USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > Mirror to America : a history of New London, New Hampshire, 1900-1950 > Part 27
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51. "Red Gables". Caleb Segur built a frame house on this farm before 1800. Solomon Adams bought place about 1808. John K. Woodward lived here between 1820-1835. Part of the SW end of the main house together with the little ell in which the present office is located are the original parts of the house. Present fireplace in this section, though rebuilt, indicates the location of the old central chimney of a Type A home. Samuel Messer and his son, William, built and en- larged the house. Stone support in cellar.
52. George Cote. Type A. Built by Solomon Adams, Jr. in 1824. Remained in Adams family through three generations until 1897. Ell appears older than main house. (Cora Bunker recalls that her aunt, Mrs. William Messer of "Red Gables," took her beans over to this house to bake them in the brick oven.)
53. Pingree-Hayes house. Built by Jeremiah Pingree, Jr. in 1824. Fine example of Type A, in original form. Front door, double cross, with transom lights above; roof pitches sharply to top of windows; door in NE gable opens into a small entry in rear of house. Fireplace wall in NE room, finely paneled; old grained finish; entire wall forms a charm- ing pattern.
54. Jaques summer home. Type A house with unusual history. In 1813, Jeremiah and Asa Pingree moved an old house purchased of Joseph Colby, from a location north of Stanley Spiller's home (No. 77) to this site. The old house
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formed the two front rooms of the present dwelling, which in its new location is now one of our oldest homes. Front of house facing the SE commands a spectcular view of Pleasant Lake. Central chimney emerges from the steep roof, a little in front of ridgepole. Nine over six sash; old hardware; four- panel doors; wainscoting in SE room; old sheathing in SW room, width of large pine trees, vertical on fireplace wall and horizontal on three remaining sides; several interior doors made of one wide pine board.
55. Camp Kearsarge. Type A. Probably built by John King about 1815, although his father, John, resided on this farm before 1800.
56. Elizabeth G. Benson. Scytheville detail of Walling Map shows a house on this location in 1858 owned by D. Lorden. Recent information indicates that the present house was originally the shop of Hamilton Whittier located across road from his home, (No. 57).
57. Maxwell S. Campbell. Built as Type A by Isaac Bunker after 1830. Present ell is original house.
58. Frederic E. Everett. Type D. Estimated date of erec- tion, 1840.
59. Rufus E. Lamson. Built by Jonathan G. Everett. Type D. Similar to Everett house, next door (No. 58); prob- ably same approximate age, 1840.
60., 61., 62. Maude F. Swift. All Type A, probably identi- cal originally. Built by Scythe Mfg. Co. between 1835-1840. Front doors now identical with side lights as well as transom lights. A few nine over six sash. Numbers 61 and 62 (on high- way) have old central chimneys with fireplaces and other old features. Doors in NE gables of No. 61 and 62. Numbers 60 and 63 have old graining, paneling, wainscoting, hardware and exposed beams.
63. Maude F. Swift. Home for more than fifty years of Addie Messer Fellows. A variant of Type A, double Cape Cod (like No. 65) of much later period than the Littlefield house (No. 45). Built by Scythe Mfg. Co. at same time as Nos. 60-62, 64 and 65. Two entrances, two chimneys, one in center of each
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half of house. Second door in gable end for each dwelling unit. All windows have old sash, nine over six.
64. Doris H. Phillips. Type A, changed to C. Built as one of group Nos. 60-65, by Scythe Mfg. Co. Home of Joseph E. Phillips, co-founder of the Scythe Works, who enlarged the house by elevating the entire structure and building first floor underneath. Second and third floors show old characteris- tics; paneled doors, chair rails, pediments over door frames on second floor; old graining on wood work on third floor. Window in third floor has six over six panes. One of few homes that has remained in same family for five generations.
65. Morton E. Walker. Type A variant, double Cape Cod with same details and history as No. 63.
66. Maude F. Swift. Type D. Built probably about 1850 by Richard H. Messer, co-founder of the Scythe Works and one of the town's most honored citizens. More spacious and ornate than other houses in town of this type. Wide front and side porches, columns supporting overhanging gable, large and decorative entrance.
67. Roy E. Emery. Probably the oldest house standing in Elkins. Built by a shoemaker (name unknown). Owned and occupied in Scythe factory days by Samuel Greenwood, one .of the firm after 1842. Type A.
