The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-09
THE PR ESS
Thu 'sdsy Morning, May 9, 1867.
Another Relic Gone.


The Robson house at the foot.of Park street
has taken its departure from its ancient loca-
ton. 1t stood in the way of the grand march
of improvement, and this mansion, which at
the close of the last century and the beginning
OF this was the seat of AN elegant hospitality
must give place. Perhaps it was not h''hS
that it should survive the departure oil lts
founder and all his descendants, BOT one u
whom now remains in the town. 10 "lioh p'r
MANY years thew contributed 10 its prosperity
and it's social character. Capt. Ihomas hobi-
son WAS a native of one OF The Orkney Is
lands and came here before the revolution
with his elder brother Samuel Robson. Sam
mel died about 1860, leaving a son Alexander A
and n daughter Jane, who married, in l777.
onr late fellow citizen, Capt Arthur Mcclellan.
Thomas during the war, resided in Canada
but returned in 1888 aud immediately COM
meneed large business. He formed a part
nership with VIM. Edgar and Thomas Reed
and in November, 1888, purchased, ON behalf of
the firm, the large tract, of land extending
from Main, now Congress street, on which it
measured 80 rods, southeast to the channel OF
Fore river, the upland being estimated to con-
tam twenty-one acres. They Immediately
commenced their improvements; IN 1854 the9
opened street through their land from ll'uh
street to the water, which they hahlea 1Aun,
and which has since been changed 10 leS pres
ent name. Park street; and on each end OF the /.
street they built two framed houses, two sto7 I
ries in height one on the corner Of Park and
Conoress. now owned and occupied by Miss
Homes. and considerably enlarged; the other
bv CAPTAIN Robson at the foot of the street. on
the high bank, with an unabstructed and
beautiful view Of the harbor,s islands and Cape
Elizabeth. 1t is this house, which retained all
its original teatnres and which 4 was
occupied by y Captain Robson until he
moved - Canada b. about 1902, II and
by his son Thomas after him, which
has had TO yield to the advancing progress of
the time, and has taken it's place among the in
ferior structures on York street. The, tide
then flowed up to his garden wall; ION the
bank he planted willows, Which have been re-
Gently taken down after having stood sentry
upon the bank for seventy years. Q Their inn
proyements the fiimr made, if a. distiAery
can be called an improvement, where for many
years prime molasses turned into New
England rum, whose rapid sale poured money
what metamorphosed, still stands, but ,lopg
since diverted from its original use. The Lest
use, however, TO which it was put, was its eGn7,
nection with "a bathing house, the first and ior
many years the only one in town, the waste
water from its watts serving to cleanse the I'M
washed citizens. They also built the wharf
which was long called Robison's wharf, after
wards, and perhaps still Sturdeyants, from
their owners; they had large lumber yard q.
the foot Of the street, fishing boats and vessels,
and a store on the first floor of. the house on
Congress sereet. Thus very large and profit
able business was carried on for some years
Reed soon left the concern, and in 1888 the firm
was dissolved aud the property divided be-
tween Edgar, who had moved to New York,
aud Robson. Edgar took the portion of land On
Main street, his brother James then occupying
the house there, and Robinson, took the lower
part on both sides of Park street from above
Spring street. Capt. Robson, continued to
conduct the distillery and other business until
he left town, and took up bis residence in Can
ada,where daughter afterwards married Arch
deacon Stuart of Kingston. There he died in
July, 1906. He left a large family, viz: sons
Thomas, who continued to occupy the old man
sion until he built the tine house on the corner
of Park and Dantorth streets, now owned by j.
L. Farmer, Samuel. q bachelor, and blind
who will be remembered by our old citizens
Richard, William, Hannah married to Stephen
Goldman, then of Portland, afterwards of Bos-
ton, Jane married first to Thomas Hodges,
next to Capt. Robert, Ilsley, Martha, Ann Ell
lis and Eliza, who married Capt. Lemuel
4 4;
ant of this respected family, now resides in
town; the children of, Thomas were the last to
leave it, ofwbom but one son, Robert l., who
lives in Philadelphia, and one daughter, the
wife of Mr.. Smith OF Bath, remain. His wife
was Eliza Homer, whom he married 1902.
The whole of this tract of twenty one acres,e
tending from Main street to the harbor was sold
by Richard Goldman to Capt Robson in 1888 for
ESQ lawful money, equivalent to 81 1874; but
there was no building upon it, nor above it in
town, and no street above High street. What
is that 81 acres worth now?H 1t embraces
all the houses ON each side of Park street, M
Guiding one which cost not less than $l25, 900.
In 1888, when the property was divided be-
tween the partners, the two houses OF Robi-
son and Edgar, will, their lots were valued at
COCO lawful money each (which was just double
the plice paid for the whole tract. The tow,
moves The law of our lives is that old things
must give place to new, old men and women to
oneoming generations; progress is tie univer-
sal principle; let not the old go moaning over
the departure of the ancient men and things,
for it needs be that they must go their way in
order that all things may become new "Say
not thou why were the former days better than
these? thou dost not inquire wisely concern
ing this Hen" ind faa 1oE W.
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