USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 19
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166. NEW ENGLAND TEL. & TEL. co .: On the corner of Westminster Street and Washington Square a lot was sold to the Telephone Company in 1946 and a new Dial Telephone Building was built.
167. SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE: The east part of the lot (not the extreme narrow part) Abel Bellows sold in 1839 to James Moody. Aaron Howland took over Abel Bellows' mortgage on the place and in 1843 sold to Thomas Murphy; 1847 to David W. Watkins. It came into Frederick Vose's hands, possibly by foreclosure of a mortgage. He built a brick office where he carried on his law practice for many years; 1872 his estate to Judge Josiah G. Bellows; 1892 to the Savings Bank of Walpole, "reserving to grantor right to lease of grantee the rear room of said building for an office so long as he shall desire personally to occupy same for $75 a year which includes heat and light."
In 1773 Col. Benjamin Bellows had given to his son Benjamin a 330- acre tract embracing a good part of what became the village of Walpole. On the west side of Main Street, his north line was along the south line of the Crafts lot, from the junction of Westminister and Main Streets westerly at an angle of 12° south of Westminster Street. Here he sold three lots embracing the area from Westminster Street south to what is now Middle Street (laid in 1801), and from Main Street to County Road, west side of present Washington Square: (1) 1792 to Dr. George Sparhawk, first lot south of Crafts (McKenven); (2) 1791 to Gen. Amasa Allen, next south (Tatem); (3) 1792 to David Stevens, tanner, next south (Porter-Hastings).
Each lot was nine rods 19 links wide on Main Street, eight rods nine links on the west end. The north line of the Sparhawk lot was 37 rods 15 links, the south line of the Stevens lot 33 rods. (The length of the street as laid from the southeast corner of the Crafts lot to the Common in 1807 was 36 rods.) At the end of each lot "reserving eight rods wide across west end of said land for use of Common when there shall be a road opened at west and adjoining said Common and not before."
McKenven lot (AH 355) "Dr. George Sparhawk was born in 1757, graduated at Harvard in the class of 1777, studied medicine, and came to this town between 1780 and 1785, where he commenced the practice of his profession." He built the house on this lot and kept bachelor's hall, not marrying until 1802 Polly, daughter of Aaron Allen. In 1796 he
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sold this place to Joseph Barnard and probably removed to Maple Grove Farm which he had purchased in 1785.
Barnard was a blacksmith and had owned a house and shop at the foot of Prospect (Austin Hubbard's) 1794-5. His wife was Tirzah. He sold in 1803 to Josiah Bellows 2nd (son of John), merchant.
The northeast corner of the lot Bellows sold in 1807 to Amasa Allen, Isaac Redington and David Stone. In 1792, when Sparhawk bought the lot, there had been at the northeast corner on Main Street Caleb Johnson's store. This was probably the "Red Store" Johnson bought from Amasa Allen in 1794. He did not buy the land. The following indenture was recorded between Benjamin Bellows and Amasa Allen and Jabez Weld, no date:
"let a certain spott of land whereon said Allen and Weld's store now stand bounded northerly on land of John Craft; easterly on County Road . . . , southerly and westerly on land of Benjamin Bellows, for and during term said store shall stand. .. . "
Weld was a tinsmith. In 1796 this was listed as a hatter's shop occupied by Joshua Howe.
168. GUY BEMIS: In June 1807 when the deed was recorded, it included where "brick store is now building" on Main Street, next west the Hatter's Shop, then the "White Store". These last two were on the south side of the lane to the Common, facing north.
