The Portland daily press., 1894-02-27
THE CITY HOTEL.
A HOstelry That Has Been Of Much
Importance.

There the Traders Put Up in the Early Part
of the Century-The Smart set Took
Their Toddy There-Now To Give Place
To a Business Block.
For the past few days the workmen
have been steadily engaged demolishing
the City hotel at the corner of Congress
and Green streets. The structure was a
commanding one in that locality. where
old fashioned buildings abound more
than anywhere else in the city. The
building was four storied brick, and
of late years had been extended to the
store OF Geo. C. Shaw & Co. It's arched
main entrance told of the days and
architecture of fifty years ago.
1t is astonishing how difficult it has
been to ascertain when and by whom
the brick hotel was erected. A number
of old citizens were seen but they could
not recall these facts, and the registry
of deeds only gives the transfers of the
property and its various owners names.
1t may be interesting to our readers to
know that the property on the corner of
Main (now Congress) and Green streets,
was sold by the widow Abigail Brackett
to Benjamin Dodge, April 10th, 1893,
and in 1900 Daniel Green sold Dodge a
strip of land quarter of rod wide, adj
joining. This property appears to have
remained in the possession of the
Dodge family until 1912, when Eleazer
lToKa oI, fro TOW h.
place to Samuel Lincoln, who trans
ferred it, the same year, to Joseph S.
Sargent, the father of Mrs. Durham and
Mrs. Morgan, from whom the Rines
Brothers lately purchased the estate.
General Neal Dow recalls the original
story wooden dwelling, setting back
from the street, and was erected by
Benjamin Dodge, who was a potter. In
the war of 1Sl2-15, people were unable to
import pottery from Europe, aud Mr..
Dodge manufactured the brown ware,
many specimens Of which are still
extant. Mr.. Dodge also had part of the
house set off as a sort of a tavern, for
the accommodation of teamsters and
traders who came in from the country to
trade in Huckler's Row.
1t is thought by the older men that Mr..
Sargent, after he bought the property.
must have erected the brick house in the
place of the old wooden dwelling. 1t is
recalled as two storied brick building
with high roof. Here the young
bloods" in the fortiesn used to meet
between the pauses of the dances given
by the smart set" in Union hall, just
opposite, and refresh themselves with
little old Jamaica, or three star brandy,
made more paiatable by the addition of a
dash of lemon and spoonful of sugar and
a few fingers of steaning hot water.
The Office then was small room, as at
the last, but what was recently the read
ing room was then large living room.
Some years ago the two large wooden
ellis, that belonged to the hotel, were
moved down to the lot between the resi-
dences of Hon.J. H. Drummond and Mr..
Dexter, and turned into dwellings, and
stable on Green street, the old stable was
moved to Grove street, near the foot |
of State. and turned into dwelling for |
an empIoye of Mr.. Nathan Redlon. After |
Mr.. Sargent's day, the hotel had two |
stories added to it, and still later, the |
addition on Congress street, and then |
;he rooms over the Geo. c. Shaw property |
we're thrown in.
Mr.. Sargent was followed by Mr.. |
'tubbs as proprietor, he by Mr.. John
Davis, thenscame Mr.. John K Martin, then |
Mr.. j. W. Robinson, and last, Mr.. Sweet.
During the Sargent regime, and to a
recent period, it was
Known as the New England house, and |
he name was then changed to City hotel. |
THE LOCK WAS OUT OF ORDER.