The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-05
The Deane Mansion.
Hts Original and Subsequent 0wners.--
The Price paid at each Transfer-Its
Alterations and Occnpants.-OId Time
Customs and Costumes.

| glebe joined to the "old Jerusalem''-the place
of all the ancient town where the citizen felt
most safe as soon as he came within the charm
ed enclosure, whose outline was marked by a
stately row of Lombardy poplars, which stood
like tall sentinels before the old church, and
the home of him who ministered therein.
After standing full century and grace of
ten years additional, its proprietor, who is
bankman, evidently thinks it has "matured,"
and should be canceled'-it was punched
long ago, by one of Mowatt's canon shot L
hope some artist whose compand, like that of
Joshua, the sun obeys, will make picture of it
as it Iow stands, although its exterior is very
unlike the original.
In 1854 Parson Smith had been the sole pas
tor of the church on the Neck for thirty-seven
years. His age was sixty-three. For the most
of these he had been the physician of the
town, as well as the minister of the parish.
Like most country ministers of that day, he
had become in some measure instructed In medi-
cine, and could administer bodily relief as we'll
as spiritual instruction His health had begun to
fail, and he needed assistance in the ministry.
The Neck then contained about one hundred
and fifty dwelling houses, and population of
about one thousand The year previous an
Episcopal society had been formed consisting
of eighty-three voters who had built church,
and this had been done against warm opposi-
tion in the old parish, who concluded that they
must have popular preacher to hold their
members, and began to look for an assistant.
They hit upon Mr.. Samuel Deane. He was
born in Dedham, Mass July 10, 1873. was edu-
Gated at Harvard college in the class of 176O.
In 1853 he was appointed tutor at Cambridge,
and held that Office until he became college
pastor with the Rev. Mr.. Smith in 1854, with
an annual salary of one hundred pounds lawful
money. In 1865 Mr.. Deane purchased of
'Enoch Moody Joiner, and Arthur Howell,
mariner, both of Falmouth, for the considera-
tion OF sixty pounds, three acres of land ex-
tending from Queen (Congress) street to Back
Cove" This was the lot next west of the
| meeting house lot, on which the same year he
began the venerable structure which yet is
standing and now better known as the Chadwick
house. In his journal, under date of March
18th, 1765 he says "sgreed with Mr.. Jones for
$4,000 OF bricks at six pounds, (old tenor) per
1000" and these for the chimneys only "April
20, H. & M. (Howell and Moody, lot 8 34-
>-~S He.SSh"SO u IL, tu0 pOTCu ktOW6T1 Is OIL,
the steeple g." These figures probably repre-
sent the height of each, aud he was thinking of
safe distance to p ace his house. The steeple
OF the old church was on the west end and
next his lot
July 11th. Raised my frame-dined 45
men. Oct. 2. Paid Smith Cobb (joiner) "a
pounds Paid Mr.. Samuel Moody 10 pounds
for capboards. Paid Col Preble "a poands for
rum and OIL" Probably the rum was for the
treat at the raising, as the custom then was,
and for many years after. '14th. Paid Mr.
Lowell, (Abner, joiner.) two johannes, which
! with two dollars paid before, makes 40 pounds,
lo shillngs." Jan. 1776 he was in Boston and
makes these memoranda paper for two
rooms and the entry, 40 pounds. The new
chalse 16O pounds. Arms on my chaise lib,
g., 3D." There were then only two other
chaises in town. Four years AFTER Mr.. Deane
mentions riding to Joshua Freeman's (now
Jeremiah Dow's) on horseback and carving
his wife behind him. The diary continues:
APR. .. My wedding-none present but re-
lations. 9. Appe&-ed in public. with his
wife. who was Miss Annie Pearson, daughter
OF Capt. Moses Pearson. She was thirty-nine
years old and he was thirty -four) Aug %.
Moved from Capt. Pearson's into my house.
1767 July 10. Erected electrical points" (on
his house,
A description of the house and surroundings
| will now be in order 1t was of two stories
with tour-sided roof of two pitches. and
| short ridge pole; there were three dormer win.
dows in front. In letter written soon after
| the burning in 1775. DR.. Deane drew the out.
| lines OF his roof to correct draft of the town
| as it appeared before its destruction. have
| also received description of the house from
| gentleman whose father lived in it after DR..
| Deane's death. 1t was painted light color,
the prevailing color at that time being red.
On the same side of Congress street there was
no house but the meeting house from where
Brown street now is to Wilmot street. and
none on the other side from the Jail and keep.
er's house, where the old city hall stands to
Jonathan Bryants, corner of Market street
The lot now occupied by the Clapp house was
| pasture until 1892.
| Mr.. Deane recorded all the exciting political
transactions on the week previous to tho burn
ing in 1775 He mentions the arrival of Now
| ats squadron, and on the 18th of Oct he
simply wrote "Town destroyed-ine day." A
| shot went through the front of his house and
| lodged in one of the chimneys. The hole it
made in large panel over the fireplace, was
| cove-ed by picture. and so remained while
| its owner lived. In his diary he mentions:
s'Nov l. 1 removed three loads of my goods
and quilted my house." From subsequent en-
tries 1 conclude that he moved to his brother
in-law's, Joshua freeman, although he does
| not say so. sd. Pride's company in my
house." Pride was captain of one of the
militia companies of the town, and lived near
Pride's bridge; from him it took its name
'1776 Jan. 16 I rented three rooms below
and one above in my house to Commissary
Sullivan for ten pounds per month May 49,
made bargain with Frost to let hi N my
whole house at eighteen pounds, five shllings.
Mr. Deane had now purchased lot of land
for farm in the eastern part of Gorham, near
Saccarappa, adjoining Screen Hin," the resi-
dence of Madam Ross, the widow OF Capt
Alexander Ross. They were Scotch people
and the parents of the wife of Sheriff Tying.
During the summer of 1776 Mr.. Deane built on
the farm one story, gambrel rooted house
and moved into it in August His new resi-
dence he called 'South Green" On his farm
was low eminence which was known as
"Pitchwood Hill," from the supply of that
then useful fuel TO be found there. This hill
Mr.. Deane cleared up and cultivated. 1t is
yet beautifully rounded knoll, and he in 1870
dignifed it and its surroundings in a poem of
one hundred and forty lines. The second
stanza commences thus:
Queen of hills whose swelling top
Once was covered with a crop
OF tow'riug pines, in whose rich veins
Store of fiery gum remains
The poem was first published in the Cum
berland Gazette in 1895. Several of his old
neighbors had retired, on the destruction of
the, town to the same neighborhood Besides
Madam Ross, there were DIR. Coffin, Mr. Long
fellow and Maj. Enoch Freeman. Judge Cor
ham lived near, and Parson Smith was staying