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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01148 5544
MERCHANTS AND MANSIONS
OF
BYGONE DAYS
THE KENDALL NICHOLHOUSE Shipwright Street (now Bridge St)
NEWPORT, R.I.
- Showing the Cove -
BY
ELTON MERRITT MANUEL
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1774631
MERCHANTS and MANSIONS of
BYGONE DAYS
An authentic account of the early settlers of Newport, Rhode Island
by ELTON MERRITT MANUEL
COPYRIGHT 1939 ELTON MERRITT MANUEL NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND .
REMINGTON WARD Publisher 32-34 Clarke Street Newport, Rhode Island 1939
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Manuel, Elton Merritt. Merchants and mansions of bygone days; an authentic ac- count of the early settlers of Newport, Rhode Island, by Elton Merritt Manuel ... Newport, R. I., R. Ward, 1939.
1 p. 1., 5-32. vi p. 23}".
1. Newport, Il. I .- Historic houses, etc. 2. Newport, R. I .- Biog. I. Title.
40-3981
Library of Congress - Copy 2.
F89.N5M24
Copyright A 136535 .
on 131
974.57
1349
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HE RAPID growth of the little colony of Pocassett (Ports- mouth, R. I.) settled by those sturdy pioneers who made their way to southern Rhode Island to escape the oppres- sion imposed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, resulted in the founding of Newport. During the latter part of April 1639, Nicholas Easton and his two sons left the Pocassett settlement in a boat to explore the southern end of the island, and landed at night- fall on an island, where they camped, and the next morning named it Coaster's Harbor. They were so impressed with the gentle sloping land, and fine protected harbor stretching to the south, and gave such a favorable report upon their return that the others joined them in making a more thorough survey of the area. Their first disappointment was that the entire length of the west shore of the island was a dense swamp, and they decided to locate the town near what is now Eastons Beach, but finding no anchorage here, and also no protection from the sea, they agreed to return to the west harbor. The problem of filling in the swamp was soon overcome by the work of some friendly Indians, who fired the swamp, and with the help of the whites, filled in the marshy ground with sand and gravel until it was suitable for building.
In May, 1639, the corporation empowered Mr. Jefferay, Wm. Dyre, and John Clarke to lay out the grounds for the new settle- ment - several persons being present who wished to build. A plank walk was laid out, running north and south through the marshy grounds. Later when the street was permanent, it was one mile long, and the original name, "The Strand" was changed to Thames Street. Home lots of four acres each, most of them extend- ing from the Back (Spring), Street, to the bay werc assigned to the proprietors. The first houses were built in the vicinity of Marlborough Street, the Easton house on the east side of Farewell Street near Coddington Street. The Coddington house, demol- ished in 1835, was on the north side of Marlborough Street, facing Duke Street. This old house was built about 1670. Various other
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merchants being commercially inclined, built their homes on the high land overlooking the harbor. At this early time, the houses were built far back on the east side of Thames Street, no expec- tations were entertained of having buildings on the west side, con- sequently no room was left for that purpose. But as the town grew and navigation increased some of the merchants built short wharves at the foot of their gardens, and it was with ease that they could sit in their windows and watch the coming and going of their vessels, and the discharging of the cargoes consigned to them. The ebb and flow of the tide caused the vessels to ground in the shallow water near the shore, and in time the wharves were lengthened to find deeper water. Many of the merchants had sea -. walls built and the land filled in to make a location for their stores and warehouses. By the end of 1758 a few mansion houses stood on the west side of the street, and thus it changed into the nar- row highway that we know today.
In 1715 a grant was placed on the slave traffic by the General Assembly. The money derived from this act was used in the town for the purpose of defraying the expenses of paving the public streets. This grant was carried on for seven years and during that period many of the old streets of the town were paved from the proceeds of the slave trade.
From the days of the first settlers, the town had a varied and interesting history. An account of the association and transactions with the Indians, the prosperous days of commerce and manufac- ture, the Revolution, with the invasion of the British and Hessian troops, and the welcome visit of the French allies, the decline of business, and the deplorable conditions after the war, the stories of early residents including distinguished authors, artists, heroes of the Army and Navy, noted merchants and other eminent men of all professions, could be compiled in a most interesting history, and make a large volume.
