USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Warwick > The history of Warwick, Rhode Island, from its settlement in 1642 to the present time; including accounts of the early settlement and development of its several villages; sketches of the origin and progress of the different churches of the town, &c., &c > Part 19
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On November 30, 1810, as per deed of that date, Molly Atwood, widow, Russel, Frances B., and George Atwood, conveyed a small strip of land to Charles Brayton, described as follows :
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." All the right, title and claim, we have, or either of us have ever had, or of right ought to have, to a certain small lot or parcel of land, situated partly in Warwick and partly in Coventry, in that part called Natick, near Edmonds' bridge (so called), and bounded and described as followeth, viz .: Begin- ning at a certain bound, erected in line of the highway, and in the wall, a little west from the Dwelling-house late belonging to Charles Atwood, deceased, and running northerly, a straight line, to the end of a wall a little to the northward and eastward of said bridge, which is supposed to be the North line of the town of Warwick; from thence to the river at right angles,-and meaning to convey all the right and title we have in, and to all the land lying between said lines and the river, otherwise bounded easterly and northerly, on the grantor's land ; westerly, on the river ; and southerly, on land owned by the owners of the Roger Williams Cotton Manufacturing Com- pany, to wit: Caleb Williams and others."
The consideration was $6. This tract was conveyed by Charles Brayton to Babcock & Stone, Aug. 9, 1834. the consideration being $80. Edmonds' bridge crossed the river near where the Briggs' House now stands. The bridge was kept up until after the Coventry and Cranston turn pike was put through, and was then suf. fered to decay. A man by the name of Esek Edmonds lived on the opposite side of the river, in the house now owned by Mr. Wm. C. Ames.
Previous to the year 1820, the only dwelling-houses on the north side of the river, between the spot where now stands the Lippitt store and the machine shop in Harrisville with the exception of those connected with the mills was one owned by Caleb Atwood, on the site of the one now standing next west of Dr. Clark's, the old Atwood house just back of the present Phenix Hotel, already alluded to, and an old house that stood on the site of the upper end of the present Machine shop, owned by a man named Roberts, one of whose descendants is a practicing physician in Scituate. The gambrel roofed building in the rear of the store at Lippitt, was occu- pied at one time by Col. Christopher Lippitt, who was Superintendent of the Lippitt Mfg. Co. Caleb Atwood afterwards built a house on the opposite side of the road from his residence, which was used as a hotel. Mr.
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Atwood kept the toll-gate. In the year 1825, the estate of George Atwood, a descendant of Charles, was cut up and sold to various parties, and from about this date the number of private dwellings rapidly increased. On the site of the machine shop there was a small two-story stone building, owned by Daniel Atwood. A novel kind of a dam, that extended in an oblique direction only half-way across the river, excited the curiosity of the people and turned the water upon the wheel of their mill, which received the significant name of the "Dump- ling mould."
On the south side of the river, on the hill, stands the house owned previous to 1820, by Peter Levalley, who is said to have been a descendant of the Huguenots, a term of contempt applied to French Protestants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Previous to the year 1700, the forty-five families of this class who had settled French town in this State, all but two had removed to New York. Gabriel Bernon and Pierre Ayrould went to Newport, where they appear to have settled. Whatever may have been the religious pro- clivities of Peter Levalley, he found the hill-top overlook- ing the valley of the Pawtuxet a pleasant place to reside, and here he spent his life rearing his family and cultivating a portion of his extensive farm. An old deed of conveyance, bearing date of March 5, 1757, informs us that Job Greene, of Coventry, conveyed to Peter Levalley fifty acres of land "laid out as near a square as may be," and bounded southerly on land of Michael Levalley, easterly on land of Thomas Utter and westerly on land of grantee. The consideration was £1260. Michael Levalley was the father of Peter. In 1761, Job Greene also conveyed to Peter Levalley a portion of land, "bounded northerly on land of Joseph Edmonds and partly on grantor, easterly, partly on the river and partly on land of Thomas Utter, southerly, on land of the grantee." The tract contained twenty-five acres, and the consideration was £1100. Peter Levalley gradually added to his domain by inheritance and pur-
