The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 47

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064

USA > Vermont > Washington County > Montpelier > The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier. > Part 47

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

length by the insertion of the names of per- sons engaged in business not included gen- erally in the preceding list. Notably is a long line of dealers in family groceries and provisions, several with restaurants con- nected, and some doing a large business in fruits. The list is made from the Vermont Registers, and hence the true dates should be a year behind those given as a general rule.

BANKS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES.

The Bank of Montpelier was chartered in 1825, and organized in 1826, with a capital of $50,000. The first president was Hon. Elijah Paine, of Williamstown, and his successors under the charter and re-charters were James H. Langdon, Tim- othy Hubbard, John Spalding, Thomas Reed, Jr., Rawsel R. Keith, E. P. Jewett, and George C. Shepard. This bank was re-chartered in 1840, with a capital of $75,000, and still again in 1853, with a capital of $100,000. The cashiers were Thomas Reed, Jr., Charles R. Cleaves, George Howes, Geo. B. Reed and Chas. A. Reed. This bank was succeded in 1865 by the Montpelier National Bank, organized under the national banking law, with a capital of $300,000, whose officers from its organization have been James R. Langdon, president, George C. Shepard, vice-president, and Chas. A. Reed, cash- ier, until 1881, when E. D. Blackwell succeded Mr. Reed. The capital is now, 1881, $360,000.

The Vermont Bank was chartered in 1848, and organized in 1849, with a cap- ital of $100,000. The presidents were Hezekiah H. Reed, George W. Collamer, Homer W. Heaton, E. H. Prentiss and Roderick Richardson ; and its cashier, John A. Page. This bank continued until the First National Bank of Montpelier was or- ganized in 1865, under the national bank- ing law, the president of which has been John A. Page; and the cashiers, R. J. Richardson, L. F. Richasdson, J. C. Tap- lin and J. C. Houghton.

The State Bank was organized in 1858, under the general banking law of Vermont,

284

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

of the State, so far as official records and papers are concerned, is at best but frag- mentary, and much of that which has since been obtained consists of the fragments gathered by the late Henry Stevens, Sr., in the attics of deceased state officers, judges and legislators, and among the rags of the paper-mills. These were purchased, indexed and bound at considerable expense to the State. To remedy the inconven- iences of a State without a capital, and the frequent disputes between rival towns for the compliment of a legislative session, the General Assembly of 1805 appointed a committee to " fix upon a place in the town of Montpelier, for the erection of buildings for the accommodation of the Legislature of this State," and on condi- tion that the town of Montpelier should erect the buildings and convey them to the State, with the land whereon they shall stand, declared that " said buildings shall become the permanent seat of the legisla- ture for holding all their sessions."* In the debate of 1857, on the State house question, the late Dorr J. Bradley, of Brattleboro, gave a tradition as to the act of 1805, which doubtless came from his father, the late Hon. Wm. C. Bradley, in these words :

But the gentleman from Westford has accused those of the House who oppose moving to Burlington, of sectional prej- udice. I have wondered that this subject was not earlier mentioned in the debate, but I did not expect it would come from the quarter it does. The question is a sectional question ; it was a sectional ques- tion before the gentleman from Westford, or any other member of this House, was born; and it was to allay that sectional jealousy that the Capitol was located here. Our ancestors settled on the eastern and western borders of the then-called New Hampshire Grants, and the common dis- pute with New York united them in inter- est and in action. They were not, how- ever, so blind as not to see that the great natural feature of their territory must be respected. For a long time, this great range of mountains through their centre, prevented their having any Capitol. Each year, however, the disputes for the locality of the next session became too tiresome,

and they resorted to an expedient. They did not call for " centralizing " some point in their periphery. They knew enough to know they could not. They sought what was then a little hamlet among the moun- tains, but on neither side of them. It was selected because it was on neither side. A division of the range left it a perfect geographical puzzle to decide on which side it should be classed. How many a heart among those wise old men rejoiced that the mountains, for which the State had been named, the mountains, heretofore a curse, were to be henceforth a blessing. These mountains, into which, and not over which, our law-makers were to travel, were to become the centre about which the affections of all might cluster. They were careful not to wound the pride of either side. Their governors were alter- nately selected from each. The senators to Congress, being only two, were always taken one from each side. .