In the new brick building there were three stores. The south store Isaac Redington had, sometimes alone, sometimes in company; even- tually it belonged to Josiah Bellows 3rd. In 1825 Bellows & Redington advertised "Scotch, Tartan and Caroline Plaids, Woollen Cloths, Bom- bazetts, Blue, Claret and Mixed Pelisse Cloths, Rose Blankets, Black & Drab Ostrich Plumes, Velvets, Plushes, etc., also a general assortment of West Indies Goods and Groceries, Hardware & Cutlery, Crockery and Glass Ware, Paints, Oils, and Dye Stuffs. Cash and the highest market price paid for shipping furs." In 1826 they advertised "400 1b. live geese feathers just received and for sale by Bellows & Redington. Wanted 2000 lbs. Flax, 100 bu. White Beans."
David Stone ran the middle store. He had formerly been in partnership with his brother-in-law, Roswell Bellows, son of Col. John, but that partnership was dissolved June 10, 1801. He formed a partnership with Josiah Bellows 3rd, continuing for nearly a quarter century. They had a branch house in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Philip Peck came to Walpole in 1830 at the age of 18 and entered the store of Col. David Buffum as a clerk. After some years he formed a
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partnership with William Bellows, known as Bellows & Peck. In 1836 they bought out the business of Josiah Bellows 3rd in the middle store and con- tinued until the firm was unfortunate in business and they dissolved the partnership about 1841. Peck continued the business, but was burned out in 1849. He retired from active business, not being in robust health, and devoted himself to reading and the usual employments of a country life.
Amasa Allen had the north store. His nephew, Oliver Allen, was post- master here around 1814. In 1816 William Buffum came to Walpole from Westmoreland and established himself in mercantile business. In 1820 he married Mary Ann D. Gordon, stepdaughter of Amasa Allen. Apparently the Buffums inherited a half interest in this store, and in 1834 they bought the other interest from her brother, George D. Gordon. William Buffum died in 1841, but it appears that his heirs did not sell their interest until 1854, after the first fire, when they sold to John Cole, who had built the new store.
In 1895 Thomas Bellows Peck wrote thus of his memories of 50 years earlier.
"I can barely remember the 'brick block' so-called which stood on the site of what is now known as 'Davis's Block'. It was a long building three stories in height and at the time at was burnt in 1849 was used for three stores. Judge Vose's law office was in the second story over the south store. I distinctly remember the night when it was burned, but can recall little about the building except seeing heavy teams just arrived from Boston with loads of merchandise standing in front of it waiting to unload. This was before the completion of the Cheshire railroad, when all goods were brought from the city on wagons drawn by four or more horses. I recall, too, that the room over the middle store was at one time occupied for a brief period by a travelling artist who took daguerreotypes, then a comparatively new invention. He must have been one of the first who came to town. He took excellent pictures which have remained clear and distinct to the present time."
In 1807 the Brick Store owners had sold what was the old Hatter's Shop to Alexander Thomas (he had been Postmaster 1799-1801); 1825 his heirs to Abel Bellows, Ezra Kilburn having occupied the shop in 1824.
What had been known as the "White Store", Betsey and Samuel Gil- christ (heirs of Amasa Allen) sold in 1824 to John Kimball; 1830 to Abel Bellows; 1840 to James Stowell.
According to AH 107
"In September 1849 the old brick store ... was burned. ... The building was occupied at the time by Philip Peck, dry goods & groceries; Tudor and Rockwood Co .; and W. G. Wyman, variety store. There were three other buildings just west of the store, one of which was a dwelling, the others mechanics' shops, which were burned at the same time. The cause of the fire was unknown."
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After the fire, John Cole bought up all the property.
"Another store substantially like the one now occupied by E. K. Seabury (1880) and another wooden store just north, facing the east (as had the old block), and also a dwelling and grocery store on the burnt district west, were immediately rebuilt. In 1855 a fire broke out in the new dwelling just west of the stores above mentioned, and extended to the stores, and the former district was burned over the second time. In the course of two years or so buildings were put upon the burnt district as they stand at the present time (1880). The last conflagration was caused by an over- heated stove funnel, improperly adjusted through a partition. The house was occu- pied at the time of the fire by Thomas C. Ball and family. The losses were partially covered by insurance."