68. Bertha W. Bedard. Type D. Built by Eugene O'Neil who settled here soon after his arrival in N. L. in 1834. He, with his wife and infant daughter, had crossed from Ireland to Quebec by sailing vessel; thence to Montreal, St. John, (Quebec), across Vermont to Hanover and N. L. This house was his home for 58 years. He gave the land for both the Catholic and Protestant cemeteries across the road from his home.
69. Sanborn home. Eliphalet Gay, Jr. built this house about 1836, according to the old History. It remains in its original Type B form and has some unique features which seem to date it much earlier. It is the only house now stand- ing, known to have been built of vertical planks. (See Nos. 2 and 72). "Pulpit" stairway ascends from left side of little entry;
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attractive chiseled detail on end of each step. Fireplaces in two front rooms; brick oven was in NE room; granite hearth remains. "Witch" doors. Outside walls, just two boards thick, without usual space between. Frame timbers visible around the top of room below plastered ceiling. Second floor formed by two layers of plank, pegged together instead of usual beamed ceiling which leaves space between. Door to cellar stairway opens to left of fireplace in NE room and descends under hall stairway, just in front of massive chimney support in cellar. Support is flared at the top; one granite slab ap- proximately eleven feet long. Eliphalet Gay, Jr.'s second wife, "Aunt Mahala", who died in 1891, "always used the fireplace and brick oven for cooking." Mrs. George E. Fifield, her niece, recalls visiting this home and watching her aunt cook at the old fireplace. Potatoes and other vegetables were boiled in a kettle hung on a crane over the fire; biscuits baked in a "dutch oven," which was a tin container, set on the floor of the fireplace with one side lifted and open toward the fire.
70. Catherine Sugden. Type A probably, facing SE. Built by David Gay, the tanner, probably about 1820.
71. Joseph Mitchell. Type A. Built by Nathaniel P. Clough about 1849.
72. Donald K. Sieburg. Ell Type A. Main house Type CV. is unique in several respects. The pioneer on this farm in 1784 was Penuel Everett who built a plank house. The present one and one half story ell, facing the SE may be this first building. In any case, it is a very early structure. Corner posts outline the entrance, with the big chimney straight ahead; the kitchen fireplace and oven are on the inside wall of the room at the right with another fireplace on the opposite side of the chimney. Stairs at the back go up to the floor above and down to the cellar, where the big chimney support may be seen. Chair rails, "witch" doors, and deep baseboards, twelve to fifteen inches wide, appear in this ell.
At some later date, probably between 1825-1845, the present main house was built in front, at right angles to the ell. This structure is one room deep with central hallway.
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The distinguishing features are the two chimneys built into the gable ends. This design follows the Southern Colonial pat- tern, and is the only example of this influence to be found in this town. The fireplace mantels have the most elaborate decoration we have observed in our local homes, and at the side of each chimney, paneled half doors open into cupboards at the back. Pediments over the doors are typical of this later period. A picture taken of the place about 1845-1850 shows the main house in its present form. The door is paneled, with side lights.
73. Mrs. Robert W. Lord. Levi Everett, brother of Penuel (No. 72) was pioneer on this adjoining farm. Part of this house may have been the original building on this place built before 1797. SE and SW rooms of main house were probably original parts of house, which probably faced the SE. Cellar under these two rooms. Diagonal corner post in SE front corner. Fireplace and mantel in SE room appear original. In NE room, fireplace has been rebuilt but this may have been location of kitchen fireplace. In several of these features and in the difficulty of detecting original form, this house resem- bles the Burpee-Graham place (No. 33).
At a later period, house was of Type A facing SW with a central chimney. Before 1890, there was a closed fireplace in each front room and one at rear of the chimney. In 1890, chimney was removed and second floor developed into present two story, hipped roof effect. Old brick used inside NW wall of house. Four panel doors, old hardware, stone support in cellar.
74. Lucille Clifford. Built by David Smith before 1800. Type BV.
75. Greenfield T. Sawyer Type C. Built by William Gay before 1800. Described. A document dated Dec. 2, 1825 coveys this property by William Gay to son, Asa, "reserving the tan yard and bark house which I formerly conveyed to David Gay; also reserving for myself and my wife during our natural life, the northerly half of the dwelling house and our half of cellar and the same one half of all out houses except the cider mill.
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Also the privilege of passing to and fro; also the privilege of water in the well". Remained in the Gay family through four generations until 1934. New paneling copied from old designs in Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass. Architect for re- construction, David Abraham of Boston.
