The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-28

/ chtcluliy tndt tno OiutSt udn cOnuecteu WIFI
the State House does not know where it is
But happily the laws make provision for the
recording of all deeds, and in the strong
room of the Kennebec Registry Of Deeds is
an attested copy Of the very deed by which
the land OF the present Capitol site was
| given to the State. 1t is straight deed, the
only conditions being as to the right to locate
| certain streets. Not word is said about the
land reverting in case the State of Maine
should decide that the beautiful metropolis
of Portland should be the seat of govern
ment. That deed may be found ON 2S1 page
Of Volume 60 of the deeds Of Kennebec coun-
ty. As the subject matter is Of great inter-
est at present, herelit is in full:
| KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS; /;
that We, Joshua Gage Joseph Chandler, Robert C.
| vose, Henry w. Fuller, Pitt Dillingham; and Ruel
Williams. all OF Augusta, ID the County of Kenne-
bee, Esquires in consideration Of ten dollars to us
paid by the State of Maine, the receipt whereof is
hereby acknowledged, do hereby give, grant, sell
and convey unto the State Of Maine certain
tract Of land lying in Augusta, part of lot num-
bered four, on the west side of Kennebec River,
and part of the range way lying north of said lot
numbered four, bounded as follows: Beginning
at Kennebec River in the North Line Of Thomas
Bowman's land; thence running Northerly by the
river about forty-two rods to the centre Of the
eight rod range way lying between front lots
numbered four and five, according to Winslows
original plan; thence West Northwest In the Gen.
tire of said range way one hundred and thirty-fye
rods to the East side of the public road as now
travelled from Augusta to Hallowell, thence
SouIherly by the East side Of said road as now
travelled, about forty-three rods to the North line
of said Bowman's land as now fenced, and thence
East South East by said Bowman's fence about
one hundred and twenty-eght rods to the bounds
first mentioned, being tract of lands about forty
two rods wide and one hundred and thirty rods
long, and containing thirtyfour acres more or
less. Saving to the county Of .Kennebec and to
the town of Augusta the right and privilege of
laying out and making public road over
any portion Of the range way hereby con-
yeyed whenever public convenience and necessity
may require it, and also reserying to the public
use of a road seventy feet wide recently laid out
by the town of Augusta across the premises here
by conveyed. Tobave and to hold the premises
aforesaid, with all the privileges and appurte-
nances tofhe same belonging to the State OF Maine
and to their assigns forever. And we the said
Gage, Chandler, Vose, Fuller, Dillingham; and
Williams. for ourselves, and our respective heirs,
hereby covenant with the said State Of Maine, and
their assigns that we are lawfully seized in fee Of
the afore described premises, that the same are
free Of all incnmbrances; that we have good right
and lawful authority TO sell and convey the same
as aforesaid, and that we will warrant and defend
the same to the said State Of Maine and their
assigns forever. In testimony Whereof the said
Joshua Gage, and Abigailhis wife, Joseph Chand-
ler, and Mehitable his wife, Pitt Dillingham;. and
Dax. a. u Ixt. ID
his wife, Robert q. vose and Caroline G. his wife,
and Henry w. Fuller, and Esther G. his wife, in
REIMBURSEMENT Of their respective rights OF dover
/ in said premises have hereunto set their hands
and seals the sixth day of June Ammo Domini
eighteeo hundred and twenty-seven.
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of US,
A. Nichols
d. VILLAINS.
] John H0vey, Reg
lister of Deeds for the Joshua Gage, Tseall
county of Kennebec, dolA. Gage, Tseal1
hereby certify that the Joseph Chandler, [seall
land Land a described serbs 10 the mehitable Chandler
tifcate is annexed, sp- Robert c. vose, IseaII 1'
pears by the records inlCaroline g. Vose, [seall
my Office to be the Es Henry W. Fuller fseali
tate of Joshua Gage and Esther q. Fuller, fseali
Others therein named, Pitt Dillingham; fseall
and that there does not Hannah b. Dillingham;
appear TO be any prior fseal1
mortgage or incum- Ruel Williams, Tsesil
branc thereon. Sarah L.Willarns. [seaiI
June 8, 1927.
(SIgned) John Hovey,
Reg. of Deeds.
KENNEBEC, SIS. Augusta, June 6, 1927
Chandler. Robert c. Vose Henry W. Filler. 0' Pitt
Dillingham; and Ruei Williams, and severally ac-
knowledged the foregoing instrument by them
subscribed to be their free act and deed.
DANIEL WILLIAMS, Justice Of the Peace.
KENNEBEc IS. Reed June z, 1927.
Entered and compared with the original by
JNO. H0VEY, Register.
1t appears that the title Of the State to this
property is absolute to deal with as 1t sees
fit.
What could have started the story about
the deed being conditional? 1t is improb-
able to suppose it roorbach intended mere
ly to frighten Portland, for the Augusta peo-
pie would not be up to such trick as that
nor would Portland be frightened by IL.
North's history gives an inkling of how it
might have started. According to North the
project of moving from Portland was started
as early as 1922, when Daniel Rose of Thorn
aston, Benjamin Green of South Berwick
and John Chandler of Monmouth were a
committee to examine sites for permanent
seat Of government. Portland, Brunswick,
Hallowell, Augusta, Waterville, Belfast and
| Wiscassett offered to give valuable sites.
The committee thought Wiscasset would be
the best place II the Capital was to be on
the seabord, but preferred Augusta IL 1t was
to be inland. They seem to have thought it
inexpedient to locate ON the seaboard, for
they made report recommending that the
| legislature meet in Augusta in 1880 provided
the citizens of Augusta would convey to the
State free of expense site for the public
buildings. individuals in Augusta purchas
| ed the lot of land ON Weston Hill where the
| State House now stands. and conveyed it to
the State in 1923, in December. The deed
conveying this lot executed by Joshua Gage
ct. ais, was communicated by the Governor tt
the Legislature January l5 1924, and was re
ferred to committee which reported a re
solve providing for acceptance of the deed
The Senate accepted and passed the resolve
but the House postponed it until 1927. Sub
sequently the House rec0nsidered 1t and re
ferred 1t to the next Legislature. In 1927 i
came up, this time with deeds from Thomas
ton and Wiscasset also. The Augusta deco
was preferred; but North here records tina
objection was made to its form and language
and that another deed ioas made. Now 1t |
not improbable that it may have been tn
Hrst deed in which the conditions as to tn
use to which the land should be put wer,
included. At any rate there were condition
in the first deed which the Legislature dit
not like, and they were changed In 1925
Two years later the offer of Augusta was ac
cepted and the deed was then given and re
corded. That is the deed printed above
The earlier deed was not recorded, Of course
aud is not to be found in the registry o
deeds.
So II the State does not own absolutely tn
land on which the State House stands;
is not because 1t lacks plain and uncondi
tional title.
Yha PaYIIs of the naan