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chase until he became a large land holder. His farm, embraced a tract of several hundred acres in extent, reaching as far at least as the pleasant residence of Henry L. Greene, Esq., in that direction, and winding around southerly and westerly so as to embrace the grounds now known as the Greenwood Cemetery. At his death, about the year 1820, his estate was divided among his children. His son Thomas, when the turn- pike was built, erected the house on the opposite side of the road, now occupied by John Levalley; Josiah and William, Ruth, who married Samuel Baker, of Natick Hill; Catherine, who died unmarried ; Margaret, who married Judge Henry Remington, and Mary, the mother of the eccentric Amanda, were his children. To the north of the Levally farm and bordering upon the river, Anthony A. Rice owned about thirty-five acres, a por- tion of which he sold to the Lippitt, company to enable them to turn the river into a new channel, and thereby prevent the water from flowing back upon their water- wheel. In 1837, on the death of Mr. Rice, the estate was divided among his heirs. At the time the Roger Williams mill was burnt, Mr. Rice lived in the house that stands west of the one built by Gen. Reuben Whitman, father of David Whitman. Mrs. Rice, or as she was familiarly called "Mum Rice," observing the prosperity and growth of the village, at one time declared that she "really believed that Phenix was des-ti-ned yet to be a sea-port town." It is said that when the bridge was being built across the river, and before the flooring was laid, she walked across on one of the string pieces, as perpendicularly as a plumb line and as uncon- cernedly as though she was on a common path-way, thus foreshadowing the celebrity that has since been achieved by one of her grand-children, in his airy and watery gymnastics. Mrs. Rice is remembered as an active, industrious woman and the many anecdotes related of her, bear evidence of her wit rather than of her ignorance.
The educational and religious privileges afforded by
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the village at the present time have arrived at their present state by a gradual progress. Previous to the year 1827, there was no building in the village which had been erected especially for these purposes. The old Tatem meeting-house, the first one built in the village, was erected in 1829, and occupied subsequently by the Methodists, who afterwards purchased it. The second, built by the old Baptists, a branch of the " Maple Root," in Coventry, was erected in 1838. The Baptist church was built in 1842, and sold to the Catholics in 1859, and in the following year they entered the vestry of their new and beautiful house. The Methodist church was built by Dea. Pardon Spencer, of Crompton, in 1857-8. The first week-day schools were held in private houses, and probably accommodated all who were inclined to attend them. In 1818, Miss Amey Gorton, sister of Mrs. William B. Spencer, taught in a house on the east side of the river, and subsequently, Elisha W. Baker, brother of the late Dr. Baker, of Fiskville, taught in the same house, and for one term, had a school in the house of the late Dea. Wm. Spencer. A man by the name of Austin is also remembered as a teacher about this time. Following this arrangement, but at what precise date I have not been able to determine, a school was held in a building erected as a store, north of Lippitt village, on the turnpike. The internal ar- rangements were of the simplest character, quite in con- trast with the accommodations of the present day. Rude slabs from the neighboring saw-mill, with the less un- comfortable side uppermost, with pegs driven into them for legs, without backs, constituted the seats, while about the sides of the room a board was attached to be used by the pupils in turn, while in the exercise of pen- manship. Upon such seats many an urchin sat, with dangling feet, and, perchance, fell asleep, and slept, to fall, and fell, to electrify the little company with an ex- temporary solo more distinct than melodious. With the primitive school-room were associated a little roughness in some of the teachers, though probably not more in
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the schools in this vicinity than in others. Hood, in his " Irish school-master," gives a ludicrous and overdrawn picture of the early teachers of his day, and which will hardly be applicable in all respects, with the earlier teachers of this town, though in some respects a re- semblance may be detected :
" No chair he hath, the awful pedagogue, Such as would magisterial hams imbed: But sitteth lowly on a birchen log Secure in high authority and dread. And so he sits amidst his little pack That look for shady or for sunny noon Within his visage as an almanack; His quiet smile foretelling gracious boon, But when his mouth drops down like rainy moon, With horrid chill each little heart unwarms,
Knowing that infant showers will follow soon, And with forebodings of near wrath and storms,
They sit like trembling hares, all trembling on their forms."
In 1827 a charter was granted by the General As- sembly, to "The Lippitt and Phenix Sabbath-school Society," and from the time the society built their house, which was done at once, the village has had a per- manent place for schools, and also for religious worship, as long as the house was needed. There was no settled pastor in the place at this time, but occasionally a minis- ter came in and held meetings and then departed. The Methodist circuit preachers made occasional visits, and Henry Tatem, who was a tailor by trade, and worked in a little shop still standing, held occasional services.
