The Republican journal., 1914-07-30
IMPROVEMENTS ON WATER STREET.
what N. K. Knowiton has Done In the Way
OF Renovatine Old and Erecting New
Buildsnas.


What N. R. KnowIton has Done In the Wav
OF Renovatine Old and Erecting New
Buildings.
Marcsllus R. Knowlton has for wear. mad. .
business OF buying neglected and dilapidated
buildings and repairing and improving them.
and says that he has never lost any money in
this work and feels that what he h., done h.,
been Denefit to Belfast. Many years ago he
bought what 10 now known a the Chester
Perkins place on Elm street, Of Charles How
ard. repaired the house made modern improve.
ments. built . barn. and sold the place a.
home. He then went into the Windsor Hotel.
which was without bathroom, and when he
sold it it was equipped with all the modern
conveniences. He next bought the two Palm
er houses on High street, which were fast 90
ing to decay. and it was hard proposition to
bring them up to the good tenements they are
today. About this time he also bought and
improved the Simeon Staples house on Miller
street and it is now the attractive resi-
dence of Verrill S. Jones. The dilapidated
old williamson block on High street was
transformed into good business block, to
which Mr.. Knowlton points with pride.
Some years ago he bought house on
Miller street of the late DR.. J. G. Brooks es-
tate and now owns this good double tenement.
He also bought and repaired the Frank Slower
house on Bridge street and the Field house ad-
joining. When Mr., Knowlton bought the old
Alden house on Bridge street it was rapidly
going to decay and in short time he had made
it one Of the best equipped boarding houses in
the city. having repaired it from cellar to attic,
The Alden land extended to the railroad prop
erty and when Water street was built MIR.
Knowlton began building six tenement houses
of six rooms each. all of the same style of
architecture land neatly finished outside and in,
with city water and electric lights. There is
room for two more, which he expects to build
later. They are on the upper side of the
street on made land that three years ago was
the public dump. The old Alden orchard forms
the back yard to these neat little homes
and one old elm tree stands on the street.
The occupants are putting up window
boxes and making flower beds in front
of their homes. The building nearest the
railway station is not finished, but with all
the others has been rented. The city has
agreed to cover the sewer that runs near these
houses and the water pressure from their sink
faucets makes spray that will lreach to the top
of the buildings. Each house has flush closet
and bath will be added to the one building.
1t is expected that the city will soon furnish
street lights.
Elbridge Thomas is building neat little
house on the lower side Of Water street op.
posite the Knowlton houses, and Thomas l.
Parkinson has rebuilt and enlarged the old
Holt house. No. IA Water street, and now runs
a boarding house. William A. Clark recently
bought the old Maddocks estate on Bridge
street, which extends to the M. c. R. R. track
and comprises what is known as the ellison
house, now on Water street. He has raised
this house two feet, is thoroughly repairing it
and will convert it into tenement with mo-
dern conveniences. On this property, on the
upper side of the street, Mr.. Clark is building
two tenement house of bungalow style with
four rooms each. The platform and two flights
of steps will be in common. but otherwise the
tenements will be entirely separate.
The opening of this street has not only fur
nished much needed thoroughfare, but has
led to the erection and improvement of build
the taxable property of the city.