The Portland daily press., 1881-02-03
man of the committee of arrangements. The
following is brief abstract of his remarks:
MR. wAsHRIRN,S ADDREss

| proSlueuG VINO is Wltn us UO-nlSnb, IOr MS very
interesting and graceful address. He has al.
luded to the removal of the society to Portland
and the commission was delegated to me to
state some of the reasons therefor. Some time
ago the subject of removal was broached but
| nothing was done until this last autumn when
the Natural History having removed out OF
these superior rooms the Mayor and City
| Council rendered the use of them to u.s. II
was evident that it was best to accept the offer
Here were more and better accommodations
The rooms could be kept open for the accom-
modatlon of all the members who desired In
consult the library and the cabinets made use.
ful to all students of history. And, as here
all the steamboat and railroad lines convereed
II was the most convenient spot for people to
visit. The removal clothes your local mem-
bers with new duties and responsibilties
They will labor in the interest of the society to
gather up whatever IS of interest to the State
portraits OF eminent men, relics of every kind
de referred to the presidents suggestion
peopled the West and thought after thew had
nlled the prairies their tendency would he
Dack to the sea coast and mountains. No
state furnishes more of the poetic and roman
e1t .ic tnan MAINE. we suffer from an embarras
0eS '9cheSses in this respect. Here in Maine
was the hrst settlement. The first naval bat
Tie was fought as Machias. As we come fur-
thef west, the country round about is full of
romance Norombega is immortalized by
Milton. Then comes Castne where Manock-
TO wife. Their descendants were the ancestors
| OF Orono, who went to Massachusetts, and ten
dered the services of the tribe to us at the be-
ginning OF the Revolution Sir Ferdinando
Gorges said the English came for the enlarge
ment OF the Christian faith, the support of
justice and love of peace. What government
was ever established on higher grounds? Cas-
co Bay has been sung in Robert Rawling, and
Mary Darling in the exquisite verse of Whitti-
er see here descendant of Mr. Cleaves,
| Scarboro is the home of the Kings, York of
| the Prebles Maine is also celebrated as the
| State that furnished the first two baronets-
Pepperell and Phipps.
GEN. j. NJ. BROWN.
Gen. Brown, at the conclusion of Mr. WASH
burns remarks, read the resolution thank ing
the Mayor City Council and Committee on
Public Buildings, for the quarters they en-
Joyed He referred to the fact that the society
was first established in Portland, and had sim
ply come home.
MAYOR sENTER.
Mayor Senter referred to the burning out of
the Natural History Society and the time it
had occupied the rooms. The Council voted
unanimously to tender the rooms. The
society, he said, had duty to perform; to de-
eide who settled the State and when. But af
ter this weather it is doubtful whether our Cit
liens should have driven out the Indians
Mr. William Goold then read an admirable
paper on the coun ty buildings of Portland
which we publish entire.
COUNTY BUILDINGS OF PORTLAND
On taking possession of these pleasant reon.s
which, by the kindness and liberality of the
City Government of Portland we are to oc-
cupy and make the base OF our historical in
vestigatlons and a place of social converse,
it has been thought proper, and perhaps might
be entertaining to learn the history of this
spot, and of the several buildings which have
occupied IT.. Al the request of the local COM
nittee of the Historical Society, I have u n
dertaken to present what could be gathered
from records from written history, tradition,
recolleotions of aged men, and of my own
relating TO these premises. The history of
this elegant and spacious building involves
the history Of early county buildings, oc-
cupied under the old county of York, before
the separation in 1160, when the whole state
comprised but one county, as at the building
of every court house and Jail the committee,
having charge, had been directed to use the
materials of the old in the construction of the
new. 1t is very probable that in the base
ment of the county wind of this building
there is some of the iron work, or doors of the
Jail, erected at the junction of Middle and
India streets in 1852 50 we will begin there.
There was something here that bore the
name OF the prison at Falmouth as early as
1861. At the commissioners court held at
York that year the record says John Phillips
of Falmouth, ACCUSED for the suspicion of
felony by the unftness of the prison to
receive him, is confined to his own hoase as
prisoner and engageth to appear at the next
court" The county records mention the
building of Jail at York in 1851, and on at
Wells in 1854. In the record of court of the
commissioners which was held at Falmouth in
1869 Jail is mentioned as having been built
at that place and delinquent towns were
ordered to pay their share of the expenses.