Elder Charles Stone, grandfather of the late Horatio Stone, then preaching at Coventry, in what has since been known as the old Stone meeting-house, is remem- bered as one of the earlier occasional preachers .* At this time the house of the late Dea. Wm. Spencer was
* Elder Stone preached in the old Baptist meeting-house, in Cov- entry, that stood " on the road that leads from Thomas Waterman's to Thomas Brayton's, on a location between said Waterman's and the house of Christopher Knight." The old house, the site of which may still be pointed out, was built in 1758-9 Elder Stone was ordained to the ministry, June, 20, 1798, aud preached in this house many years, 19
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the usual stopping-place of such persons, where they always found a cordial welcome. Dea. Spencer belonged to the church at French town, and was accustomed to walk over there on Saturday and return on Monday. He continued to do this until a few years before he died. The object of the " Sabbath-School Society" was to pro- vide a suitable building where not only the Sabbath- school but the week-day school and religious meetings could be held. The record book of the society is before me, from which it appears that " Stephen Levalley, Rufus Wakefield, Edmund C. Gould, Daniel Gorham, William Spencer, Esq., and others," petitioned the General As. sembly for an act of incorporation. The petition was granted, and the society was permitted to hold real and personal property to the amount of $10,000.
The corporation proceeded at once to provide a build- ing. The lot, which is the one now occupied by the public school, was purchased of Caleb Atwood, by William Spencer, in behalf of the society, who gave a deed of transfer to the society. Its cost was $100. Bowen Angell built the house, at a cost, to the society, of $553 80, which, with the cost of the lot, painting, &c., added, amounted to $882 71. This amount was divided into 134 shares, at $6 55 per share, making $877 70. By the act of incorporation, no person was allowed to hold more than sixteen shares, and each share was en- titled to a vote, in the management of its affairs. The Lippitt Manufacturing Company, however, held forty- four shares. At a meeting held August 4, 1827, Samuel Briggs, Jr., was elected president ; Stephen G. Hopkins, secretary ; and Rufus Wakefield, treasurer. James A. Hills, William Spencer, and Stephen G. Hopkins, a com- mittee "to let the school-house, examine the school, solicit preachers," &c. Financially, the project seemed to be somewhat successful, as in 1828 the Society de-
and until his| death, in 1844. He is remembered as "a man of deep, practical sense, and active piety. He was not educated, but belonged to that class of self-made minds that no want of learning can cramp into error, or seduce into mental indolence."
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clared a dividend of fourteen cents on each share. In 1829, thirty-one cents, and the following year, twenty- two cents.
The following were the names of the several presi- dents of the society : Edmund C. Gould, in 1829; Wm. C. Ames, 1830 to 1832; Leonard Loveland, from 1832 to 1836 ; Daniel Wheelock, from 1836 to 1838 ; William Spencer, from 1838 to 1847 ; when, by vote of the cor- poration, the house and lot were sold to the school dis- trict for $800. The first teacher who taught in the building was Samuel Briggs. Peter D. Healy, who be- came one of the veteran teachers of the town, taught here in 1829-30, followed by a succession to the present time. The central portion of the present building is the old part, to which additions have since been made, in both its rear and front, as the increasing wants of the district have demanded. From 1827, as long as the ne- cessities of the parties required, the house was also used for religious meetings by the several religious sects in rotation. Elder Tatem, a General Baptist, preached once a month, until his meeting house was erected, in 1829. Elder Charles Weaver, a Calvanist Baptist, took his turn ; also, the Methodist circuit preachers, and El- der Thomas Tillinghast divided a monthly Sabbath be- tween this house and the Arkwright school-house.
