The Portland daily press., 1894-08-20
AN HISTORIC HOUSE.
Torn Down To Make Way for Modern
Progress.

pied By any Other in the Country--An-
ecdotes of Distinguished Men Who So
Journed Under its Roof-!Some Idea of
Celebrated Men who Have Lived
There.
With the demolition of the large four
story dwelling situated at the corner
OF Congress and Park streets, departs
one of the very oldest buildings of which
Portland can boast. and one too remark
ably rich in historical associations.
In 1884 just after the close of the Revo-
lutionary war, Thomas Robson who
was brother of Samuel Robson, Ia
Sco5chman from the Orkney Islands,
who married Barbara Sutherland) came
to Portland. He had served in the
war, having an important command on
the Lakes. Samuel, his older brother,
had been resident here since 1853, and
bad two children. Alexander and Jane.
Jane married Capt. Arthur Mcclellan,
who erected many fine houses in the
city, notably those occupied on High
ST., by Hon. T.. D. M. Sweat, and until re-
Gently by Horatio N. Jose. Mr.. Robson
went into partnership in 1885 with
Messrs. Edgar & Reed, tradesmen here,
and the firm purchased the great tract
of land extending from Main St. (as
Congress St. above the junction of Mid
die and Congress streets was called) to
Fore river. In that same year the firm
built dwelling at the corner of Park
and Congress stress, which was wood
en- two stored affair, and was also used
IN part as store, and another at the
corner of York and Park streets, where
Mr.. Robson lived, and, after his death,
his son Thomas occupied the house. At
that time there was no street where
Park St. is now, but in 1883 the firm laid
out the avenue which was called Ann st.
for many years. In this vicinity there
was dense growth Of wood: in fact
there are people now living who remem-
Der the swamps on High street, where
they went after berries. Tks large oaks
in the Hersey grounds on Danforth
street were then about five feet high.
Mr.. Robson was most energetic and
enterprising man, and he, and his part
ners, Messrs. Edgar & Reed, established
distilleries on their property from which
they realized handsome profits. Mr..
Robson had several children, one of
whom married Stephen Goldman, another
Robert llsley, and third Lemuel Weeks,
all names identified with Portland,
Mr.. Robson did not live long fter
IN port1opd Il;
continued the business for long time.
Who their immediate followers were in
the occupancy of the dwelling corner of
Park and Congress streets we have been
unable to ascertain, but il is thought by
Hon. William W. Thomas that somewhat
later Mr.. William Gray, the rich Boston
merchant, more generally and famil-
iarly known as BILLY" Gray, bought
the property, and sold the house and
portion of the land, reaching down to
Gray street. to Capt. Thomas Brown,
who lived in the house and established
a rope walk, that stretched from just
below the house grounds to the
Falmouth engine house on Spring street,
thus prevent ing the building of Spring
street beyond Park in 1896. This rope
walk is well remembered by citizens who
were boys of Is or therea bouts Gen.
Neal Dow remem bers the house as it APP
peared when he was boy, aud the gen
eral is now over ninety years of age. The
store occupied the front on Congress,
thenfMain, street. and there was large
arch across 1t that attracted much at
tention. The captain was an old ship
master, and very eccentric character,
but be was an excellent citizen. Gen.
Dow says he remembers one thing in
particular in regard to him, and that
was the captain was much more rabid !
than he, Gen. Dow, is now ON the SUBJ
ject of temperance. The captain left
son and two daughters, but it is thought
the family is now extinct.
Mrs. Jones, sister of Silas Broad
(whose tavern at Stroudwater was the
great suburban resort of his time) had
come into Portland in the early thirties
and kept fashionable boarding
house in the Matthew Cobb
mansion. now the Cum berland
Club, located in Congress Square. In
those days hotels in this part of the
country were really taverns, but Mrs.
Jones catered to her boarders with so
much elegance and refinement that her
house became noted the country over
In 1885 she bought the house at the
corner of Park and Congress streets, re-.
modelled and enlarged it by one story
and an ell, land its fame quickly eclipsed
that of.its predecessor. Such table as
Mrs. Jones set was almost unknown ex-
cept perhaps that of Delmonico in New
York, or at Young's coffee house, boston,
now Young's hotel. Mrs. Jones was as
sisted by her sister Lucy and later by
her daughters, who, after the death Of
their mother continued the house
until 1873 Then the house was vacant
for a short time, and was then leased
from Miss Mary Jones-who is still liv- |
ing and resident of Philadelphia-by |
Mrs. Susan Mussey, who carried on a
boarding house within it's walls until |
the present year.