From the beginning, the town grew rapidly, becoming the most flourishing on the Atlantic seaboard. Before the Revolution its commerce greatly outranked that of New York. Its geograph- ical opportunities of ocean and sheltered harbor, and the unusual
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freedom of its religious tolerance attracted merchants and others interested in industrial projects, from many different countries. It became one of the chief ports of call of the so-called "Triangle Trade" that led its seamen into all corners of the world, while at home industrial plants increased - distilleries, refineries, rope walks, spermaceti factories, tanneries and other products for cx- portation.
One of the earliest business districts of the town prior to the Revolution, was that portion extending along the upper harbor and known as Easton's Point. A large number of wharves and warc- houses extending from Coaster's Harbor Island to the Long Wharf, were built to accomodate the numerous vessels that were constantly discharging their cargoes from all parts of the world. A group of spermaceti factories, located on the southern end of the strcet were owned and operated by wealthy Jewish merchants, and the man- ufacture of candles was one of the chief industries of the Point. The increasing demand for vessels to carry on the Triangle Trade between this coast and Africa was accommodated in the various shipyards so advantageously located in the neighborhood. A group of stores located on a wharf just north of the present Elm Street pier and once owned by George Rome stood long after the Rev- olution. Along this narrow busy street stood many of the dwelling houses of the merchants who were largely responsible for the dev- elopment of the commerce in this portion of the town. Many of these old houses are still standing and furnish the antiquarian many interesting studies of Colonial architecture and Colonial beauty.
On December 8, 1776, the English army landed at Weaver's Cove near Mr. Stoddard's house in Portsmouth, R. I. On the fol- lowing morning the 22nd Regiment went down on their transports under cover of a few ships of war and took possession of Newport. · From this time until the evacuation, some four years later, the commerce of the town was virtually at a standstill. Before the winter was over the suffering of the inhabitants was very great. Wood was selling at fabulous prices, and the English had to send as far as Shelter Island, N. Y. for it. Although the ships were gone five weeks they brought back only 400 cords, far less than required for
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the consumption of the garrison which amounted to about 300 cords a week. To satisfy the need for fuel many old houses, warehouses and docks were demolished. Several old ships were bcached and the wood distributed among the inhabitants. As the years went on poverty became greater and greater. Then in Oct- ober 1779, the transports gathered in the harbor, and the English troops accompanied by many Tory families sailed for New York, and once more Newport was in friendly hands. But the British had destroycd everything; most of the churches had been used as barracks or riding schools, the Library had been ransacked, and the Colony House used as a hospital. It seemed almost impossible for the town to ever regain its former prosperity. In the summer of 1870, word came that the French Fleet was sighted off Brenton's Reef. This was welcome news for the French had come to help the struggling colonists. The soldiers wcre landed, quarters were given to the officers, and for a year the poverty was forgotten in the gay balls and brilliant suppers given in honor of these welcome allies. On the following year, the French troops reluctantly left Newport to join the southern campaign and once again the inhabitants were left to pursue their neglected commercial trade with foreign nations.
At the close of the Revolution, commerce was slow in return- ing to Newport, commercial relations, so long neglected, were hard to secure a second time. Other seaboard towns had more ad- vantages to offer, consequently the commerce of Newport suffered. The final break came with the War of 1812. After this war the commercial business collapsed and from this time Newport was never known as a commercial town. Many of the warehouses pre- viously crammed with the products of the world were torn down, docks began to decay, Icaving the sturdy mansion houses of the early merchants of the once busy town.
Prior to the Revolution, the northern end of Water (Waslı- ington) Street, on the site of the small park that affords such a charm- ing view of the entire harbor, there were four houses, These, by order of the commanding officer of Rhode Island, were torn down to afford a suitable situation for the crection of the North Battery.
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They included the house and bake house of John Warren, and the dwelling house of Job Bennett, the small house of Mrs. Mary Wing was enclosed in the battery, but was later destroyed by the British troops. In June 1783, Mrs. Wing sent a petition to the General Assembly then in session for payment of the house, and on the following October the committee reported to the Assembly that they should pay the petitioner thirty pound for the house. One of the French nobles who joined the American army during the Revolution was Major Louis Tousard. During his stay in Rhode Island he was given the task of strengthening the Dumplings and the North Battery. He was in command of the left wing of Sul- livan's army at the Battle of Rhode Island, and during the en- gagement his right arm was so shattered by a cannon ball, as to render amputation necessary. He resigned from the American army in 1781, and died in Paris in 1817. The fortification that we see at the park was built under this eminent officer.