After the second fire, Cole seems to have sold to Edwin R. Wells. In 1895 Peck wrote:
"The building which was erected on the site of the brick block was soon destroyed by fire, and was succeeded by the present brick building with its wooden wings. Dur- ing my school days the brick store in the center was occupied by Wells & Aldrich, and afterwards by B. F. Aldrich, the south wing by the Misses Miller, and the north wing by Edward Crosby. Mr. Edwin R. Wells, the partner of Mr. Aldrich, was a jovial man whose hearty laugh could be heard from one end of the village to the other. I have many recollections connected with Mr. Crosby's apothecary shop, which was a favorite resort and the center of news. Mr. Crosby was son of Rev. Dr. Crosby of Charlestown and had much of his father's humor and a fund of jokes and anecdotes. He was a very industrious man and turned every moment to account. He was at various times treas- urer of the Savings Bank, postmaster and selectman, and wrote the warrants and checklists for town meeting in a very neat hand. In odd moments he manufactured cough lozenges which he put up in cylindrical boxes and labelled 'Ward's Lozenges'. Long afterwards I inquired of him who Ward was, for whom the lozenges were named, and he replied that he didn't know unless his name was Ed-ward.
"The postoffice was in the corner at the right of the entrance, and being partitioned off from the rest of the store had somewhat the appearance of a cage. One day Mr. Jacob Moore, a humorous individual then staying in town, came into the store, and poking his cane between the slats asked what sort of a wild animal was kept there. I must not omit to mention Mr. Fred Benson, Mr. Crosby's clerk. He went into Mr. Crosby's store from high school about the time that the telegraph was introduced into town. The office was located in the store and Fred showed great aptitude for the busi- ness and soon became a skilled operator. The readiness by which he could read mes- sages by the sound was a source of wonder to the boys. He was a slender young man but full of pluck. One evening when Mr. Crosby was out a large boy who was some- thing of a rowdy made a disturbance in the store, and, though Fred was much the smaller of the two, he 'went for him' with a vigor that soon took the mischief out of him."
In 1858 J. W. Hayward had the drug store on the corner.
In 1883 Charles C. Davis bought the store on the corner from the
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heirs of Edwin R. Wells. The Souvenir Edition of the Bellows Falls Times in 1899 said of him in part:
"He is the senior merchant of Walpole, and for more than thirty years has been successfully engaged in the drug business here. ... He came to Walpole in 1866 and bought a half interest in the drug store with Dr. S. J. Martin, now of Racine, Wiscon- sin. The high school of Walpole was then without a teacher and Mr. Davis taught the school during 1866-7. He soon after bought Dr. Martin's interest in the drug store and has since conducted the leading drug business between Keene and Bellows Falls. ... Mr. Davis talks so entertainingly that the customer wants to buy the whole stock. His store contains the telephone exchange."
Here he also printed the town reports. He was followed by his son Arthur P. who died 1937.
The Davis heirs sold 1946 to the present owners Guy and Marion Bemis. Lester C. Chickering and Alfred M. Martin have the drug store on the north side (preceded by Lyndon I. Wilson; B. Ralph Brainard); the Bemises the IGA store in the center; Lila Pierce the south store, gifts, etc.
In Wells' Block early 1870's:
E. K. Seabury: Dry Goods, Groceries, Produce, General Merchandise; 1884 sold to Horace A. Perry.
Charles C. Davis, Registered Pharmacist; Books, Stationery, Periodicals, Jewelry, Fancy Goods, Pictures, Frames, Job Printing, added a press (printed town reports).
Richard Knapp: Custom Tailoring, Barber Shop connected.
Miss J. L. Fuller: Milliner.
