Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-19
GLORIES THAT FADED
A LAMENT TO THE PASSING OF THE
OLD STONE HOUSES.
Once the Mansions of the Wealthy, NOW
Given Over to Dog Hospitals, Boarding
Houses and the Like--The Grand Front
Steps Are Crumbling Away.

Steps Are Crumbling Away.
Time was, and it was long tilno ago,
when the stone front houses OF the Guy
were the residences of the very best people,
and none but the well to do and emlnehtly
respectable occupied them. They were tall
buildings and although they were cohsid-
cred in those days quite the thing ID the
way of correct architecture, they present
to the modern trained eye the appearance
of stone barracks and are exceedingly I'M
beautiful. In those days they enjoyed the
distinction Of being planted in the MIDST
of spacious grounds, and they looked
down upon their frame built nelghbors
with q naughty and self conscious PRIDE
Their rooma-and here they ENJOY
marked advantage over the modern Quilt
dwelling-wcre and are equipped with
high ceilings and generous proportions OF
length and width, and instead OF their
halls being only large enough to accommo-
date an attenuated hall tree, they were
built high and wide, spacious TO degree,
and were adapted as semireception rooms.
Their parlors were adorned with beautiful
paintings, their floors We're covered by the
most expensive carpets, their hlgh ana
deep windows were draped with the finest
of curtains, and in many instances the cell
ings Of these residences were handsomely
and artistically decorated and ornamented
by skilled artists.
The outside of these houses, with the
square blocks of dull yellow, brown, gray
and reddish brown stone fronting the
street, was uniformly hideous Running
from the house to the street We're, as
rule, long flights of stone steps. On these
steps the owners Of the residences We're in
the habit of gathering on Sabbath after
moons and evenings to discuss the passers-
by and gossip the hours away. This habit
of taking to the front steps of Sunday aft
ernoons and evenings has not entirely died
out of Chicago circles Notwithstanding the
envious and malignant sneers of certain
polyglot eastern newspapers.
In these old residences many weddings
were solsnnized, and from them were
borne to the cemeteries the last of all that
was mortal of number of Chicago's old
time and famous citizens. And then came
progress, bringing i'll its train new ideas
as regarded the eternal fitness of things
architectural, ard the styles in houses were
turned topsy turvy. People began to build
houses with an idea of beauty on the out
side as well rs of interior, and just as soon
as this innovation was begun the old stone
front residence went to tho background
Immediately, for its exterior was grew
some to degree. The idea of II house with
an approach of 200 or 800 feet of stone
steps was discovered to be % relic of archi
tectural barbarism, and rooms, instead of
being constructed without any angles,
much as dry goods boxes are built wer
made with aview of relieving such monor-
onous and depressing squarcness- The re-
suit of all this was to set the old style
houses to one side and leave them high and
dry on the shores Of universal progress.
They We're sold, they Were deserted. The
fashionable people left them to move nearer
to the lake or farther into the suburbs.
and for time they stood with none so
poor to do them reverence.
And then the owners OF these old stone
| forts. these antiquatcd sandstone shacks. ;"
began to bestir themselves for the purpose
of realizing u little interest On their money
| The first move toward this natural desire
was to rent these caravansarjes to divers
/ and sundry boarding house keepers. This
resulted in large numbers of signs, such as
"Rooms to Let, = " Board Ivy the Day and
! Week" "Boardcrs Wanted and similar
decorations to appear on she walls of the
/ old time houses. But after II time the
/ boarding house business began to languish.
/ European hotels and cheap restaurants in
sidiously sprang up, flourished and
wrought havoc ia the ranks Of the devoted
/ boarding house nistrcsSes. And rs the old
/ houses were lett hy the boar1.ors and their
landladies the problem OF utilizing the
stone hulks was again before their respec-
/ tive owners.
/ Now began the final step in the degra-
( dation Of the ancient and honorable man
/ sions OF yoTc. They were turned into
stores and anything that could be rented,
! and now along Wabash avenue and State
street the change has brought with it
strange and groteSque happenings. AT
one stately old house a dog hospital is in
full blast, and signs depicting dogs in diff
fcrent stages Of distress are plastered on
the wall. In the next square IA veterinary
surgeon holds forth in IA venerable pile
where years ago one of tho most noted
citizens of Chicago lived.
4 fashionable tailoring establishment
holds full sway in another old stone front,
and in this house a hay window has been
built to give more modern appearance to
the cdifice. Here, where once costly cur
tains adorned the windows on the second
floor, gaudy prints Of the latest styles in
dresses f1aunt themselves, and fashion
plates bloom where rare eXoticS stood.
Quite a number of the old houses have
had their one time Responsibility shocked
by having additions attached to them and
a saloon and buffet located there. AT these
places 1t Is fair to presume the sons of
Belial do congregate, and that, instead of
the high toned gayety that distinguished
the old mansion in days and nights gone
by there are riotous demonstration and oc-
casional calls for the city chariot which
hales offenders stationward.
The stone steps, once the pride Of the
old time housewives, are so shattered and
broken away that they seem like the steps
leading to some penal institution They
do not appear to have been washed for
centuries, so soiled and hegrimed is their
look. Some of these "old timers" have
been surrounded and cooped in by modern
buildings, and seem to crouch moodily in
the shadows, dreaming of times long ago
when their windows were brilliant with
life and light, their rooms hung with
splendid paintings, u retinuo of servants
in the halls and cham bers guests coming
and going the sound of childish voices,
music and banqueting, wine, womansand
song-all, all the faded glories of the past.