76. Carl H. Holman. Built by Ephraim Morrill in 1857. Type D.
77. Stanley A. Spiller. Probably built about 1796 by Amasa Sargent. Type A, changed to C in 1890's. Old hearth- stone remains in location of original kitchen fireplace, old mantel in SE room, remnants of interesting graining.
78. William Shost. Built by John Hayes about 1814. Type A. Narrow gable. Corner posts outline some of original rooms; large granite slab arch in cellar.
79. Charles A. Morgan. Original house, Type A, owned by Zebedee Hayes soon after 1800, stood on this site; removed about 200 feet NE, facing highway; destroyed in 1920. Present house built about 1860 by Richard H. Messer.
To Mr. Messer, who had previously built two homes in Scytheville (Elkins) of earlier architectural types (No. 61 and No. 66), this new home probably represented the "dream house" of the prosperous business man of the period. The two small porches at either side of the front gable, lead into a hall from which a beautiful spiral staircase ascends. The rooms are large and high posted. There are no fireplaces but marble mantels adorn the inside walls (facing the road) of the two front rooms.
80. Robert A. Muller. Built about 1830 and jointly owned by brothers Adams Jr. and Isaac Morrill. Probably Type B. Nine over six sash front are original. Six-panel front door with hand wrought latch and five light transom with old glass. Four-panel interior doors, chair rails, with design.
81. Julia E. Todd. Built by Hiram Emerson about 1837. Type A.
82. Philip W. Parker. Original house, the present ell, Type A, appears to have been built early. The central chimney with kitchen fireplace and brick oven, facing the NE, was
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still in use at the end of the last century; timbers handhewn; front and rear walls lined with brick of a soft pinkish type. Old house faced the early highway which ran from Low Plain (near No. 74) past this location to intersect the old stage road from Sutton over Harvey's (Rowell) Hill, past the Woodbury Tavern (Crockett Homestead) (No. 85) and on to Minot's Hill (N. L.).
Amial Shepard is said to have built the first house on the farm but it seems more probable that the main house was built in his time. The main house faces the new road to Sutton which was built between 1832-1836. It is Type A with narrow gable, only one room deep. The timbers here are sawed, not hewn. Several features of this section indicate the later period. The one fireplace built into the wall at the SE end of the house, rests on an arch which is part of the foundation. The mantel has a charming shamrock design which is repeated on the door and window frames. Hearth is of bricks, eight inches square. Chimney location and decoration resembles that in Sieburg house (No. 72), which was owned after 1842 by Samuel Shepard, brother of Amial. Combination of two sections built at different periods is also a similarity in the two places.
83. "The Wate Place." Built by Abel F. Hobbs about 1853. This was a part of the farm owned by his father, Daniel F. Hobbs whose home was the present Crockett Homestead. A late variation of Cape Cod design with two chimneys and a central hall; really a charming miniature of a Type C house. The last brick burned in the Stephen Sargent brick yard were built into the chimney of this house.
84. Anzel C. Messer. Type D. Built for Nathaniel Pettin- gill, who married Priscilla Hobbs. A part of Hobbs (Crockett) Farm. Built in the early 1850's about the same time as the "Wate Place," (No. 83), diagonally across the road, for Priscil- la's brother.
85. Crockett Homestead. Built by Benjamin Woodbury, 1792-1793. This was one of the three licensed taverns in the
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early community; here much town business was transacted. Type B originally. Entire NW side of second floor given over to "great hall," used for early Masonic meetings. Paneled pine from this fireplace wall used for building closets when room was divided. Old wood with grained finish is now covered with old newspapers which were pasted over it: The papers are the New York Tribune and Country Gentleman of the year 1866. Grained corner posts and fifteen inch baseboards can also be seen inside present closets.
When Charles Crockett assumed ownership in 1859, the house had been painted red with white trim and was in a neglected state. It faced the SW with the barn (in its present location) on the opposite side of the old stage road, leading from Sutton to New London. Mr. Crockett, at this time, re- moved the old central chimney with five fireplaces which had rested on two brick arches in the cellar. The little entry and "pulpit" stairway were also removed and the rooms rearranged so that the front of the house faced, as it does today, the new road to Sutton. Chimneys were built in each half of the house with a central hallway between.
Original four-panel doors remain throughout the house with a few old Norfolk latches and HL hinges with leather washers. Three original 24 x 42 inch window frames appear on the SW side of the second floor.