Mr. Chairman, the Capitol was located here as a measure of peace. It was to build us up from a divided, into a united and homogeneous people. Fifty years o: peace have been the product of this act of wisdom! Our old worthies were right. They set that puzzle to their children on purpose ; they knew what they were about ; their children understood them. Shall we, their grand-children, affect ignorance of their intention? Shall we discard all those lessons of wisdom, to find a place where some tourist may go with a sketch- book, or some artist with a pallet? Above all, which idea is sectional, that of pre- serving this peace of half a century, 01 that of violating its provisions? I, for one, am a kind of Samaritan on this sub- ject. "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ;" not bowing themselves to the Adirondacks across the Lake, nor to tlie White Hills from St. Johnsbury ; but this mountain-the Green Mountain range : and I am for going down to no Jerusalem on the east or the west.

The act making Montpelier the capita of the State was passed Nov. 8, 1805, and on the 25th of the next month, the town. in legally warned town meeting, appointec a committee to receive subscriptions anc donations, and to superintend the erectior of the buildings at the expense of the sub- scribers, the town as a corporation not to be liable for the buildings or the expenses of the committee. The town then had a population of about 1200 only, and a granc list of less than $23,000, and the heavies part of the task rested naturally upon the

* Vermont Capitol, 1857. p. 284. Succeeding pages in that volume give other official papers, and various facts connected with the first and second State houses.

285

MONTPELIER.

village, which then had probably less than half of the population and property ; and moreover money of any sort was exceed- ingly rare. Subscriptions were promptly made, but they were payable "in labor or materials when reasonably called for ;" "such articles of materials and produce" as the subscribers chose; and "in grain, neat cattle, provisions, or goods at such times as we [the subscribers] shall partic- ularly specify." Some materials, specially nails and glass, required cash, and cash had to be provided. Sept. 2, 1806, the town voted almost unanimously to petition the Legislature to grant a tax of four cents per acre on all the land of the town, [which would raise about $800,] to be expended in completing the State-House ; but noth- ing appears to have been done, and the time was near [Sept. 1, 1808,] when the work was to be completed. Therefore, May 12, 1808, the town voted a tax of 4 cents on the dollar of the list of 1807, [which would raise about $1000,] two- thirds payable in grain and provisions, and one-third in specie or current bank bills, or orders from the building committee, or receipts or orders from the architect and constructor, Deacon Sylvanus Baldwin. The constable began to collect this tax, when he was met by the objection, from a shrewd farmer, that by the constitution of the State a town had not the power to tax its inhabitants for the purpose of building a State-house. The judges and lawyers were then consulted, and lo! the judg- ment of the farmer was unanimously af- firmed. This was a predicament very un- welcome to the people, most of whom were willing to pay the tax ; yet it was a serious predicament, because the constable dared not attempt to collect a tax which might afterwards be repudiated, and thus the burden be cast upon himself. In this emergency two projects were suggested : one being the selection of a collector who had no property, and the other a minor as collector, on the presumption that he would not be suable. The latter course was adopted, and the tax-bill was put into the hand of Hon. Daniel Baldwin, brother of Sylvanus. He collected the tax, even

the constitutionally scrupulous farmer pay- ing his proportion with his townsmen. The original subscriptions, the tax, and other donations, amounted to from $8000 to $9000, which was the cost of the house exclusive of the land-20 rods by 16, which was given by Thomas Davis.

THE FIRST STATE-HOUSE

was constructed of wood, 50 by 70 feet on the ground ; 36 feet high to the roof, sept- angular-shaped in front, and otherwise square. About 20 feet of the front was in three floors-the first being the vestibule to the hall of the House of Representa- tives, which was 50 feet square, and rose to the height of the first two stories front ; the second floor gave entrance to the gal- lery of the House ; and the third floor, cov- ering the vestibules and hall of the House, was occupied by the room of the Governor and Council, into which an audience-room for spectators opened, and by committee- rooms-one of them named Jefferson Hall, and famous as the scene of political cau- cuses. The roof was surmounted by a modest cupola, in which was the finest- toned bell the town has ever had. The building was plainly furnished, warmed with stoves, and lighted with tallow can- dles-the hall of the House with a chan- delier so striking in its proportions and so brilliant in its effect as to be a marked ex- ception to the plainness of everything else, and to incur the 'censure, as a piece of "foolery," of one of the wisest of the old legislators-Henry Olin. This house was used until 1836, when it was succeeded by

THE SECOND STATE-HOUSE.