The location OF the Jail is now unknown. 1t
must have disappeared prior to 1856 as in that
year the general assembly ordered that Fort
nyalc hall hAn os,,kNI
the four associated towns These were Saco,
Scarborough. Falmouth AMI North armouth.
In 1880 this fort was taken by the French and
Indians after a five days siege, and every
house in the village was destroyed.
The town laid waste until 171S when some
oil the old settlers returned and many new
enes came in. The first town meeting after the
settlement was held in 1719 Soon after
meeting house was built on India street and
was occupied for worship until 1746 when a
new one was built, where the stone church of
the First Parish now stands. The town in its
associate capacity had erected the old meeting
mouse and after its abandonment as place OF
WORSHIP its second story was fitted up at the
towns expense for a court house. The history
of Portland says there was no court house
nor regular place for holding the court he re
before the Revolution" This is mistake,
In the recorded vote of the town for fitting
the old meeting house for the purpose it is
called "court house." A court held at York
in 1852 ordered Jail to be built at Falmouth
on the north side of the "court house, The
next year after the fitting up of this court
house in 1747, Parson Smith records 81 prayed
with the Court in the afternoon JuStice
came drunk
In 1853 in answer to petition of the select
men OF Falmouth the court of quarter sessions
OF the county of York appointed a commit tee
of five all of Falmouth. to let out the building
| ola new Jail in Falmouth, and directed them
''that if they can purchase the block house and
| the land thereunto belonging, near Benia min
Larrabee's, for sum not exceeding G45 6 shil-
lings, and I'd lawful money, at the county
| charge for prison hOusea deed for the same
| is to be transmitted to the county treasurer In
| case this blockhouse was purchased the commit
| tea was desired to remove the Jail already begun
and join the same to said block house, and flu
ish the same according to former order
This order is as follows: To be Joined to the
Court house on King street,, ''linter fashion"
That is corruption of the phrase clean to-"
or with the Court house for one side wall, with
a one-sided roof The same kind of an addi-
tion to barn at the present time
is called "linter" from the TWO words clean
to-" The order says it is to be 35 feet long, Is
wide and stud, with one stack of Chin
neys of four smokers. The building is to be
of good, square, sound, hewed or sawed tim
Der, we'll boarded capboarded and shingled
outside, with lining outside of good, sound
oak plank, spiked on, and 80 pounds was al
lowed for building it, The bockhouse was
purchased and the clean to- was removed and
joined to it The Larrabee house stood where
the portico of the old City Hall now does, and
the blockhouse which was built for defence
against the Indians stood about where the
north corner OF that building does. Parson
Smith records June 13, 1746 "This neghbor-
hood are building blockhouse near Mr. Lar
rabs5's for the common defence" The treaty
of AK La ChaDeie, concluded in 1747. put an
end to the war of 1l4i With the French and
Indians. This block house had been garrisoneG
| with provincial troops, who were now
discharged, and It was of no further
use-hence it was sold to the county.
There was tl-keeper's house built on Mid
die street, IN front of the Jail, at the expense
OF the county, in which the jailer kept a pub
lie house, as the countypaid him only ffteen
pounds a. jailer. Thomas Motley, the grand
father OF Motley, the historian. kept this block
house Ill from 1881 to 1913. His tavern was
called the "Freemason Arms and had a
swinging sign in front, inscribed with a repre-
sentation of the square and compasses MIR.
Motley's sons, for many years the distinguish
ed Boston merchants, were born in the old Jail
tavern, and also the youngest son Charles, who
was sailor, was born there in 1875 and was
IL years old when the block-house Jail was re-
moved. He now lives near Pride's Bridge in
Deering, at the great age of 96 years, with a
clear memory. Within two weeks he has de-
scribed to me intelligently the old wooden Jail
and the tavern in which he was born and lived
| uuti1 ha W airht Tbo ;,;I