USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Newport > Merchants and mansions of bygone days; an authentic account of the early settlers of Newport, Rhode Island > Part 2
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At the upper end of Thames Street is the site of William Ellery's House. Ellery was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence from Rhode Island. Prior to the Revolution Ellery was living on or near Bellevue Avenue, for it is recorded in 1749 - "The first fire at which the first fire engine was used was at Ellery's house on the hill." He purchased the Thames Street estate from Asher Robbins in 1799, his own having been destroyed by the British troops during the occupation of the island. The land directly opposite this site is occupied by the Liberty Tree. The first tree was deeded to William Ellery, John Collins, Robert Crooke, and Samuel Fowler by Captain William Read, who, "for and in consideration of the love of my country and the ardent desire to perpetuate to the lasting posterity the Liberties and privileges handed by my glorious ancestors and also for the further con- sideration of Five shillings lawful money do hereby give, grant, bargain, sell and convey to them a certain large tree standing at the north end of Thames Street, in Newport, aforesaid and at the north end of my lot there . . that the said tree forever hereafter be known as the tree of Liberty, and be set apart to and for the Sons of Liberty, and that the same
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stand as a monument of the spirited and noble opposition made to the Stamp Act in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five, by the Sons of Liberty in. Newport, R. I." This trcc was destroyed by the English during the Revolution. In 1783, a group of men went to the farm of George Irish, just north of the Mile Corner, and securing a young tree, brought it to the town on their shoulders and planted it on the old site. This tree did not thrive and another was planted in 1876, which lived only a short time, and the present fern leaf beech was then planted.
Continuing down Thames Street, we pass the John Stevens Stone Cutting Shed. This establishment was founded in 1705 as a place for cutting memorials and other face stones. The old house that forms a triangle on the corner of Bridge and Cross Streets was once the home of the Reverend Gardner Thurston, pastor of the Second Baptist Church. Reverend Thurston was a cooper by trade but refused to use his craft for the manufacture of any kind of casks uscd in the shipment of New England rum "to the Coast." He was pastor of the Baptist Church from 1790 until 1801, and during that time he baptized 328 persons and mar- ricd 1114 couples. The property later became the dwelling of William Messer, a retired sca captain, and is now converted into a store. Just across Bridge Street is the site of the Claggett Housc.
William Claggett was a versatile man with much ability in many lines, but especially noted as a clockmaker and an electri- cian. Claggett came to Newport in 1716 and was made a freeman in that year. In 1738 he was engraving and printing paper money for the State of Rhode Island. Prior to 1746 he became interested in electricity and constructed an electrical machine which he exhibited in Boston. Benjamin Franklin inspected his apparatus at Newport in 1746 and it has been suggested that Franklin de- rived his interest in electricity from Claggett and his apparatus. Several accounts in Boston papers show that he was also interested in making organs and that he made several instruments. Thus we have William Claggett identified as a merchant, a clockmaker, an author, an engraver, a printer, a maker of musical instruments, and a dabbler in the science of electricity. After the death of William Claggett, his son, Thomas, who was interested in clec-
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tricity wrote to Dr. Franklin for a part that could not be pur- chased in the town. Franklin readily complicd with the request, and refused to take noncy for the purchase.
Captain Jeremiah Lawton's house on the corner of Thames and North Baptist Streets was built about 1740-44 and has been in the hands of the present owner's family since 1818. It con- tains many interesting heirlooms inherited from the Goddard and Stevens families.
Almost directly across the street is a short courtway that bore thie quaint name of "Scott's Folly". This peculiar name was derived from the large house that stood on the corner of Thames Strect and the court. Tradition says that the house was built by a Judge Scott, grand uncle of Sir Walter Scott, and head of the first classical school in Rhode Island. The house was large and more pretentious than the means of the builder and was con- sidered at that time a folly. It was later owned by Licutenant Governor William Cozzens from whom the court now takes its name.
The house of William Hookey, the notcd silversmithi, stands on the southeast corner of Thamcs and Coddington Streets, now greatly changed to meet the requirements of a store. The mark WH on a piece of silver is a treasure for the collector of Colonial silver and is rarely found today.
