The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-23
NEW RocH LIE.

NEW ROCH. LIE.
Huguenot COMMUNICATIONS Paine's
Old Home and Monument.
Especial Correspondence
NEW ROCHELLE, N. Y, March H.
Settled by Huguenot refugees in 1888,
and long retaining the language and life
of French community, the old village
of New Rochelle has had unique his
tory. It is said that the women carried
stones in their hands and mortar in their
aprons to help build the first church in
the place, and before the people had a
settled pastor they used to walk twenty
three miles to New York for the Sunday
worship, starting Saturday evening and
returning Sunday evening, their breth-
rem in the city offering them enter
tainment over night. Obviously peo-
pie so devoted to their religion would
not have invited the great Freethinker,
Thomas Paine, to make his home in their
midst, nor would he on his part have
chosen their village as a particularly
congenial abode. Yet the lapse Of moro
than century had wrought changes in
the town, and one must remember that
the inestimable services of the author of
Common Sense" being recently rem
dered. were fresher in the public mind
than now.
Those services were deeply appreciated
by Washington and valued by congress,
which voted Paine thanks and money.
The state of New York showed its sense
of obligation by granting him large
farm at New Rochelle, made up OF land
coniscated from Huguenot Tory. The
place was on North street, over a mile
from the village, and here Paine lived
awhile before he went abroad to mingle
in the fierce controversies of that stormy
period. Returning at length, broken in
fortune and repute, he alternately re-
sided in New York city and at his farm
till his death in 1909. A portion of the
house he occupied is still standing, and
the room in which he slept is still point
ed out. Until few years ago the quaint
3sFranklin" stove was preserved In his
old room, but was then taken out and
displayed as an advertisement in local
hardware sore.
1t is claimed that Paine provided for
his monument in his will, but the monu-
ment now standing on North street in
forms us that it was terected by public
contribution in 1889" 1t stands near
the spot where he was buried, at the en-
trance to a private lane leading back
half mile east to farmstead on the
hill A neat wall incloses the monu-
Nd i,,o IF tho
yard is fourishing tree-two willows,
maple and a hickory. An iron fence
and gate border the road. The memorial
is about twelve feet high, of marble and
capped by an ornamental block. The
faces of the shaft are two feet wide, and
on three sides are engraved notable Sc
lections from Common Sense, ""Age
of Reason" and "Crisis." The front
bears medallion of Paine cut in stone
and surrounded by wreath of laurel.
The bones of the restless patriot and ag
itator were not allowed to rest in peace
where he intended, but were some years
later spirited away by the English
radical, William Cobbett, who thought
to aid the growth of republican ideas in
England by producing the relics. The
plan failed, and their final resting place
is uncertain.
Directly opposite where Paine was
buried used to stand an old Huguenot
inn where merry times often prevailed.
Once during local carnival the British
suddenly appeared and captured some
of the youth, required them to deliver
up their valuables, and even stripped
them of coats, hats and shoes. Here
and there in the village and environs
are to be seen a few of the ancient
Huguenot houses, small, low and solid
1y built, with massive stone chimneys.
The old French names are still numer-
ously represented among the people.
Many interesting traditions are pre-
served Of Paine and of old time matters.
He is said to have preached his doctrines
In grove in the village for time. He
frequently made the rounds of the farm
ers and accepted their hospitality.
Striking tales of his drunkenness and
blasphemy are told, perhaps colored
somewhat by prejudice, though there is
little doubt that his last years were I'M
happy. The influence of so popular and
noted man was considerable in the
community during his life, and natural
ly some of his neighbors and acquaint-
ances synpathized with his views, but
we are told that this influence was al
most wholly destroyed by the advent Of
itinerant Methodist preachers in the To-
cality not long after Paine's death.
New Rochelle was the birthplace of
that good Boston saint, Peter Faneuil,
who gave the famous old "Cradle of Lib
erty,'' Faneuil hall, to the Club" He
came of approved Huguenot stock. To
show the contrasts of this life, one must
add that the notorious Captain Kidd
also knew this quiet old hamlet on the
sound. having used it as a recruiting
and provisioning ground. Along these
beautiful shores he SAILED, and he
sailed" bequeathing to this and to that
inlet and point sundry ghostly tradi-
tions of dreadful deeds and of buried
treasure. Defying the powers of both
earth and heaven, he still .sailed, and
y