1883 J. L. Howard bought goodwill and stock in trade of Knapp, taught penmanship and was a barber.
169. SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE, LAND: In 1856 Wells sold to Benjamin F. Aldrich for $300 the lot adjacent to the bank, and probably built a house and lived here. In 1880 he sold to Abbie M. Lebourveau, he having re- moved to Springfield, Vt .; 1895 to Benjamin E. Webster; in 1937 Daniel E. Webster sold to the bank. The house was cut in two in 1961 and moved west to the new Rt. #12 bypass (some difficulty was experienced crossing Elm Street and going down Depot Hill) and was brought to rest in Maplewood Park. It is now the home of Etienne Chaloux.
170. JACOB KOSON JR .: The rest of the Sparhawk lot, after some con- fusion over a mortgage to George Sparhawk, and selling to Dana & Bellows who got into financial difficulties, went in 1821 to Abel Bellows, then to his son, A. Herbert Bellows. Abel Bellows, who had become wealthy in Montreal, retired here, a semi-invalid. His house barely
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Howard S. andrea 116%
Walpole Common
escaped when the brick store burned. (See Wells letter. Decade 1840-1850)
In 1879 Horace A. Perry bought; 1919 to Louise C. Mousley of Alstead; 1929 to Carrie L. Knowlton; 1940 to Oliver J. Hubbard; 1944 to Raoul J. and Emma M. McKenven; 1962 to present owner.
Dana Knowlton had electrical appliance store here; until 1962 occu- pied by power company office.
171. STEPHEN B. WILLIAMS: The west end of the lot, five rods wide from the south line, nine rods deep, Abel Bellows sold in 1839 to John Williams of Cambridgeport, Mass., for $300. It may be assumed that he built the house. He must have died before 1850, because at that time Eliza Williams, Sophia Williams and Margaret Harrington were living here together. Eliza left the property to Margaret who in 1856 married Dr. George A. Blake; 1893 to Helen A. Wotkyns; 1912 to Clifford L. Sturtevant; 1914 to Helen P. Davis; 1920 her husband to Emma E. Lord of Portland, Maine; 1921 to Mrs. Lelia L. Sawyer; 1931 to Isabelle D. White of New York; 1955 to present owners.
172. DR. WILLIAM H. TATEM:
"Gen. Amasa Allen came to Walpole from Pomfret, Conn., soon after the evacua- tion of Boston by the British in 1776. . .. When he came to town, he commenced
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business as a merchant in a store that stood a little west of E. K. Seabury's, but he subsequently built the Britton store, and was a merchant during his active life. He had partners in business from time to time, but was himself the master spirit. Although he came into town poor, he left at the time of his death 1821 at the age of 70, $75,000. He was twice married, but had no children. His first wife died in 1811, and in 1812 he married the widow Sarah S. Dixon Gordon, mother of Mrs. William Buffum (Mary Ann Dixon)". (AH 186)
In 1791 he bought the second lot south of Westminster Street and built the house which still stands, and which was his home for the rest of his life.
"He was a man of sanguine temperament, florid complexion, with light blue eyes, and was rather stout than otherwise. He was very popular with his townsmen, al- though decided in his opinion, public spirited, yet grasping; jovial at times, at other times the opposite; but on the whole a good citizen."
He gave the church organ to the town, later used by the Unitarians, and he was present when the old church bell was cast, dropping in the silver that was a portion of it. In 1819 he gave to Immanuel Church, Bellows Falls, the first church bell used in that village, the only one in town until 1855.
Mrs. Emily Barnes wrote thus of him:
"Gen. Allen must have left an indelible impression upon everyone living within the sound of his voice. He was the most active and bustling man I ever knew. In sum- mer when we slept with our windows open, at my uncle's (Abel Bellows' house next north) we were usually awakened as early as half-past four by the thunder tones in which the old General would be giving orders to the servants in the house as also to the outdoor men. He had a great farming business to see to, mostly on farms at quite a distance down the river, and breakfast for all hands must be ready at an early hour, and his own carriage ready at a particular moment; and when we heard the wheels roll out of his dooryard, with a sigh or relief we would finish our morning nap."
