The Portland daily press., 1872-12-09

soon assume higher importance than thew
at present occupy and we propose to discuss
them in few brief articles.
-,
Inc Matthew Cobb House and its Origin
Owner.
10 the Editor of the Press
rroin your report of the burning of this
house, it seems it is past repair. II calls nm
my early recollections of the house and the
family of the original owner.
On my first visit to Portland, in 1916 then
only seven years old, my father stopped his
sleigh in front of '.Mathew Cobb's," to show
Inc ''the finest house in town." had heard
OF its rich owner, and looked at his stately
mansion with wonder, my boy-eyes magnify
ing it to the proportions and splendor of Solo
mons temple. Those Corinthian pilasters
reaching nearly to the caves, with carved cap
ltals, made it more elegant than any private
residence l had seen. Its unsullied white
front, with no sign of joint or seam, gave il
the appearance of its being cut from one i'm
mense block of statuary marble, leaving the
carved ornaments standing out in relief The
portico had not then been built, but it had a
highly ornamented arch at the front entrance.
On the door was a polished brass knocker.
and side and top lights composed of metal
sashes, gilt, containing panes of glass of many
shapes. row of tall Lombardy poplars
stood ike sentinels in front. In later years,
with more extensive observation, / still ad-
mired its architecture, and, at the time of the
| fire. it showed no sign of decay.
Pour score years it stood:
| Yes they built Il WELL
Though they built of wood"
have another pleasant "Reminiscences of
this old landmark. Forty-ive to fiftv wears
ago, the only two public hacks of the town
always went on ''the Hi,'' on the Fourth of
July and general muster days, and the driy-
ers, one of whom was jim Dennis, made pub
lie proclamation that they would carry all
boys, large or small, up to '.Matthew Cobb's''
and back for fourpence halfpenny each, and
that they might sing and shout all the way
This was sure to draw out all the boys mon
ey, for it was genuine liberty, and this was all
the ride the most of them got for the year.
Both coaches were sure to be filled all day.
The coaches always stopped in front of Mr.
Cobbs, for the horses to blow and the bows
to cheer; stranger would have supposed
that some dignitary lived there, and that
these cheers were intended for him.
Mr.. Cobb came from Cape Cod to Bidde-
ford; in his younger days, he was shoe
maker, but was ship owner when he came
to Portland, from Biddetord. The firstnotice
find of him, is in DIR. Deanes' diary; under
the date 1906, he is mentioned as having
built barn that year, There were no "sta-
bles" them he also lost son aged twelve.
the same year. This barn was the one now
standing on High street, adjoining the
house; he probably then lived in the vicin-
ity in "his own hired house, and this build
ing was to hold the hay which gsew ON his
large lot, and the materials for his house,
although that was not built until 1901. The
same year Joseph H. Ingraham built the
house on State street, now owned by Capt.
j. NJ. Churchill, which is similar in archi-
lecture and ornamentation, to the Cobb
house.
Very soon after Mr.. Cobb built his house
he became joint owner of several vessels.
with Capt. Asa Clapp, who had been a shin
master, which made him better qualified for
merchant and manager than Mr.. Cobb.
Capt. Clapp owned several vessels in which
Cobb owned no share. Their stores and
counting room were about the middle of
Long wharf. Their vessels were principally
engaged in the lumber trade, to the West
India Islands, with return cargoes of the
products of those Islands. They very soon
| tc Irril larr
the Russia trade, importing hemp, duck and
iron; most of which they sold in Boston.
They had at one time four ships named for
the four quarters of the globe, or rather five,
there being two "America's'', North and
South; they also had ship Neutrality.
During the war of 1872 they owned brig
called the Leo, commanded by Capt. Libby
OF scarborough. who made voyage to
France, and returned safe, with cargo of
silks, wines aud brandy, on which the owners
realized profit of $4,000.
They tried it second time, and the enemy
captured the vessel. Afterwards they sent
two or three vessels to the East Indies Can't.
Phineas Drinkwater made one voyage to
Batavia, and brought home cargo of coffee.
which paidwell. Capt. Clapp bought MI. Cobb
outin about 1921 or 2, and Mr.. Cobb retired
with fortune of four or five hundred thous-
and dollars, besides his real estate, which was
a very large sum in those days. He attended
the First Parish church, and was one of the
parish committee to procure an assistant to
DIR. Deane in 1909 which resulted in the set
tlement of DR.. Nichols He held several
al town offices, and think was at one time,
State Senator, which gave him the title of
Honorable, which his tomb stone in the Eas-
tern burying ground bears. His reputation
for integrity was good. He was a man of
great dignity of manner, and was often called
by his fellow merchants, King Cobb He died in
Oct. 1924, aged 81.
Mrs. Cobbs maiden name was Mehetable
Bangs, of Portland or vicinity. They had
three sons VINO grew TO manhood, and one
; daughter who married Charles Dummen, OF
Hallowell, and died in 1928 aged 26. The
eldest son, Richard was a member Of the first
class which entered Bowdoin College number
ing seven, who graduated in 1906; he after
, wards became pious and joined DR.. Payson's
church. Another son, Edward, who died young,
became a member of the same church. Rich
: ard married Miss Wood of Wscasset, daugh-
. ter of the late Hon. Abiel Wood, and moved
to Dorchester Mass. He finally went to Eu-
rope for his health, and died in London in
1887, aged 38. His wife's death was caused
by getting an apple seed into the lungs or
passages. L think the youngest son Freder-
ick A., and his mother lived in the house sew
+ eRal years after the death of Mr. Cobb al
though am not sue; Mrs. Cobb died in
Dorchester, in 1885 aged 72-Frederick died
9 IN Boston in 1S47. The first occupant Of
the house after Mrs. Cobb left it was Mrs.
Jones who kept the well-known boarding
,, house. In 1S49 it was occupied by Mayoi
Cahoon it has had several tenants. A cit,
I paper says it came into the possession of III
| last owner, Mr.. Libby, through Mr. Wright,
his father-in-law, who had lent "Mr, Cobb
money, taking mortgage on the house-im
e plying that it was the father who borrowed
the money,as no other of the family is spoken
f of; this is a mistake, the youngest son who
!, stayed at home was the prodigal in this case
! it was he who borrowed money of Mr.
e Wright. He purchased the house of hi:
brother Richard in 1885. No decendan,s q
:. the family are now living; the remains of all
lie in the old family tomb aud the old man
: sion is ruin.
: "On these ample floors
e High-shoed ladies trod;
through those paneled doors
Irailed their furbelows
Long their day has ceased