86. Trussell House. Built in 1808 by Robert Knowlton for Moses and Sarah Knowlton Trussell. Original building contract reads: " I promise Mofes Trufsel to hew fraim and raise a house fraime for hime twenty feet wide and fifty feet long two stories high. . . . . " Exterior development described. Five fireplaces originally. Kitchen fireplace, with recessed oven at right side, seven feet in width overall; small paneled cupboard doors above. Four original rooms contain old fea- tures: chair rails, simple paneled fireplace wall in SE room; original fireplace and simple mantel in NW room. Remnants of "Indian shutters" within wall. Bedroom on second floor, NW side, originally nineteen by sixteen feet.
Chimney base in cellar, fourteen by ten and one half
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feet, built into rear foundation wall. Bark on joists visible in cellar, common in many old homes. Chimney dimensions at attic level are three feet, eight inches by three feet three inches. A closet at foot of attic stairway has old leather hinges and is lined with old newspapers of the years 1826 and 1829. An unusual feature is the stairway from the second floor to the attic: a run of six steep stairs to a small landing in back of the big chimney; from this point, two runs of three stairs each, at right angles to the first, continue the distance to the attic floor. Large wooden bins for storing grain, fill the spaces at each end of the attic. Eight by twelve timbers, used as rear wall plate in house frame, are visible in the attic.
87. "Red House". Built in 1802 by Greene French as Type C. Details described. A newspaper article on file at the Tracy Memorial Library sets the date of erection at 1802 and continues, "Except for raising, he (French) toiled alone, ex- cept for his wife who held the lantern for him". Lodge "hall," ante-rooms and secret depository for records were located on the second floor. Pine sheating on rear walls of halls at two levels. A few original sash are found in the attic. These are twelve over twelve and some panes have a pinkish tint.
88. "Barnview". Built about 1820 by Jonathan Greeley for his son, James, who died at age of twenty-five, unmarried. Type C, variation; two stories (No. 38). First occupied by Samuel Carr who married Nancy Greeley, daughter of Jona- than. Had a two story ell, with second floor porch, extend- ing at right angles to rear of the house. Present door frame with fanlight not original, according to old picture. Recon- structed in 1928. Architects, Wells and Hudson, Hanover, N. H. Contractor, Reverdy F. Smith of New London.
89. William G. Spence. Built in 1857 by George Wood- ward for Jonathan Greeley Carr, son of Samuel and Nancy who lived across the road. (No. 88) It is said that this house was built in such a position that the front doors of the two houses were in line and members of each family could stand in their respective doorway and look across to the other house. Type C, late variant. The "Cathedral" design on entrance
I
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door plus side lights show the Classical influence as do the narrow double windows on the front of the house and the cornices over interior windows and doors. Similar interior arrangement to that of the home of Dr. W. P. Clough, Jr. (No. 101)
90. DeForest Anthony. Built in 1793 as Type A house by Josiah Brown on site in front of present Colgate Hall, with barn across the road. The Brown farm was sold to Colby Academy as a site for the brick building erected in 1870. The old house was removed at that time to its present location and served as the nucleus for the present building. Occupied here for some years by Josiah and Sarah Seamans Brown's daughter. Betsey, widow of John Brown, and their daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth. In 1888, former students of Dr. George W. Gardner purchased the house and it was his home during his last years. Remodeled extensively about 1915 for Miss Mary C. Colgate and used as the "Rest House" for two decades.
91. "Apple-tree Cottage". Built as Type D in 1840 by Jonathan Herrick, Jr. Transom and side lights at front door. Outline and interior arrangements similar to houses of Clement T. Lovering (No. 107) and Myron R. Adams (No. 108). Remodeled for Miss Mary C. Colgate in 1918.
92. Burpee Homestead. Built for Perley and Judith Colby Burpee in 1816. Type C. Two big chimneys with fire- places on first and second floors; kitchen fireplace with brick oven in rear of chimney on SE side, removed in 1880. Roof also raised at that time, changing outline of house from two story (like No. 88) to two and one half stories. Huge granite slab arch in SE side of cellar, approximately eleven feet long and sufficiently high for writer (5 ft. 6 in.) to stand erect with- in.