Many of the merchants who had their business interests in the Cove resided on Thames Street. One of these men was Thomas Richardson who built his house just north of the Marlborough Dock in 1715. Richardson had large interests in a distillery with his brother Ebenczer. He was General Treasurer of the colony for ncarly twenty years. Richardson's daughter marricd Thomas Rob- inson who was the eighth child of Governor William Robinson.
The Coddington mansion house still stands on the northeast corner of Thames and Marlborough Streets and was sold by the heirs of Governor William Coddington to Martin Howard in 1744, and at that tinic it was occupied by Dr. James Robinson. The purehascr was the father of Martin Howard, Jr., who with Dr.
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Thomas Moffatt and Augustus Johnson were appointed in 1765, stamp masters by the Crown. Their acceptance of these offices made them highly unpopular. Their houses were attacked by an uncontrollable mob and they were forced to seek protection on board the Cygnet, a sloop of war, then in the harbor. At that time Mr. Howard, Jr., was living in the old Wanton house on Broadway. Mr. Howard went to North Carolina, where he was ap- pointed Chief Justice the following year. He went to England in 1778 and died in Chelsea March 9, 1782.
Marlborough Street was one of the streets named for the renowned Duke. The lower end, now called West Marlborough Street was once the Marlborough Dock, and was the largest dock extending into the Cove. In 1823, a small steamer was built at a wharf just north of Long Wharf and after being launched side- ways into the Cove, was subsequently towed through the bridge into the harbor. The engine was constructed according to some en- tirely new and novel ideas emanating from a Mr. John Babcock of Newport, after whom the boat was named.
It is apparent that the two oldest docks in Newport were the Marlborough Dock and the Long Wharf. The original date of the erection of the latter is unknown, but the records as early as 1685 mention the Towne Wharfe as it was called. In 1700 there is a reference to rebuild the wharf after a severe storm had des- troyed it. In 1702, a proprietorship was formed consisting of sixty- three of the town's leading merchants. After the formation of this organization the growth of the wharf was rapid and interesting. Most of the business of the town was carried on here. Many inter- esting events took place on Gravelly Point, a strip of land that extended to the south of the wharf.
Early in May, 1723, the frigate Greyhound, Peter Solgard, com- manding, while cruising off Long Island was attacked by two small sloops, which proved to be pirates. After a sharp battle, one of the sloops was captured and it was then learned that it was one of the vessels under command of Ned Low, a notorious New England pirate. These men had mistaken the King's vessel for a merchant- man, and had discovered their mistake after the attack had started.
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The Greyhound brought her prize into Newport harbor and the crew, thirty-six in number, were held for trial. In July an Admiralty Court, of which William Dummer, Lieutenant Governor of Mass- achusetts, was President, sat in Newport to try the prisoners. The trial oeeupied two days and resulted in the convietion of twenty-six of the pirates who were senteneed to be hanged. The execution took place on Gravelly Point on the 19th of July, 1723. The bodies of these men were buried on Goat Island between high and low watermark. The wharf did not extend to the Point (City Doek) at this time, and it was necesary for the populace to go as far north as Walnut Street in order to witness the execution. Later in 1738 three Frenehmen were also cxceuted here on charges of piraey.
In order to have aeeess to the Cove, and to extend the wharf, a bridge was needed; and on July 4th, 1741, Solomon Townsend was appointed to seeure a model of a windmill and drawbridge in Holland, at the expense of the proprietors. This bridge was not a sucessful piece of engineering, until a regular swing bridge was installed about 1765. From time to time additions were made to the wharf until it was brought to its present length.
In 1781, Washington landed at Barney's Ferry at the foot of the wharf. He had come to confer with Rochambeau about fu- ture plans of the campaign. He was eseorted by Rochambeau and his staff, between lines of French soldiers that were drawn to attention from the Ferry landing to the French headquarters on Clarke Street. The French supply officer, Martin was quartered at a home belonging to the Hon. Constant Taber, on the wharf. In 1794, Tallerande made a two weeks stay in Newport, lodging at an unidentified house on the wharf. Perhaps the best remem- bered man connected with the wharf was Stephen T. Northam, who owned a large distillery just north of the wharf, and had interests in several whaling barks, one, the Mechanic, was tied to the Long Wharf for many years. She was one of the last of the Newport whalers. After an unsueeessful voyage (an old diary records- "April 12, 1860, Bark Meehanie arrived today 90 bbl. oil), re- mained tied to the wharf until she was sold to a wreeker who had her towed to the lower harbor, beached her and broke her apart
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for the remaining saleable material." Later the hulk was sold to the Government to be used as a blockade with other hulks during the Civil War. Northam's house is still standing on Thames Street second north of Long Wharf. The old house that originally stood on the northwest corner of Thames Street and the wharf was moved to a short court off Edward Street.
