The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-11
THF OLD vARNUM ST ORE.
Its builder and His Nesshbor..

The removal of this building has called tn,
city editors attention to its age and history
The PRESS thiuks 1t was one of the Oldest
buildings in the city, and must have stood {
century. A citizen remembers when THU
building stood alone except the LongfelloW
house." Bless you, gentlemen, bottle o.
wine of the vintage of the year that this sdoI
was built would in Europe hardly be consid
cred yet ripe-it was not even so cd as the
writer of this. What was most remarkable
about this building was that it kept its place
almost unaltered in busy street while stately
blocks have arisen all around it. Let us
glance at the neighboring buildings within o
stones throw at the time of its erection.
Commencing at the corner Of Centre street
an old two story wooden house there stood, oc'
cupied last by well-to-do French family
named Labatoire. The present three story
building on the corner was, think, built about
1870 dy John Mahan, who afterwards kept 10
the corner store, which was next occupied by
Dexter aud David Brewer as crockery ware
store. Dexter Brewer and Mahan L think
married sisters, named Frost Brewer subse-
quently moved to the old Frost mansion at
Stroudwater and opened public house now
known as the Brewer House. Above the Var
mum lot was an old one story house occupied
by Lieutenant Moses Noyes, whose SOD, James
L., occupied after him. He had a wheelwright
shop below the house and livery stable in the
rear occupied by Noyes and Fobes. There was a
boiling spring in the cellar of the Noyes house,
from which pipe was laid to convey the
water to the United States Hotel. The lot is
now occupied by Thompson's carriage factory.
Next above was shop kept by Henry Wheeler,
the third of the same name from the first
Henry who came to Falmouth from Charles
town, Mass, in 1929. On the corner of Brown,
then Beaver street, lived Capt. Daniel Mussey,
who was lieutenant in the 'Bagaduce expe-
dition' in 1873. The house was burnt in 1842.
On the north corner on the opposite size of
Congress street stood two story house, which
was occupied by Maj. Hugh Mcclellan until he
moved to his new house IN 1900, now known as
the Wingate house, Spring street. The old
house was Afterwards occupied by Reuben
Morton, and was by him moved down Brown
street in about 1925 to make way for the Nor
ton block. Next below came the Gen. Wads-
worth, IS then OF two stories, now; known as the
Longfellow house, built in 1885 6. Gen. Wads-
worth had two story store next to his house
In which he kept-it was removed in 1908.
The Gen. removed to Hiram in 1907 and died
in 1929 The Preble House was built in 1906.
but the Commodore died before it was COM
pleted. Such was the appearance of the imme-
diate vicinity when the Varnum shop was
built-by no means lonely situation.
Phineas Varnum came from DIacut, Mass
and commenced work at his trade of black
smith. He was By blood or marriage connected
with "Parson Bradley" who also came from
Dracut and was probably the means of Mr..
Varnum's locating in Portland. He often
mentions in his journal visiting the General.
Mr.. Varnum soon returned and married Miss
Fox of his native town. Their first child,
Phineas Fox was born in Portland in 1906. In
November, 1910. Mr.. Varnum purchased of
Thomas Sheed,of Otisfeld the lot on Congress
street, % by 81 feet for $500. Probably the
n fInv1 yrnd Tod -
1911. as it was past the middle of Nov. 1910
when he came into possession of the lot. Dan
lei Gilbert, another blacksmith, who like Gen.
varnum became prominent citizen, had
rival shop next below, who afterwards built on
the same lot the brick building yet standing.
In the upper story was music hall with
large organ which was leased to the Beethoven
society. Messrs. Varnum and Gilbert were in
loOo associated in government contract to fur
nish the iron work for the harbor forts, Preble
and Scanned, then building, and must have
had shop previous to the one lately removed.
The contract work was probably done in Gill
DertS shop below, where Varnum afterwards
built This large contract laid the foundation
of the moderate fortunes Of these two enter
prising mechanics NJ. Varnum prospered in
his business and was respected as citizen
He became brigadier general of militia, and
in 1878 he was the Democratic candidate for
major general of the twelfth division of Mas
sachusetts militia, against Samuel Fessenden,
who was elected, majority of the General
Court being Federalists. Gen. Varnum in 1906
and 1907 purchased of B. Willis and Stephen
Cummings, the lot on'Love Lane" now Centre
street. which Joined in the rear his Congress
street lot, on which he first erected the rear
part OF his house, and AS he prospered he COM
pleted the spacious brick house of three stories
yet standing. In about 1917 he gave up the
business of blacksmithing and turned his shop
into grocery. In 1880 his son Phneas Fox,
who had been at the famous military school
kept by Capt. Partridge at Norwich, Vt, re-
turned and assisted his father, and finally be,
came partner. Gen. Varnum attended the
First Parish church, and this reminds me of an
Lesley" who with his widowed mother lived on
Spring street. He consulted Gen. Varnum on
all occasions, and was a frequenter of his store,
The old wooden Westinghouse was commonly
called 1.-The Cd Parish emitting the word
meeting house. After the erection of the new
house it was called the "stone church." but
Dick could not familarize the new name and
compromised by mixing the old and new, and
Wnen ne got elevated he always swore by "Gen.
Varnum and the Stone Parish" Gen. Var
mum was chosen Vice President of the Me-
chanic Association at its organization in 1915.
and after he gave up business he served the
city one or more years as street commissioner.
he was the owner of large lot of land adioin-
ing Brackett street through which cross
street has been built and which he spent the
last years OF his life in improving. In 1884
II Varnum and son" sold their stock to Ez
"a Carter, and since then the store has had
many occupants-I recollect the following:
Noah Hanson, Green & Woodbury., and lately
); j. Chenery & Co., who have occupied it for
about twenty years. The lovers of good fruit
are pleased to know that the we'll known fruit
erer, Mr.. George 81. Cushman who for more
than twenty. years has kept an attractive store
above. is to build on the Varnum lot a fine
store re with all the appliances for keeping fruit
az tne proper temperature to preserve it past its
usual season of decay. Mr.. Cushman under
stands his business, especially the preservation
and ripening of fruit as he needs it for his GUS
toners. He also possesses the rare knowledge
OF how to keep the valuable real estate he in
herited from his father, VIC
Windham Aup 10