Just across the street stood a small house which had been used in the earlier days as a tavern. It was called "The Butterfly", and was removed from this site to a new one at the lower end of Thames Street. On the east side, south of Chestnut Street, stood the foundation of an old house. This belonged to the Goddard family, and during the Revolution was used as quarters for scveral English officers. When the English evacuated the town they burned the house along with many others. In later years the foundation was filled in and the property is now occupied by a private garden.
At the foot of Walnut Street on Washington Street, stands an old house, once the home of Captain Thomas Browncll, who achicved distinction as one of the sailing masters under Oliver Hazard Perry, at the Battle of Lake Erie.
Just across the strect is the Southwick house, now greatly changed from its original architecture. It was built about fifteen years prior to the Revolution and was occupied by the British troops during their stay on the island. It was here that the valiant pub- lisher, Solomon Southwick, once made his home. Southwick was a poor boy who was befriended and educated by Henry Collins, a prominent merchant, who hearing that the Newport Mercury
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was for sale, purchased it, and placed Southwick as its editor. This transaction took place in 1768. Southwick's slogan adopted in December 1769, "undaunted by Tyrants-We'll die or be free" was a courageous stand for the young editor to take in the troubled times before the Revolution. As war became inevitable, he in- creased his eriticisms, and when the English troops landed at Portsmouth, R. I., he buried his press in the backyard of the old Kilborne House that stood on. the northeast corner of Broadway and Kilborne Court, and fled to Rehoboth, Mass. His hiding place was diseovered by the pillaging troops, and the press was removed, eleaned off and used for the printing of their orders and news- papers during their stay on the Island. When peace was declared Southwiek returned to Newport and lived in the old house. An insight to his character is given by a slate memorial erected in the Common Burial Ground and reads as follows:
In Memory of SOLOMON SOUTHWICK, Esq. A Gentleman of Liberal Education And Expansive Mind For Many Years the Proprietor and Editor of the Newport Mercury And Commissary General For the State of Rhode Island In the Revolutionary War. He died December 23, 1796 In the 66th Year of His Age
Just, Generous, Good, Benevolent, Sinecre Was He Whose Hallow'd Dust Reposes Here If E'er a Prayer He Breathed To Heaven That Prayer Was For His Country's Glory Given
J. Stevens.
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The noted cabinet makers, John and Thomas Goddard whose handiwork is now so valued and sought by leading museums, lived on the northwest corner of Willow and Washington Streets. This old house occupied the site of the present Covell house. The God- dard house was moved to Second Street near Pine Street, and the old workshop to its present location on a small court off Poplar Street.
The old Robinson house stands on the. northwest corner of Washington and Poplar Streets. The property was originally divided by the Proprietors of the Point into four lots, the two southermost of these, on which the old house stood were sold by William Covey and wife to Henry Knowles on June 1, 1756. On August 3, 1759, Knowles sold the property to Edward Wanton, Mariner, who, in the following year sold it to Thomas Robinson. At that time the house was known as the old Tavern. Robinson married the daughter of Thomas Richardson in 1752. The four rooms on the north side of the house, the present stairway, and woodwork were added to the house by Robinson.
In 1776-79 there were several English Officers quartered in the house. One of them fell in love with Mary Robinson, the oldest daughter, who was at that time nineteen years old. This officer, named Thomas Parkins was killed at Yorktown at the time of the surrender of Cornwallis. During the French occupation in 1781, the Vicomte de Noailles, commander of the Soissonnois Infantry, was quartered here. Hc was much surprised to find the entire family spoke French. The Vicomte left the Robinson's with much regret when the Army left Newport in June of the following year, and as a parting present gave Mrs. Robinson a bronze tea-kettle that had served as a part of his camp equipment, a relic that is a prized possession of tlie family. The present owner who lives in Philadelphia in the winter has among her possessions a valuable set of seven or eight pieces of Sevres china which the Countess de Noailles, the wife of the French officer, and later a victim of the guillotine, sent during the year 1781 to Sarah Robinson, wife of Thomas Robinson, and great, great grandmother of the present owner.
