made it their summer home. It is now the property of their son, Samuel Watson Smith, 3rd, who spends his vacations there.
There was a building to the north of this house which was used many years as a store. Edgar Nash, Samuel Nash and
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Bloomfield Smith all kept store there at different times. Mrs. Thaddeus Somes had the building remodeled into a house but after Judge Smith purchased the property he had the house taken down.
Bishop William T. Manning of New York is the owner of the house built by Daniel Somes and used as a public house for years, known as the Mount Desert House or Mount Desert Tav- ern. Here the stages carrying the mail stopped with their pas- sengers and here the first summer visitors to the Island made their headquarters. Daniel Somes owned a house which stood just back of this one, built in the style of the house now owned by Dr. and Mrs. Lethiecq. It was used as a parsonage and several ministers made it their home. It was taken down and some of the lumber used in the house next to it where Mr. and Mrs. Parker now live (1937). Mrs. Adelma Joy remembered the house and said that the floors were always kept sanded.
The artist, Frederick Church, discovered the beauty of Mount Desert Island some time in the early 1850's and came with a party of friends to the Mount Desert Tavern where they stayed for some time exploring the Island and becoming acquainted with the residents. Before they left they gave a party to which the village people were invited and also many in the other villages of the Island. A piano was brought from Ellsworth or Bangor, probably the first one to be brought to the Island, and ice cream made its first appearance at Mount Desert as a part of the refreshments. Some of the Somesville people still have the invitation cards which were sent out to the guests.
The party included many people of prominence of New York City, twenty-six in all. Mr. Charles Tracy of New York, father of Mrs. J. P. Morgan, Sr., whose family accompanied him, kept a diary of the events of the excursion and the book is now in the Morgan Library in New York. He describes the beauty of the Island and the party which they gave. Mr. Church, the art- ist, remained after the others had gone, staying in the different villages, painting the portraits of many of the residents as well as pictures of the scenery. Through his pictures exhibited in the large cities, attention began to be directed toward the wild beauty of Mount Desert Island.
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Daniel Somes' son, George Lyman Somes, inherited the place from his father and sold it to Miss Eliza Craig of Cambridge, Mass. She sold to Bishop Manning who spends his summers there. He has made many changes and additions and Mrs. Manning has a beautiful garden.
John Parker (Isaac E. Parker) lives in the house built by Nathan Salisbury, owned by his son, Roscoe Salisbury, then by his daughter, Mrs. Hollis Hysom, who sold it to Mrs. George A. Somes, mother of Mrs. Parker.
Daniel Somes gave the land and built the next house for the first Lewis Somes. His son Lewis inherited it and his widow now (1937) lives there. The house was built in 1852.
R. H. B. Fernald built his house in 1900. In 1937 he took down the barn and rebuilt it into a garage with living rooms on the second floor.
Mrs. Georgia Somes Smith lives in a house built in 1926-7 to replace one burned January 19, 1926. The house that was de- stroyed was one of the oldest in the village. A deed in Mrs. Smith's possession from Nathan Salisbury to Dr. Harvey F. Deming is dated October 27, 1846. It is thought that Mr. Salis- bury built the house. Other deeds show that the place was owned by David P. Wasgatt of Minnesota, Leonard J. Higgins, E. L. M. Allen, Charles W. Pierce, and Mrs. Smith's father, Isaac Somes. The present house is on the same cellar as the old one and is on the same plan except that it is higher posted.
The small building on the same lot used as a post-office was built by Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 1927. Somesville, or Mount Desert, has had but seven different postmasters during its exist- ence. John Somes was the first postmaster on the Island and he served forty years. Those who have held office since are A. C. Fernald, Jonathan Hamor, Mrs. Eva Hamor Jacobson, Georgia Somes, H. M. Smith and H. M. Smith, Jr.
George Somes built the next house and sold to Capt. Samuel Nash. His widow sold to Charles Brown whose widow still lives there.
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