In 1761, a company of comedians arrived in Newport from Williamsburg, Va., and having made applications to give a perform- ance, a town meeting was called. The question was taken as to whether they should allow them to perform and the final vote was not in favor of it, but after a lengthy discussion, they were granted their wish. A temporary theatre was built at the upper part of the Point near Dyre's Grove, and the performance was well attended. This is said to have been the first company that ever performed in New England. The building was wrecked by a heavy windstorm that injured several actors. John Whipple on his return from the theatre was drowned from falling from the Point Bridge.
The building on the southwest corner of Thames Street and the Long Wharf was built by the Trustees of Long Wharf in 1760. The original lot had a frontage of thirty feet on Thames Street, and fifty-three feet deep. The committee consisting of Henry Col- lins, Joseph Bell, Augustus Johnson and Joseph Lyndon was ap- pointed to confer with Peter Harrison who had previously designed the Jewish Synagogue and the Redwood Library. The committee found that the lot was not large enough for the building which they proposed to erect, and Mr. Gould who owned the property on the south agreed to give enough of his land to make the lot thirty-three feet wide, and the proprietors extended thie bounds on the west fifteen feet. Soon after this the building was erected. The lower floors were used as a market place and the upper cham- bers were rented for theatrical purposes under the direction of Harper and Placide of the Boston Theatre, who opened the first permanent theatre with the tragedy "Jane Shore" in 1793. Another theatre was started in the Colony House in 1794, but was halted by the noise made by the corduroy looms that were operating in the basement and owned by David Buffum.
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The Thomas Rodman house (1647-1727) stood on the corner of the Parade and Thames Street. This fine old house was once owned by the Wanton Brothers, and in later years became the medical center of the town.
It provided the offices for many prominent physicians-Dr. William Hunter who delivered the first anatomical and surgical lectures in the colony. Dr. John Haliburton, an eminent practi- tioner who married a daughter of Jahleel Brenton, Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse, an outstanding figure in American medieines, and who introduced vaccinations into America, and Dr. Isaae Senter. beloved of all the community, who made the daring innovation of eondueting a smallpox hospital on Conanieut Island. The old house was moved to a new location on Bridge Street when a store was built on the old site. It was changed into apartments and re- mained this way for many years until it was torn down to make room for a modern building.
Possibly the oldest and certainly one of the most important houses on Thames Street was the Sueton Grant house. This house was located on Thames Street on the present site of the Audito- rium building. Sueton Grant eame to Newport in 1725 and pur- chased the old Rowland Robinson house in that year: Because of the deplorable condition of the Newport records, the original owner is unknown, but it is attributed to be Walter Clarke or his father, both early Colonial Governors. It was considered an old house when Grant made the purehase. Grant was made Freeman in Newport in 1734 and from that time until 1740, he was engaged in the mercantile trade. When the war between England and Franee broke out in 1742, he turned his attention with other New- port merchants to fitting out privateers. In the spring of 1744, the second war between England and France was raging. The New- port merchants were busily engaged in fitting out more privateers to harass the French shipping industry. It was in September of that year that three of Newport's prominent merchants met an untimely death caused by the explosion of gunpowder. Mr. Grant was in- speeting the loading of the privateer "Prince George" in company with Nathaniel Coddington and John Gidley at Col. Malbone's
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wharf when an accidental discharge of a pistol gave fire to about 500 weight of gunpowder that was stored in the warehouse on the wharf. The terrific blast caused by the explosion blew the three aforementioned gentlemen from the house to a considerable dis- tance. For a while there were hopes of their recovery, but to the sorrow of the entire community, the accident proved fatal to all three.
