The Portland daily press., 1876-12-29
HARRINGTON BIO OK.
Description of a Fine Structure

ing the venerable old Chadwick mansion from
its site near the First Parish church, prepare
tory to building a stately brick business block.
After the lot was cleared the work of excavat-
ing for the foundation began. This was long
and tedious operation as it was necessary to
remove solid ledge. The work continued IN
til early in the summer before the foundation
was ready for the brick-layers. Since that
time the block has been built and the interior
is nearly all completed. The rooms of the
Mercantile Library Association are finished
and the books are in place. The rooms will be
formally dedicated this evening with interesting
exercises. The Odd Fellows have nearly COM
pleted their lodge and encampment rooms and
they will be occupied in few days. The main
hall will not be completed until spring
The block is of brick, 81 feet front and IS
feet deep, and four stories high with fine
basement The first or grou nd floor is occu-
pied by stores. The large store on the lower
end is to be occupied by David Hooper as a car
pet store. 1t is 36 feet front and runs the en-
tire depth of the block. Mr.. Hooper is also to
use the basement as store ROOM Leavitt &
Davis occupy the next store above, which is Is
Inns & Buxton, the music dealers, come next
in order and they have Is feet front store.
The Nelson's occupy the upper corner store,
which is also Is feet front All of the stores
have whole panes of glass in their front win
dows and each has fire proof vault. The
stores also have apartments for storage in the
basement
ho ic MI huf ha
tile Library Association and by DR.. Rainey,
who has two rooms, and DR.. Tasker, who oc-
cupies three rooms The rooms of the Mer
camille Library Association are very large,
pleasant and conve nient. The library room
runs across the east end of 4he block and is SO
by 81 feet. 1t can be approached by a private
stairway from the street or from the main cor
ridor. The room Is splendidly lighted by large
windows and is we'll calculated for library
room. A large counter separa ties the alcove
where the books are arranged from the rest of
the room. The floor is covered with Few car
pet and the whole aspect is light and cheerful.
In the rear of this room are two small COM
mittee rooms, all fitted up, The Association
Hall, which is to be used for meetings, is at the
head of the main stairway. 1t is 81 by 20 feet
and is we'll lighted and just the thing needed
by the Association. Adjoining this is the Di-
rectors room, which is - by 81 feet. All these
rooms are completed and ready for occupancy.
The Odd Fellows have twenty years lease
of the third, fourth and upper stories. On the
third floor they have main hall 81 by 3S feet
and % feet high, (both the third and fourth
stories come into this room). This hall is not
yet completed and will not be occupied until
next spring In the rear they have four COM
mittee rooms, IL by 16 feet each, and an ante
room to the main hall IS by q feet. There is
also nicely fitted up library room Is by %
feet. The lodge loom, q by 40 feet, is row
completed and is to be occupied next week. 1t
will be nsed for meetings until the main lodge
room is completed 1t is intended for special
meetings and for the use of the Rebecah
Lodge. An ante-Yoom 16 by17 feet leads to
this room. Next to the lodge room is an Office
for the use of the Grand Lodge and Relief
Association.
On the fourth floor is the Eucamp nent Hall
35 by 40 feet. This is one of the pleasantest
rooms in the whole block. Schumacher, who
has done all the freseong in the block, has left
his mark in several places on the ceiling and
walls of this room. The all-seeing eye and
several other emblems peculiar to the order
are to be SEEM The Encampments also have
an armory on this floor IA by 81 feet, and an
ante room 20 by % feet. Adjoining the En-
campment hall are rooms for the second and
third degrees. Above this story is the banquet
hall 40 by 48 feet and kitchen all fitted up for
cooking purposes. The Encampment hall and
lodge room are to have Brussels carpets and
the main lodge room tapestry. The stairways
and halls of this block are covered with mat
ting.
Now that we have given hasty sketch of
this fine block a word as to who built it may
be Of interest. f. Fl. Fassett & Sons, the well
known architects, furnished the plans and
specifications. James Cunningham did the
mason work. Mr. A. D. Smith, the carpenter,
has done the carpenter work in most salts
factory manner. The plastering and stucco
work was done by R. K. Gately, the stating by
Crossman & Loring, the painting by j. f.
Kelsey, the carpets are furnished by W. T.
Klborn & Co., the gas piping by W. II. Pen
nell & Co., the plumbing by T. D. Merrill, and
the ventilators by e. Newman & Co. In this
connection we should speak of the ventilation
of the block. Every room has space in which
fresh air is brought into the room and conduct
ors from the top of each take the foul air away
and it passes through the large ventilators on
the roof 1t is doubtless the most perfect VEN
tilaiion known. The block is heated by steam
and the piping has been done in an excellent
manner by A. j. Cummings, Two large boil.
ers built by Quinn & Co.. and set up by
Green &, Jordan, are situated in the basement.
Each room is furnished with upright radiators
ofAthe Walworth patent. In the library room
of the M. L. A. there are three of these, one of
them having 100 feet of heating service.
As will be seen by the names above, the work
has all been done by Portland artisans and
mechanics, and it is fine monument to their
skill. 1t was built by 1. P. Harrington, Esq,
and cost in the neighborhood of $4,000.