This was authorized by act of Nov. 8, 1832, on condition that Montpelier should pay $15,000 towards its construction. This sum was paid, and $3000 more for additional land. The second house was beautiful and substantial-a perfect speci- men (the dome excepted,) of Grecian architecture-and the finest Capitol of its day in New England, if not in the coun- try. The grounds, including fence, ter- race and approaches, were the same as now ; and as the building was in form the same as the present, a Greek cross, differ-

286

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

ing little in dimensions, (but more in the roof and dome,) a particular description is not necessary .* The whole cost, (the Davis land excepted,) of this house and grounds was $132,077.23. This Capitol was used until Jan. 5, 1857, when, through a lack of due caution both in erecting and managing the heating apparatus, the wood- work of the interior took fire, and all the wood-work was destroyed, and the walls of granite and brick were badly damaged.

THE THIRD STATE-HOUSE

was authorized by act of Feb. 27, 1857, which appropriated $40,000 on condition that the inhabitants of Montpelier should give good and sufficient security to pay in- to the treasury a sum equal to the whole cost of the work. This security was given in a bond in the sum of $100,000. At the session of 1858, no appropriation was made by the State, and the work was carried on to completion by funds advanced by citizens of Montpelier, leaving bills for the furni- ture and some other debts outstanding to the amount of $34,000 in 1859, which sum the State then assumed, and the cost of con- struction was reported in 1859, as being "within $150,000." The first appropria- tion by the State, Feb. 1857, was $40,000 ; the second, Nov. 1857, was $30,000, and whatever should be paid by Montpelier on the bond required by the first named act- the amount then paid being $42,000; and the State in 1859 appropriated the further sum of $34,000-making in all $146,000. The contributions of Montpelier to the three houses have amounted to about $71,- 000, exclusive of interest and the land originally deeded by Thomas Davis, which now, if it was private property, would be the most valuable land in the town. Every part of the building, which is ever heated or artifically lighted, is fire-proof, the ma- terials being granite, brick, iron and mar- ble ; and the roof and dome, which can hardly ever be exposed to fire unless by lightning, are covered with copper and con- nected by copper conductors running to the ground drains. The style of architecture is the same as that of the second capitol,

but the furniture, upholstery, gas fixtures, and heating apparatus (by steam) are far superior. The central building is 72 feet 8 inches in height, surmounted by a dome and cupola 56 ft. 9in. in ht .- extreme ht. to base of the statue representing Agriculture, which caps the cupola, 129 feet 5 inches. The length of the central building is, for the pórtico 18 feet and the side walls 95 feet 8 inches-in all 113 feet 8 inches ; and the breadth is 72 feet 8 inches. The wings are each 52 feet in length, making the ex- treme length of both, including the width of the central building, 176 feet 8 inches. The width of each wing is 50 feet 8 inches, and the height 47 feet 8 inches, with cor- nices reaching to 8 feet below that of the central building, giving to the whole pile the shape of the Greek cross. By the enlarge- ment of the building, opportunity was giv- en for great improvements in its value and convenience for public business. The State Library has been materially enlarged aud improved, specially in law, history, and general literature, until it has come to be indispensable to judges, lawyers, and literary men for books of reference, and. the number of volumes has largely out- grown the room. A fine State Cabinet of mineralogy and natural history has been formed, and it receives additions annually. The battle-flags of the Vermont troops in the war for the Union are carefully pre- served, with the portraits of many of her officers ; and within the State Department and the room assigned to the Vermont Historical Society all the fragments of the early history of the State that are attain- able are gathered and safely kept. On the whole, the glory of the latter house greatly exceeds that of the former.

COUNTY BUILDINGS.

From the settlement of the town until 1797 it was in the County of Orange. In 1795, the town voted unanimously to petition the Legislature to be set off to the County of Chittenden, and failed to succeed, but was annexed to the County of Caledonia in 1797, and there remained until the County of Jefferson was organized Dec. 1, 1811, with Montpelier as the county town. The

* For a good description see [Zadock] Thompson's Vermont [Civil History, ] pages 131-2.