In 1833 Abigail Richardson bought the property from the various Allen heirs. She was a daughter of Col. Benjamin Bellows, born 1759, died 1844. She married first, in 1779, Col. Seth Hunt of Northampton, Mass., who died the same year. They had one child, Seth, who died in 1846. She married next, in 1782, Capt. Josiah Richardson of Keene. They had one child, but when he was two months old, his mother brought him from Keene in her arms and as they were descending Prospect Hill her horse stumbled, throwing her and the child. He was instantly killed.
Mrs. Richardson remained in Keene some years after her husband died in 1820, then returned to her native Walpole.
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Aunt Richardson, as she was called, was of medium height, had delicate features, and in her young days was quite attractive. She was especially noted for her wit and love of fun. Dr. Morse said that in her childhood "it took two to keep Nabby Bellows quiet in meeting time". In later years, thinking that her husband was too much inclined to meddle in her housekeeping, "she threatened that when he died she would bury him in the ash-hole with his head sticking out so that he might see what was going on in the kitchen". She was particularly fond of young people.
"Although she was more liberal in her religious views than her younger sister Mary, she was a regular attendant at the Orthodox Church, except when kept at home by her infirmities. She made it her rule, if she could not go to church on Sunday, not to go out during the week."
In 1845 Martha Eleanor Bellows Peck bought the property; her son Thomas Bellows Peck had it after her, and left it to Annie Buffum Williams, who sold in 1919 to Louis Hazen, physician, of Rockingham, Vt .; 1939 his estate to Margaret R. Campbell; 1946 to Frances K. Dette of Hartford, Conn .; 1947 to Dr. William H. Tatem.
173. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LOT: When the new church building was erected in 1833, Abigail Richardson gave the west end of her home lot to the church on condition that she should always have a good pew in the church free of rent and that a right of way should be reserved from her garden through the church lot. This condition is not in the deed.
174. RENA PORTER HASTINGS: In 1792 Gen. Benjamin Bellows sold to David Stevens, tanner, a strip from Main Street to the County Road, next south of Gen. Amasa Allen's property. It is probable that he built a house. In 1795, having removed to Rutland, he sold the east 17 rods to Thomas and Isaac Reddington; 1798 to David Stone, trader; 1800 to Levi Pierce, merchant, of Boston, wife Mary Elizabeth; 1802 to Joseph Bellows Jr., trader; 1812 to William Cochran of Boston. Cochran had died by 1839, and his wife Mary and daughters Martha and Mary Ann sold and removed to Northampton, Mass. There was another daughter Agnes Gorden who had married Stephen Higginson, and there was an Elizabeth Cochran who seemed to have some rights in the place. Philip Peck bought, moved the house back on the lot and built a new house, the present one.
In 1846 Henry Foster bought the property, then it went to his son Levi H .; in 1859 to his wife Fannie M .; 1862 to Samuel Beck (Caroline A.); they removed to Concord and sold to Judge Henry Adams Bellows of
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Concord, who had been born here, son of Joseph; 1867 to Charles E. Fuller, who removed to Terre Haute, Indiana; 1870 to Helen Louisa K. and Rev. David A. Russell; 1870 to Helen M. and Robert E. Green of Westmoreland; 1875 to Dr. Winslow B. Porter; now Mrs. Rena Porter Hastings.
Capt. John Cole is said to have lived here. He had a general store, Cole & Wyman, where Chickering Drug is now. He belonged to a group interested in assisting runaway slaves to Canada. He was a retired sea captain, who, with his wife, was once shipwrecked. Each thought the other lost until they met on a street in New York.