93. Jessie C. Colby. Built 1811-1814 for Jonathan Jr. and Sarah Colby Herrick. Type C. This house served as a tavern for many years and was operated by Jonathan Herrick, Jr. This was the stop in N. L. for the daily stage coach running from Lowell, Mass. to Hanover, N. H. Here fresh horses
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were waiting and a warm welcome for the traveler. The day in October, 1832, set for the first run was one long to be remembered by all residents and particularly by the school children assembled at the Red School-house at the Four Corners. The teacher for that term recorded the occasion as follows: "as the expected event drew nigh, study was out of the question and the teacher gave permission to gaze for a time for the long expected stage coach with its four horses in hand. It finally came and went, as all things come and go; but it took some time to fully comprehend and realize the im- portance of the fact that New London was henceforth to have a daily stage and daily mail both ways."
At one time another building of equal size, stood next to this, to the SE and doubled the capacity of the establish- ment. This second house was moved after 1857 to the present site of M. Roy London's home and called the "Retreat". It was used by Colby Academy for many years; destroyed by fire in 1918.
When Horace C. Stanley remodeled the Herrick home for the Misses Jessie and Mary C. Colby in 1928, according to plans of Augustus M. Allen, architect, many of the old details were existent. There were four fireplaces in the chimney in SE half of house; a huge fireplace in the NW room in the chim- ney built into the end of the main house. Arches in the cellar supported these chimneys. There was extensive original panel- ing. Several old mantels were reproduced and some old details reclaimed. Much new detail was added, notably the dentil design and porches added to the exterior. The large front door has eight panels. Another large door at the SE end of the house contains six panels and old strap hinges. This door appears older than the front door and probably led to the adjacent house.
Miss Colby treasures a sample section of old plaster with stenciling which was taken out of the wall of the SW room in 1928. This is one of only two stencilings discovered in town. The background is a pale bluish green. There are four motifs forming the design which is repeated and framed by an addi-
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tional border motif. Predominant colors of greens and reds, are finely preserved. Two of the motifs, the weeping willow and the flower spray appear identical with pictures of stencils used by Moses Eaton, Jr. (1796-1886) of Hancock and Dublin, N. H. These are illustrated in Janet Waring's book, Early American Stencils on Walls and Furniture. (Figures 18, 58, 50 and 62)
94. Colby Homestead. Built in 1800 for Joseph Colby. Type B. Described.
95. "Cranehurst." Built 1809-1810 by Manning Sea- mans, son of Elder Job. The ell containing the present dining room has a big chimney in the center. This may have been the original Type A house. Mrs. Mehitable Seamans "never used a stove but clung to the old fashioned fireplace and brick oven of early times." She died in 1885. The main house appears to have been built at a much later period as Type C.
(96. Mark N. Shepard.
97. Mrs. A. Stanley Little. These homes, standing side by side on Seamans Road, were parts of the house built on the existing foundation across the street from the present Colby Homestead farmhouse. Type C, probably; the home of Nahum T. Greenwood 1853-1882. Later it was owned by Colby Academy and called the "President's house." Moved to present locations in 1910.
98. Donald K. Sieburg. Built for a store before 1858, when it was sold by Stephen Woodward to his brother, Gage, for a residence. Type D. At one time a jeweler shop was operated here by Henry Seamans. Later served as home and barber shop of Alfred G. Sargent.
99. Mrs. Alfred B. Stimson. Built and occupied by Stephen Woodward, 1856-1858. Unique example of Type D. Second floor gable overhangs wide front porch. Resembles home of Henry J. Homan (No. 112) and more elaborate Richard H. Messer house (No. 66) at Elkins.
100. Charles E. Shepard. Built as a store, 1840-1850, by Charles S. Sargent. Type D. Converted to residence by present owner. Front rooms now used as U. S. Post Office.
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101. Home of Dr. William P. Clough, Jr. and offices of Dr.s' Clough, Sr. and Jr. Built as Type C for Dr. Solomon M. Whipple, probably 1850-1855. Rooms arranged like Spence home (No. 89). Fireplaces probably on first and second floors originally. Palladium window, modified according to Classic period with tops flat rather than rounded. Old wall paper removed from hall walls recently was imported from France.
102. "New London Inn" Built by Ezekiel Sargent prob- ably about 1792. May have been Type C originally. Now three full stories with hipped roof. Had large chimney in each half of house. Vestiges of chimney details in SE side appear in the present office; fireplace in front, refaced; old paneling, cubby hole in side of mantel; brick oven and old kitchen fire- place probably in rear of this chimney in what is now the dining room. "Witch" doors. Beautiful old mantel and panel- ing in front SE room, second floor. Attic stairs ascend from center front hall, second floor. Two brick arches in cellar; one in east side is larger and deeper. Granite post upholds part of ell which may also be original.
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