The Portland daily press., 1884-01-15
The Home of NJ. acanona+;oa
.ca hslios House and HIS History.
Portsmouth Corr. of Boston Globe.l

Portsmouth Corr. of Boston Globel
A paragraph recently published in one of
the local papers relative to an old house in
Eliot, Me, led representative of the Globe
to visit the place for the purpose of II aking
some further inquiries as to its antiquity and
history. The house in question is the house
of James W. Bartlett, prosperous farmer,
and is located about one-eighth of mile
from Eliot depot ON the Eastern railroad.
Although the day selected for the visit
was bleak and disagreeable, the writer was
impressed with the thrifty air which per-
vaded the surroundings. All outward ap-
pearances would not lead one to suppose
that the dwelling was SO venerable as re-
ported, by many years. The bright new
paint, the tasty decorations about the win
dows and doors, the neat and well-kept
grounds, all seemed to indicate modern
and pleasant home Two lordly elms,
nearly $50 years old, which stand in the
dooryard, spreading their protecting branches
high over the roof. are the only evidence
that this has been the abiding place of man
fol century and half. The interior of
the house bears unmistakable marks of pass
ing time. The deliberately carved finish, the
low ceilings, and large old fashioned Chin
neys with freplsces and brick ovens are still
there and in daily use.
A very interesting interview was had with
Mr. Bartlett, from which it appears that
about the year 1850 the site was first settled
by John Hurd and Charles Frost, who came
from England and landed at Pepperelps
cove, at the mouth of the Piscataquis river,
then an important commercial centre. They
pushed inland with their families, and while
In search of pasturage for their cattle came
upon this spot, then very fertile meadow,
about the shores of a small pond, formed by
dam across the creek constructed by bea-
vers. They were pleased with the locality,
and taking large tract of land settled up
on it, Hurd building upon the site of the
present Bartlett house, and Frost about half
a mile farther east. The country was then
for miles around wilderness, and was
known as the Kittery Wilds, and until with
in seventy-fve years was part of that
town. Shortly after the arrival of Hurd and
Frost three Bartlett brothers came into the
country, one of them settling in Kittery and
the other Two going laT6uCl Wcot anu oeJtIlHR
in what is now Ne~buIyport. A descend
ant of Bartlett married a granddaughter of
John Hurd, and at the death of his father
in-lsw, received by will the homestead and
| fifty acres Of land, and it is an interesting
fact that, although this farm has been the
home of nine generations, three of the Hurd
| family and six of the Bartlett family, price
has never been set upon it, but it has been
handed down from father to son for nearly
$50 years.
Before the farm left the hands of the
Hurd family house was built of bricks,
imported from the old country, but in 1876
| 1t was so shaken by an earthquake that it
was considered unsafe to live in and was
| torn down, and the present structure built
| of heavy oak timber. Although this house
has been the home of nine generations, and
| upwards of seventy-fve children have been
| born and brought up here, it is recorded
| that only one unmarried person has ever
died in it, except one child, who was acct
denlally killed, and all others have lived to
ripe old ages.
Mr.. Bartlett also related several stories Of
the struggles with the Indians which these