175. MRS. WALLACE GRAVES: In 1861 the Fosters sold to Sophia Titus (Mrs. Asa) a strip four rods wide off the west end of their house lot, in- cluding the large wood-colored house which had been moved back from the front of the lot. Mrs. Titus was a daughter of Jeduthan Russell Jr. of Saxtons River. There were two Titus children, Charles H., who served during the War of the Rebellion as hospital steward on a Union gunboat, then as clerk in a large auction house on Tremont Street, Boston, and later as hotel clerk at Decatur, Michigan; and Jane M.
Asa Titus around 1845 was a dancing master and fiddler. Mrs. Titus functioned at all births of note in town and was called "Aunt Titus".
In 1895 Mrs. Titus' heirs (sisters, nieces and nephews) sold to Thomas B. Peck; 1915 his heirs to Wallace E. Graves; Mrs. Graves still owns the property.
176. CONGREGATIONAL PARSONAGE: Prior to 1795 (deed recorded 1798) David Stevens bargained to Nicanor Townsley the west 16 rods of the lot, out of which the west eight rods was for a Common. Townsley was a cabinet-maker here, and a study of the deeds indicates that he built the house. In 1810 he sold land and buildings to Oliver Allen who lived here; 1814 to Amasa Allen; 1827 the heirs to Submit Dana, probably widow of Rev. Josiah Dana, who was the father of Sarah Sumner Dana, who married Thomas Bellows 2nd in 1812. Thomas had been a partner of Samuel Dana from 1814 to 1820, when their business failed. In 1827 Thomas died, leaving his wife with a small daughter, Sarah Isabella. They lived here, the daughter growing up and marrying in 1844 George W. Grant, who came here to live.
Grant had worked in Boston, but when disaster struck, he removed to Walpole in 1842. He enlarged and improved his mother-in-law's house, being handy with tools. He resided in Walpole for about 20 years, em- ploying his time in carrying on ten acres which he owned near the village,
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and in other occupations of life in the country. While not lacking in business qualifications, his predominant traits of character were his wit and sense of humor. His love of fun frequently took the form of raillery or of practical jokes. It was sometimes difficult to tell whether he was in jest or in earnest. A ready writer, he had quite a facility for composing humorous poetry. His wife had a similar literary ability and mental brightness, but, not having an equal sense of humor, was at times apt to take his jokes too seriously. An evening at their house, when both were in a favorable mood, was stimulating to the mind and called out what- ever wit the visitor chanced to possess.
About 1862 he went to New York to work as a fur dealer, leaving the family in Walpole where he maintained his legal residence and spent his summers.
Mrs. Bellows, who was an invalid for the last 40 years of her life, was lovingly cared for by Mrs. Grant. Mrs. Grant died in 1866, her mother in 1867, and George W. Grant in New York in 1881. The children, Helen and Herbert, living near Boston, sold the old place, which had become overgrown and neglected, to Elijah Kilburn of Fall River in 1883. He gave it to the Congregational Church for a parsonage.
177. MRS. WALLACE GRAVES: In 1836 Mrs. Dana had sold to Miss Lucy Ormsby a strip two rods wide off the east end of her lot. Aldrich wrote that she was remembered
"as the good-natured maiden lady who taught many of those now living (1880) their ABC's and care for their little wants." (AH 343)
T. B. Peck remembered her "as a stout woman getting old, and that I stood a good deal in fear of her. She taught me my letters and how to sew patchwork in the same way as she had taught successive generations in Walpole. She had previously lived where the Unitarian Church now stands in the house in which her father Stephen Ormsby followed the calling of village barber. When the church was built, the Society moved the house over to the present location and put it in order for a home for her."
Other material states that the house was actually north of the church site and was removed when Union Street was put in.
Her sister, Mary Ormsby Whiting (Mrs. Samuel), lived with her, and she left the property to her daughter Mary (Mrs. George Miller); she to her brother Thomas' daughter Lucia E. Clarke. She sold 1919 to Wallace E. Graves, Mrs. Wallace Graves still owning.
MIDDLE STREET, MAIN STREET TO RIVER STREET
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