The year 1841 is remembered by many as a season of unusual religious interest in the churches of this village. Rev. Jonathan Brayton, having concluded his studies at Madison University, after conferring with Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., who heartily favored the project, com- menced preaching early in the year in the school-house, where an audience of thirteen persons listened to his in- structions at the first meeting. In the course of a few weeks, the interest increasing, it was decided to hold a protracted meeting. Elder John H. Baker, who died a few years ago, ripe in years and in goodness, came and assisted in the meetings. They held their meetings for two weeks in the old Tatem meeting-house, by courtesy of the Methodist church, which had then the control of it,
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but afterwards they returned to the school-house. The in- terest continued through the year, and resulted in gener- ous accessions to the membership of the Methodist church, and also in the organization of the present Baptist church, in the following winter. The recognition services of the new church were held in the old Tatem meeting- house, which was subsequently purchased by the Meth- odists. About the time that Elder Brayton commenced preaching here, Rev. Abraham Norwood, a minister of the Universalist denomination, removed from Fall River and commenced preaching in the place, and dwelt, as he said, in " his own hired house in the wilderness, far re- mote, being distant three Sabbath days journey, i. e., about three miles-as thou goest by the way of the wilderness, into the land of Scituate." A religious war soon broke out between the elders and their adherents, the particulars of which it is not necessary to give here in detail. Mr. Norwood in the course of a year removed to Canton, Mass, the boyhood home of the writer, where he published a small volume giving an account of his Phenix experience from his point of view. The book is entitled : "The Acts of the Elders, or the Book of Abraham." It is written in the Scrip- tural style with chapters and short verses, with a lengthy but witty preface. As an evidence of his ready wit, the following note, which the author appends to one of his verses, is given respecting his means of subsistence: " At a public meeting, Abraham was requested to give notice, that there would be a society meeting at a certain time, which he did. Immediately, a worthy brother arose and said, 'it is proper for me to say a word about the meeting just appointed. It is thought by some that brother Abraham has too large a salary, and this meeting is called, to see if the society will vote to reduce it. He has labored since he has been among us, for bread and water; and it is proposed that one or the other of these should be struck off, and it is for the society to say which.' When he sat down, Abraham arose and hu- morously entreated them to spare the water, whatever
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else they might see fit to take away. He would say nothing against their stopping his allowance of bread ; but as he was a cold water man, that article was indis- pensable." The book acknowledges in an amiable way that he was accustomed to go into the revival meetings, and take out a note book, which he called the " Book of Remembrance,,' and take down whatever fell from the lips of the speakers, for the purpose of opposing them, and bringing them into ridicule, and of attempting to speak in the meetings where he knew his words would not prove acceptable. The book is a caricature of the revival meetings and those interested in them, and was destined, as it deserved, to have but little influence in the community.
On the 21st of November, 1855, a destructive fire broke out in the village, which consumed Spencer's Block together with an adjoining building used as a hardware store and tin shop, and also a dwelling house belonging to Mrs. Remington. Mr. Spencer rebuilt his block immediately, and with such expedition that it was occupied in the January following. On May 24, 1871, the fiery demon again visited the place with still more destructive force, and at this time destroyed the new Block and eleven other buildings, including the Bank building and two hotels. The following account of this fire is from the Providence Journal, published a day or or two afterwards :-
" About a quarter past five o'clock, Wednesday morning, fire was discovered in the upper part of a building owned by Mr. William B. Spencer, known as Spencer's New Block, in this village. The fire very quickly burst through the roof, and the burning pieces falling to the ground, the whole building was soon enveloped in flames, and the fire spread with great rapidity, although there was scarcely any wind at the time. Spencer's Block was soon burned to the ground. It was occu- pied by Mr. James J. Smith, for a hardware store. Mr. Smith estimates his loss at about $10,000; insured for $4,500-$2,000 in the Hope Insurance Company. of Providence, and $2,500 in the Mechanics and Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, of Worcester. Mr. James P. Arnold had a store on the first floor, and nearly the whole of the second story for his undertaking
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and furniture business. He estimates his loss at about $8,000; insured for $5,000 -- $3,500 in the Narragansett, of Providence, and $1,500 in the Lamar, of New York, on his stock and tools. Mr. Nathan A. Capron's bakery was in this building, and was almost a total loss.