FORBES CO BOSTON

AMDaily

287

MONTPELIER.

name of the County was changed to Wash- ington in 1814. The first court house was erected in 1818, on the west side of the State House grounds-a wooden building, which now adjoins the Catholic church, and is occupied by its priest. The second house, of brick, was erected on the corner of State and Elm streets in 1843, and was burned the same year. The third, a brick building, enlarged in 1879, partly burned in 1880, and re-finished in Aug. 1880, was erected on the same site in 1844. The first jail-house was the dwelling-house of the first settler in the village-Jacob Davis. It was given to the County by Thomas Davis, son of Jacob, and was converted into a jail and residence for the jailor. The changes in this building, to adapt it to its purposes, were made at the expense of citizens of Montpelier. In 1832, the County rebuilt the jail part of this building, and gave back half of the building to the original donor, who then needed this act of justice. In 1857, the County substi- tuted the present substantial and handsome building for the old one, and paid Mr. Davis for his interest in the property. In this connection a fact is added to correct the perhaps general impression that the State- House and other public buildings are sources of wealth to the citizens of the town, especially the hotel-keepers. Mr. Davis gave bountifully of his property to the State and County, doubtless hoping to regain all his gifts and more, by the in- creased patronage he would receive in ·his hotel. That hotel was the finest of its day, at least in the State, and was, as it has almost ever since been, the one most favored. Mr. Davis was himself an indus- trious, temperate and laborious man, and had the aid of sons and daughters born in his house ; and yet he would have died a poor man, entirely dependent upon his children, but for the remnant of his early patrimony which was restored in his old ge by the County.

HOTELS.

The first building serving as a public ouse was Col. Jacob Davis' residence on Im street, afterwards the jail-house, and ill serving for dwellings on another part

of the same street. The first hotel in the town and county, built specially for the purpose, was built by Col. Jacob Davis, about 1793-the Union House, on the site of the present Unitarian church. It was of wood, and was burned in 1835. An- other hotel of brick was erected on the same site, and that also was burned in 1859, and was succeeded by the present Union House, standing on the opposite corner of Main and Court streets. The second hotel built was the Hutchins tav- ern, longer known as the Shepard tavern, a wooden building, which stood on Main, opposite Barre street ; it was burned. The third hotel erected was the Pavilion, by Thomas Davis, in 1807-8, a brick build- ing. For its day it was one of the best hotels in New England, adorned with mouldings, carved wood-work, and fresco painting excelled only in modern times. Mahlon Cottrill enlarged the building to about double its original dimensions. This building was succeeded by the present building, erected by Theron O. Bailey, which is one of the most perfect hotels in New England. The third hotel erected was by Obadiah Eaton in 1810, on ground now occupied by the Central Vermont rail- road for depot purposes. This building was moved to Elm street, and is now oc- cupied as a dwelling-house. The fourth hotel was of brick, on the south side of State street, and a few doors west of Main street, which was kept for many years by Rufus Campbell, Hugh Gourley, William Rogers and others, and was then converted into stores. It was erected about 1824. The fifth was the Eagle hotel, on State street, enlarged and changed into the present American house. The sixth was the brick dwelling-house on State street erected by Henry Y. Barnes, and changed into a temperance hotel. For many years it was known as Burnham's hotel, and is now known as the Bishop house. This comprises the list of hotels in the present town of Montpelier. In the part of the old town which is now East Montpelier, the writer remembers five taverns, some of which were not without fame in their day. For a time there was a hotel in the

288

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

present limits of Montpelier, but not in the village, known as the Coffee House. It was on the farm two miles from the State-House, and on the road to Barre. The farm was originally owned by Jacob Davis, Jr., and is still known as the Coffee House.

RELIGIOUS HISTORY.