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Henry Collins who owned the property just across the driftway was born in Newport in 1699. He was educated in England and on his return to Newport was deeply interested in the welfare of the town, and was instrumental in the building of the Granary, the lengthening of the Long Wharf, and the construction of the Sabbatarian Church. He gave to Abraham Redwood, founder of the Redwood Library, a deed, "to a certain lot formerly called Bowling Green under the yearly rental of one peppercorn if de- manded." He also befriended Ebenezer Flagg, then a poor boy, and founded the firm of Collins and Flagg, later to become Collins, Flagg and Engs. His liberality led to a considerable dimunition of his fortune, followed by disastrous losses under the Admirality Laws of 1756, which ruined him financially, and he died in pov- erty under the roof of Ebenezer Flagg, about 1770.
His estate was taken over by George Rome, an agent for Hayley and Hopkins of London, who advertised in the Newport Mer- cury of June 25, 1764, as follows:
"This is to give notice that all persons indebted to Mr. Henry Collins of Newport, Rhode Island and the com- pany of Collins and Flagg, and the company of Collins, Flagg and Engs are desired to prepare their respective bal- ance to the order of the subscriber only who is alone enab- led to give full discharge." George Rome
Rome continued to live in Newport and acquired a vast estate in Narragansett where he entertained large numbers of friends. When the Revolution broke out he remained loyal to the Crown, and was forced to scek protection aboard the frigate Rose, then lying in the harbor. His estate, consisting of one great brewery, south of the First Baptist Church, (the products of which were carried by an aqueduct to the Courthouse cellar where it was fermented and sold) a Tan Yard, two dwelling houses on the south side of the Parade, the estate, consisting of 700 acres in Narragansett, and the estate on Washington Street, were confiscated by the General Assembly. In 1781 the French had their Naval
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Artillery headquarters in the Collins House.
Dr. William Hunter was born in Scotland in 1731 and died in Newport, R. I., in 1777. He studied medicine in Edinborough and came to America about 1752 and became physician and sur- geon general of the State soon after. He served in the unfortu- nate campaign against the French in General. Abercrombie's ex- pedition. He purchased the house south of the Collins house, and resided there many years. This old house was built by Jonathan Nichols, son of Governor Nichols about 1754. The architectural beauty of this fine old house is attributed to Peter Harrison, one of New England's earliest architects. In the year 1756, Dr. Hunter gave at Newport, R. I., the first anatomical and surgical lectures ever delivered in the colonies. They were delivered in the Col- ony House two seasons in succession. It was to this house that the French brought Admiral Chevalier de Ternay when he was taken ill aboard his flagship in the harbor. And it was from this house on the 16th of December 1780 that the nobles of France followed their beloved leader to his last resting place in the Trinity Churchyard.
Just south of this estate was that of Joseph Warren, another wealthy merchant who sold his property to Jacob Roderiquez Rivera in 1783. Rivera at first emigrated from New York to Cur- acao where he married and lived for a short time, returning later to New York where he was naturalized in 1746. Two years later he moved his entire family to Newport where he introduced the manufacture of Spermaceti candles, one of the most important sources of Newport's prosperity in the days that followed. He occupied a high position in the commercial, social and religious life of the prosperous Jewish community of Newport before the Revolution. He gave many valuable gifts to the Synagogue. Brig- adier de Choisy who was honored by having his portrait in Trum- bull's "Surrender of Yorktown" was quartered in this house. South of this house was the Ferry house and docks of the Ellery Ferry that ran to and from Jamestown, R. I. It was purchased by Benjamin Ellery in 1770 and was the only known ferry running during the Revolution. It is recorded in the colonial records under the year
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1776-"the commanding officer of the forees on Rhode Island was directed to remove the troops from the ferry house on the Point belonging to Benjamin Ellery in order that the ferry may be kept running as usual." The ferry house and the docks have disappeared together with several other old houses near by, one of which, the Dennis house, home of a noted Rhode Island privateersman, that stood on the corner of Briggs' Wharf and the street, was said to resemble the Lopez house on the Parade.