Mr. Edwin T. Lanphear had a job printing establishment on the third floor, and his office on the second. His loss is about $6,400; insured for $4,200-1,500 in the Narragansett, and $1,500 in American offices in this city. Mr. Ira O. Seamans had a law office and also Card's Orchestra a room in the block. Hardly fifty dollars worth of goods was saved from this build- ing. A two story building in the rear, owned by Mr. Spencer, and occupied by Mr. Arnold as a coffin shop and Mr. Smith as a tin shop, was also destroyed. The three story bank building, owned by Mr. William B. Spencer, was entirely destroyed. It was occupied by Messrs. Joseph Merrick & Son, groceries and dry goods, whose loss is about $3,500; insured for $3,000 at Narragansett office. Mr. Otis Lincoln, boot and shoe store, no insurance; the post office, Mr. William Johnson, Postmaster, who also kept a restaurant; Messrs. Capwell & Arnold, apothecary store, partial loss; insured for $2,500 at the City Insurance Company of this city; Mr. Sterry Y. Chase, clothing store, goods mostly saved; Mr. William H. Snow, tailor; Mr. Angell, watches; Mr. Henry Potter, millinery store, goods par- tially saved; Dr. Alexander S. Knox, dentist; Miss Sophia Snow, school; and the Phenix National Bank, whose valuables were saved. The Phenix Hotel, owned and kept by Mr. Rhodes Andrews, was entirely destroyed with the outbuildings; insured at Sarle's agency in the Norwich Insurance Company, Nor- wich, Ct., $2,500 on hotel buildings and contents, and $1,000 in Tradesman's, New York, office, in horses, carriages and contents of livery stable.
A two story building, situated across the road to the west, owned by Messrs. Lawton & Colvin, was entirely destroyed. Insured by D. R. Whittemore in the Mechanics and Farmers Insurance Company, Worcester, for $1,500. It was occupied by Mr. John Miller, confectioner, who also lived up stairs, and by Dr. Colvin, dentist, who were not insured. A liquor shop next to the last mentioned house, kept by J. C. Conley, was entirely destroyed. Insured in the Narragansett office for $1,500. A three story block, owned by Mr. Benjamin C. Harris, was burned to the ground. It was occupied by Mr. Joseph " Lawton, clothier, whose stock was mostly saved; insured for $2,500 at Mechanics and Farmers office, Worcester; loss about $500; Mr. Palmer T. Johnston, meat market; J. C. Rose, liquor store and billiard saloon; insured at Geo. T. Paine's office in National Company, Bangor. Me., for $1,000; John St. John, barber; insured in City Insurance Company, of this city, for
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$400; and the Mechanics Hall. A building owned by Mr. Ira O. Seamans and situated across the road from the Phenix Hotel, called the " Roger Williams House," was also destroyed; insured for $2,500 in the Narragansett, of Providence. Mr. Henry C. Shepard kept the hotel, and was insured at the Hope office, in this city, for $1,500 on furniture and fixtures; and Mr. Ralph, a meat market in the building. A two story dwelling house next to this, owned by the Lonsdale Company, was partly destroyed. It was occupied by Mrs. John Nicholas and Sophia Remington. Mr. Ira O. Seamans' dwelling house, occupied by himself, was partly destroyed; no insurance. A waste house, in which lumber was stored, and a barn occupied by Mr. N. A. Capron, both owned by Mr. Spencer, were destroyed.
As near as could be ascertained, the insurance on the several buildings owned by Mr. Wm. B. Spencer, which were a total loss, being entirely consumed, is as follows: Merchants, $3,333; Roger Williams, $3,333; Atlantic, $2,500; Equitable, $5,000; Hope, $1,200-all of this city: and at Turner & Armstrong's office for $2,500, in Metropolitan Company, New York; and for $2,800 in Westchester Company, New Rochelle, N. Y., which will not cover the loss. Ralph & Irwin's saloon was in- sured at Westchester, N. Y., Company for $800.
A dwelling and grocery store, owned and occupied by Mr. Philip Duffy, caught fire several times, but each time the fire was extinguished. There was considerable delay in getting water on the fire, and the buildings burned very rapidly, the fire being about over by 8o'clock. A stream of water from the force pump of a mill near at hand, served to prevent the fur- ther spread of the fire. A man named James Parkinson was very severely injured by the fall of a chimney upon him; at noon . there was some hope of his recovery.
There is no fire engine or company in the village. If there had been, a large amount of property might doubtless have been saved. The total loss is estimated at from $75,000 to $100,000. The origin of the fire is unknown. The buildings were very rapidly consumed, and soon after 8 o'clock, three hours from the time it was discovered, the whole square showed only their smoking ruins. It must be a heavy loss to the thriving village of Phenix, but one which its public spirit and enterprise will doubtless soon repair."
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