The Portland daily press., 1888-05-02

Real Estate Changing Hands and
New Houses Going UP.

South Portland is busy place these Spring
days. 1t has been long time since so much
work of kind to promise permanent inn
provement to the village has been planned
for Summer. With the twenty-five hun
bred dollars raised by the town of Cape Eliz-
abeth the drop will be built on the Cape fer
ry landing very soon; and Portland is ex-
pected to do her part on this side before long
so that teams may go back and forth almost
as readily as on bridge. 1t is whispered
that when these terminal facilities are com
pleted. there may be put on the route an ele-
giant new double-euder ferry boat. equally as
substantial as the Cornelia H.. and much
more graceful. For even at South Portland
there are those who esteem the Cornelia as
sensible and capable rather than beautiful.
But whether the Cornelia 81. is to have the
full swing of the harbor way, or is to lay off
as a spare boat while younger and fairer
rival gees to and fro, is not question that is
disturbing those who are buying and selling
houselots in South Portland today. SO early
as this it is difficult to estimate the number
of houses that will be built; but fifteen or
twenty can be counted up even so early as
this that have been already planned and will
go up this summer A large transfer of real
estate. which has just been recorded at the
registry of deeds, has, with the circumstances
that led up to it, had stimulating effect;
aud is one of the causes at the bottom of the
building boom.
Last Fall Mr. N. r. Dyer decided to put
into the market Twenty-Five or thirty acres
of land situated right in the village of South
Portland. This land he put into the hands
of F. II. Hartford, ESQ.,, who at once devised
plan for disposing of it. The land was in
three blocks; one of about seven acres be-
tween Cushing's Point and Preble street;
another of about five acres between Pleasant
street and High streets and third of twelve
or fifteen acres extending from Pleasant
street to Broadway. and lying between the
Old Ferry road and Sawyer street Mr.. Har-
ford put A. L. Skillin onto the land and had
it divided into lO6 lots of an average of five
thousand feet each. Mr.. Hartford devised
the plan of putting all these lots onto the
market at once by means of company
which he proceeded to form. The prices of
the lots were put at $110 each, and were
bought in in common by the company.
When the land had all been bought in, the
whole sum paid being 81, $3.50 for the LOG lots,
the members of the syndicate decided to d.
vide the lots up among themselves This
they did at an auction held in Knights OF
Pythias Hall on Tuesday of last week.
Among the members Of the company inter-
ested were f. ii. Hartford, A. N. Halves, N.
& H. b. Cleaves, III. r. Cole, E. E. Dyer, w.
7. Studley, Ernesto Ponce Adelbert Hutch
II Walton NJ Nal
son, A. A. Cole, A. E. Dyer. c. N. Trefeth-
en-, Harriet T. Henderson, J. M. Mason,
Helen P. Harrington, S. w. Pierce, Ii. W.
Rich. Z. w. Chadwick, Ruth E. Willard, ].
r. Marsh, C. A. Tilton, J. Trickey. W. L.
Bishop, Clara Eaton, j. Weland, G. A. Ire
fethen. E. E. Hurd. Mary E. Walton, M. w.
Trefethen, c. Fl. Spear and few others.
The mode of division was to sell the choice
of lots by auction. Newell T. Trefethen
paid $3.50 for the first choice, and took the
LOT at the corner of High street and the Old
Ferry road, pretty place, where he will
build nice residence this summer. Adel-
bert Hutchinson bid in the second choice for
$S5, and took lot next his residence on the
corner of Pleasant and the Old Ferry road.
Capt. w. T. Studley secured the third choice
lOI ROO, anu tOOh buC lOb On tuC COAACl VA
Pleasant street and the Old Ferry road. He
will build two story residence thereon very
soon this season. For $55 F. III. Hartford
bid in the fourth choice and selected lot on
the corner of Broadway and Sawyer streets,
where he will build a large two story house
this season for his own residence. In all,
between fifty and sixty choices were sold for
sums aggregating $1235. Forty-six lots were
left to be the property of the persons who
had not put in bids for choices, and this sum
of money was divided among the holders of
these lots as rebate on the $40 paid by
each for his lot The rebate on each lot
thus amounted to $242S.
Besides those already mentioned who will
put up houses on these lots, there also may
be mentioned Mr.. H.. r. Cole, who is with
A. Little & Co., who expects to build resi-
dence this season on Pleasant street adjoin-
ing the Grammer School building; also Will
liam Bishop, C. n Trefethen, Capt. c. w.
Chadwick, William Harrington, William
Willard and Silas Pierce. There are several
other who are talking Of building, so that a
dozen or fifteen houses in all will probably
go up on these lots this summer.
General Manager A. M. Spear secured
seven of the lots which are situated together
on Preble street. Not wishing to occupy
them at once he has devoted them to base
ball purposes and they are now being graded
up for the use of the South Portland boys.
Besides the lots divided up by Mr.. Har-
ford's company there was another division
last fall of land on the hill between Willard
and South Portland, the old Spring property.
This,was divided into 100lots last year and it
is said that anumber,of houses perhaps doz-
en-, will go up there this summer. 1t is GER
tain that Messrs. Charles Allen and William
Allen will each build house here, also Fred
Jewett and B. f. Libby
Not far away from the Spring property,
though not in it, Mr.. Hiram w. Dyer will
build house on Stanford street.
Mr. II. III. Pet.ee has just completed on
Preble street large block of four tenements.
four of which are already let and the rest of
which will be occupied as soon as finished
The house has all the modern improvements,
and is a decided addition to the village.
Mr.. Hartford now has in his hands the Old
Mussey farm, owned by Hon. L. d. M.
Sweat. This farm includes about 100 acres
with large shore frontage on the upper
harbor. 1t will be cut up and put on the
market probably this season.
Signs of progress have not been more num-
erous about South Portland for long time.
Real estate movements are lively, and all
the citizens are hopeful and enthusiastic
about the prospects of their village.
First District Convention.
The Republican First District Convention