Another greatly changed house of Colonial architecture is the Wanton house now the Boston Store. This was the mansion house of Joseph Wanton a prominent merchant who was elected Governor for the seventh term in April 1775. Within a few days after the election when news arrived of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the legislature voted to raise 1500 men for an "army of observation". Wanton's unwillingness to this act caused the legislature to pass an act to suspend him from his functions as Governor, and at the end of October of the same year it deposed him,-since he had "continued to demonstrate that he is inimical to the rights and liberties of America." Wanton fcd from the town and his property was confiscated by the General Assembly. This house served as quarters for the Viomesnil brothers during the French stay in Newport. Just across the street stood another Wanton house. This house was the home of John and William Wanton who were among the ablest, most distinguished and suc- cessful privateersmen of Colonial Newport. They were descendents of Edward Wanton, a Massachusetts officer who witnessed the execution of Mary Dyer and who, it is said, was converted to Quakerism by her fortitude. Another large mansion house once stood on the site of the present Covell building. This old house was once the property of Governor William Coddington and later belonged to George Gibbs, ist, a prominent merchant.
On the west side of Thames Street, on the north corner of Champlin's wharf was a burial ground. In it were several graves, the most interesting were those of John and Harte Garde, two members of the early colony of whom little is known. John Champ- lin and John Garde were English merchants that came to Newport from Fayal, Azores. John Garde died in 1665, leaving his prop- erty to John Champlin. This is proven by a deed of Freedom,
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which reads as follows :-
"thirtieth day of . . March John Cham-
lin heire to John Garde, deceased did declare that he gave his Negro Salmerdore his freedom forever . Newport on Rhode Island."
There is also a reference to a burial ground in a deed of land dated 1683 and reads as follows --
"Phillip Jones to Rebecca Tailor and John Nelson, Fifteen day of June, one thousand six hundred and eighty-three . between Phillip Jones and Reb- ecca Tailor relict of William Tailor, desc. Phillip Jones for Two hundred pound of current money of New England,-hath sold all the messuage or tenement in the town of Newport with all the land belonging to the same (except the bur- ial ground of John Gard and his wife) be upward of three quarters of an acre of land . . bounded on the south by land late belonging to William Brenton, Mer. desc., and bounded on the north on the land Capt. Peleg Sanford, abutting on the east on a hieway that extends north and south through the said town and so the land extendeth twelve feet in breadth down into the sea."
The above property was merged into a business block, and the old graves were removed to the old Common Grounds off Warner Street. Harte Garde, wife of John Garde, died in 1660. This old stone, dated twenty years earlier than any dated stone in Ply-
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mouth, Mass., reads as follows :-
Here . lyeth . the . Body . of . Harte Garde . the . wife . of . John . Garde Merchant . who . departed . This Tie . 16 . Day . of . September . An Dom . 1660 Agcd . 55 . Years
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The Duc de Lauzun, one of the leading menaces to the virtue of the court of France, found himself lodged with Mrs. Deborah Hunter, who lived on the southeast corner of Thames and Mary Streets. She was the widow of Dr. William Hunter, the famous anatomist. Comte Alex Ferson, aide-de-camp to General Roch- ambeau was quartered at Robert Stevens on New Lane (Mary Strcet ) but spent many hours at the Hunters. He was a dashing Swedish officer, who was a great admirer of Marie Antoinette. The Hunter house has been greatly changed and converted into stores. South of this building was the store of Nicholas Geoffroy, another noted Newport Silversmith.
The Jahleel Brenton town house was next. Brenton had his summer estate on the site of the present Fort Adams. It is inter- esting to know that a British Naval Hospital was set up in the Brenton Summer house during the English occupation of the Island. The town house was later owned by Walter Channing, Benjamin Almy and Adam S. Coe.
Washington was entertained here in 1790, and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry occupied it in 1817, and here entertained President Monroe. In order that the President should have ample freedom during his stay in Newport, thie Perry family moved to the Mason house farther down the street. After serving as a home to many notable Newporters, it bceame sadly negleetcd and the inter- ior woodwork was sold, and the old house began to crumble. It remained in a state of deerepitude for many years, until recently the last vestage of the once stately mansion house was removed, and
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on its site appeared a gasoline station.