The town records show action by the town in respect to the gospel fund and to preaching at different times, commenc- ing March 16, 1795, but not much fruit. About that time the first Methodist class was formed. [See History of Methodist church, by Methodist contributors.] From 1791, Clark Stevens, Friend or Quaker, was a resident of East Montpelier, and was joined by others of the same per- suasion, when religious meetings were held ; in 1803, a society was regularly organized, and shortly after a house for their meet- ings was erected. In 1804, regular re- ligious meetings were established in the village for services in "singing and read- ing of sermons " when destitute of preach- ing .* The first record of regular preaching, in what is now Montpelier, was by Rev. Clark Brown, of Brimfield, Mass. In 1805, he was employed by the town to preach for one year; but he did not succeed in that profession, and in 1806, left it and started a newspaper. In 1807, a Mr. Hovey was employed as preacher, but left the same year.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

In the winter of 1808, Rev. Chester Wright spent a few Sabbaths, and Apr. 12, thereafter, 83 leading citizens of the village formed "The First Congregational Society in Montpelier." July 20, 1808, " THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH" was formed, consisting of 17 members. Mr. Wright was then employed as stated preacher, and continued as such until Aug. FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 16, 1809, when he was made the perma- nent pastor of the church. The number of the members of this church reported in June, 1872, was 440, of whom 155 were then non-residents who had not taken letters of dismission or formally changed their relation. The whole number admit- Woodworth was in the habit of exhorting

ted to this church has been near 1200, thus showing that the removals by emigra- tion and death have been about 900. The meetings were usually held in the State- House, sometimes in the Academy build- ing until 1820, when what has been com- monly known as "the brick church " was erected, at a cost of about $8,000. The present elegant and substantial building, called " Bethany Church," which was ded- icated Oct. 15, 1868, occupies the site of the old church. The value of Bethany church was reported to the last General Convention to be $70,000 ; but including the land and organ, and the cost of the construction of the building, the sum should be about $6,000 greater. The fol- lowing is a list of the pastors of the First Congregational Church of Montpelier :

Aug. 16, 1809, to Dec. 22, 1830, Ches- ter Wright ; Oct. 26, 1831, to April 19, 1835, Samuel Hopkins ; Aug. 25, 1836, to July 15, 1840, Buel W. Smith ; Dec. 15, 1841, to Dec. 9, 1846, John Gridley ; Sept. 27, 1847, to 1878, W. H. Lord; 1878 to the present time, J. H. Hincks.

SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, OR FREE CHURCH.

This church was organized in 1835, con- sisting mainly of members of the First Congregational church. For a few years, under the ministration of Rev. Sherman Kellogg, it prospered, but afterwards de- clined, and about the year 1848, was aban- doned, a part of the members returning to the First Church, and others joining the Methodist church. The pastors and min- isters of this church were : 1835 to 1842, Sherman Kellogg; 1842 to 1844, Joab Seeley; 1845. to 1847, E. J. Comings. This church and society erected and used the building on State street, which is now the Village Hall.

Elder Ziba Woodworth, (see biograph- ical sketch in East Montpelier,) was a cit- izen of the town at its organization, anc on its record is a certificate of his good standing in the Baptist church prior to hi: residence here. From about 1800, Mr

289

MONTPELIER.

as occasion offered, and in 1806, he was ordained, and preached from 1806 to 1826. Philip Wheeler is named in Walton's Reg- ister as a Baptist preacher in 1815-16, and again from 1823 to 1825, and also Samuel Parker from 1827 to 1832. A church was organized in 1830, says D. P. Thompson, which would be in the ministry of Mr. Parker. In 1870, the church and society commenced the construction of a hand- some church edifice on School street, which has since been completed. The clerical list, so far as it is attainable, is as follows, beginning with the organization of the church in 1830: 1830-32, Samuel Parker ; 1840, - Keniston ; 1841-43, Zebina Young ; 1849,-Jackson ; 1866-8, N. P. Foster ; 1869-71, William Fitz ; 1872-78, N. Newton Glazier ; 1879 to the present time, H. A. Rogers.

UNIVERSALIST CHURCHES OR SOCIETIES.

In an account of the religious condition of the town previous to 1811, the late Rev. Chester Wright stated that previous to 1800, there had rarely been any preaching except by the Methodists; that the in- creased population from 1800 was divided nto various sects, the largest number pro- essing Universalism. A society of this ect was formed in the village, (now Mont- elier,) in 1831; one had been formed arlier at the centre of the old town, and hared the meeting-house there with other enominations, and at a later date a third 'as formed in East Montpelier, and erect- d a house of worship in East Montpelier illage, which has been maintained ever nce, and is now a handsome structure. he following list of Universalist preach- s in Montpelier has been gathered from alton's Register :

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 47

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press Number of Pages: 1064

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064