The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-01
The Motley Block.

The frequent question, "Why is it called
the Motley Block?" is perhaps sufficiently
answered by saying that its site was the home
stead of distinguished family of that name.
but the name of Motley suggests history, there
fore will give a sketch of the former owners
of the site of this new building.
John Motley came from Belfast, IRELAND, to
Falmouth at about 1873. In that year he
married Mary Roberts, by whom he had three
sons and one daughter. By his second wife,
Lydia Libby, whom he married in 1754, he
had five sons and one daughter, all of whom
were born on this house lot The house stood
at the corner of Congress and Casco streets,
where now is the Mechanics Hall, and was OF
one story with the then fashionable "gambrel'
roof. Mr.. Motley was joiner and worked on
the old meeting house, when it was built in
1740. His religious preference was for the
church of England. In 1853 he subscribed
''ten pounds in work. towards the erection of
ST. Paul's church, and he and his descendants
attended there.
Thomas Motley, youngest son of John by
the first wife, married sister of Colonel John
Wait, the first sheriff of the county under the
United States government, and was in 1881 by
him appointed jail-keeper. He kept tavern in
the iail-house which stood on what is now the
passage-way between the Old City Hall and
the United States Hotel. The Jail tavern was
called the "Freemasons Arms, and its swing
ing sign bore the insignia of that order In
1898 Mr. Motley came in possession Of that part
of his fathers home lot now occupied by the
new block on which he erected three story
wooden tavern house and stables, and trans
ferred his business. with the old sign, to the"
new house, which he kept until his death in
1905 His widow continued the public house
several years, but finally removed to a three
story brick house on Congress street, built by
John Bryant, the walls of which are now
part of the residence of the Catholic bishop.
The next occupant of the tavern-house was
Josiah Paine, the proprietor of the Portsmouth
stage line-he finally moved to Market square,
and was succeeded in the Motley tavern by a
Mr.. Barker from Hiram, who was succeeded
in turn by his daughter Susan, who kept the
house in 1928. The last keeper of the old
tavern was Samuel Ryerson. The house was
burnt August II, 1913, while "Button" en-
CINE, company with their machine was in
town, who exhibited much alacrity, during the
when they were also burnt.
Thomas Motley, the builder of the house,
was the father of the celebrated Boston mer-
chants, 'sThomas and Edward Motley. John
Lothrop Motley, the eminent historian who
died in 1877, was the son of the senior partner
of the old Boston firm on India wharf. The
youngest son of the old keeper of the Free
masons' Arms, Charles Motley, now lives near
Pride's bridge in Deering, at the great age of
90 years.
Soon after the burning of the public house
the lot was purchased by Gen. Neal Dow,
gentleman who has more friends and more
enemies than any other man in New England.
He leased the land for building purposes 80
years, and now has erected a fine block of
stores which, aside from the name, attracts
much attention. w. e.
Windham, August %.