The Cotton house standing on a short court off Thames Street is the last remaining liouse on the original line of Thames Street. It was built by an early Newport merchant named George Champ- lin. It passed into the hands of Newport's first Mayor, George Hazard, then to the Reverend Caleb Tenney from whom Dr. Cot- ton purchased it in 1817. Dr. Cotton was a surgeon-mate on the historic frigate Constitution, and was surgeon at the battle between the Hornet and the British ship Peacock and received from Congress a ยท silver medal for gallant service. Directly across the street stood the Aaron Lopez estate. Lopez was a Jewish merchant who had a vast interest in the profitable slave trade. It is said that at one time he was the sole owner of thirty sailing vessels.
The Reverend James Honeyman, rector of Trinity Church had his town house on the southeast corner of Thames and Church Streets.
The house of Benedict Arnold, the first Governor under the charter of Charles II, was located on Thames Street on land extend- ing from Mill to Pelham Street. Tradition says that the back foundation of Clarke's Newspaper Store formed the front found- ation of the old house. An analysis of the mortar in the old wall shows it to be of the same composition as that of the old Stone Mill.
On the northeast corner of Thames and Pelham Street, stood the Townsend Coffee House, once owned by Thomas Bannister, later to become the property of Thomas Townsend. It was a cel- ebrated resort for most intelligent men of the times. Bannister was a loyalist and his property was given to Col. William Barton by the General Assembly as a reward for the capture of General Prescott. In later years when the old house was altered, a new front was placed on Thames Strect and that part of the old house was moved to a location on Mt. Vernon Street, where it still stands.
In 1820 there stood on the south corner of Bannister's Wharf and Thames Street, a very old house whose gambrelled roof pro- jected several feet over the Thames Street side. This old building
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was one of the first buildings erected on the west side of Thames Street.
On the southwest corner of Pelham and Thames Street lived David Melville, who had the distinction of introducing gas light- ing in America. He equipped Beaver Tail Lighthouse for gas in 1817, making this old beacon the first gas operated light in Amer- ica.
Just below stands the Mason house. It was the home of Dr. Benjamin Mason, whose daughter married Oliver Hazard Perry. It was in this house that Perry. wooed his wife - here she greeted him when he returned victorious from Lake Erie, and from here the family joined the funeral procession that formed at Sayer's Wharf when the Commodore's body was brought here for burial.
In 1774, Samuel King occupied a store on the southeast cor- ner of Thames and Prospect Hill Street. He was a skillful manu- facturer of mathematical and nautical instruments. Mr. King was also one of the early Newport artists and painted many likenesses of the early Newport "Belles". He taught the rudiments of his art to Gilbert Stuart, Washington Allston and the famous minia- turist Edward Greene Malbone. Mr. King's studio was on the northeast corner of Thames and Church Street. His store was adorned by a large figure of an ancient mariner that was believed to have been made from a broken spar of some vessel, and was known to the public as "Captain Groton". This image led a roving and adventurous career. After the death of Mr. King, the figure became the property of Deacon Joseph Sanford's establishment until his death in 1841, when the "mariner" disappeared from view. After a time he was again seen on the tower of an engine house that fronted Franklin Street. Shorn of his quadrant that he originally clasped in his hand, and in its place was a fire nozzle. He occupied this position until the firehouse was removed. The next appearance was in a corner of Thomas Spooner's Paint Shop on Jolin Street where he underwent repairs and redecoration. For a time he was again lost to sight, until his whereabouts were acci- dently discovered on the highest peak of a barn located near the West Ferry in Jamestown, R. I. It was apparent that for some-
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time he had been holding a lightning rod, and his pitiable con- dition indicated that lightning had passed down the rod and tore away both arms. He returned to Newport where for a while he adorned the peak of Gyles Barney's blacksmith shop on Marl- borough Street. After a few months he appeared on the boat building shop of Lewis Barlow's on Long Wharf. A long time after the death of Mr. Barlow, our image was discovered in an attic and was purchased by George W. Green, a well-known painter who did his best to restore his pristine elegance. The "mariner" stood for a number of years over the doorway of Mr. Green's shop at 213 Thames Street. Once more needing rehabilitation, he was taken inside, but to the regret of his admirers he straightway crumbled to dust.
On early maps, Franklin Street is called King Street, and during the occupation of the French troops it is referred to as Lewis Street. A beautiful carved doorway is exhibited in the New. port Historical Society that came from one of the old houses on this street. DeLentz and DeMontequiou, aides to the Chevalier de Chastellux, were quartered on this street. The best of the old houses were torn down when the Post Office building was erected.
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