In 1795 the first publie school in New England was started on Washington Street by a gift from Simeon Potter, a Swansea merchant. He gave to the Trustees of Long Wharf the property,- "on the Point called Easton's Point which came to me by way of mortgage, for a debt due from Hayes and Pollock, if you will accept the same in trust to support a free school forever for the advantage of the poor children of every denomination and to be under the same regulation as you desired the free school be that you designed to ereet." This school was started on October 1814 in the old house now standing on the northeast corner of Wash- ington and Marsh Streets, under the direction of Joseph Finch and his wife who occupied the second floor.
Soutlı of the school on the water side of the street was the Gibbs shipyard in later years known as Crandall's shipyard. This business was aetive as late as 1860 when the ship "Redwood" was launched there. Many other warehouses and doeks stood below the shipyard before reaching the Long Wharf. On the corner of the wharf and Washington Street stood a very old Tavern known as the Washington Tavern. It had for its sign a large unrecog- nizable portrait of the first president swinging over its door. This old building was used as the Ferry house for Barney's Ferry, that ran to and from Jamestown, R. I. This old hostelry with its sign disappeared many years ago, and the land was purehased by the New England Steamship Company.
Turning into Bridge Street, onee ealled Shipwright Street, it is difficult to realize that the south side of the street overlooked water, but the traet of land occupied by the railroad and other buildings to the south of the street was once a body of water
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called "The Cove". The old houses on this street have been sadly neglected. The William Redwood house standing on the north side of the street near Washington was built by Samucl Helme, a Philadelphia merchant, about 1755. His daughter married Wil- liam Redwood, brother of Abraham Redwood, founder of the Lib- rary. After the death of Helme, the property came into the hands of the Redwoods, who resided there until after the Revolution. Rear Admiral Chevalier de Touches was quartered in this house during the oeeupation of the French troops.
Job Townsend, one of Newport's early cabinet makers lived on the southwest corner of Bridge and Second Street. John God- dard was apprenticed to him, later marrying his daughter Hannah. Goddard became far more famous than his master; his furniture selling at fabulous priees. On the south side of Bridge Street, on the site now occupied by a coal yard stood the Kendall Nichols house. Nichols was born in Reading, Mass., in 1686, beeame a Free- man in Newport in 1710, and died in 1767. It is said that the old house was used as a spermaceti factory by a Jewish merchant named Samuel Moses. The Benjamin Ingraham house stood on the north side of the street, near the railroad tracks, and was owned by one of the merchants who had his business interest in the Cove. The old house was sadly neglected and was used in later years as a lumber shed until just a few years ago it was torn down to make room for a lumber yard
Beyond the railroad track stands a large hip-roofed house, onee the home of Peter Simons, a merchant who was naturalized in 1752. To this house his son, also named Peter, brought his bride, the beautiful Hannah Robinson, daughter of Rowland Robinson; a wealthy Narragansett merehant. Her father bitterly opposed this marriage and refused to have anything more to do with his daughter. Possibly her father may have had some grounds for his opposition, for when Peter learned that her father had dis- inherited her, he deserted her in Providence, where he had taken her to live. Hannah ill, living on charity, tried to earn a scant liv- ing by taking sewing. She constantly begged her father's forgiveness, but her stern Quaker parent remained obdurate and ignored her
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pleading until her unele intereeded and persuaded him to bring her back to his home in Narragansett. The reconeilliation came too late, and after a short illness she died in 1773, at the age of twenty-seven. Mr. Simons, the husband, went to Europe soon after her death and never returned to America.
The old house on Thames Street faeing Bridge Street, has an interesting history connected with the large chimney on it. Prior to the Revolution, it belonged to a Job Bennett, of whom little is known, as he was a Tory and fled to Canada when hostilities broke out in America. His property was confiscated by the General Assembly. To indicate that the occupants were loyal to the Brit- islı soldiers, a conspicuous mark was painted on the chimney. This mark was preserved by later owners until 1910, when the chimney needed repairs. The owners pointed out the mark to the workmen and gave tliem instructions not to touch it. After a brief absence from home, the owner returned to find the chimney com- pletely covered with cement and the cherished mark obliterated.
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