Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-10-05
Editors Letter Box
A Bit of the History
Of a Part of the East Side"


where was the old Ballard
place?'" was question recently
asked the writer by a present resi-
dent of Davenport street.
You are living on a part of it."
was my reply. The Ballard place, as
used to know it, is now bounded on
the north by Davenport street. on the
west by Stone street, on the south by
Eastern avenue and on the east by
Ballard street.
In 1856. my father bought large
stock farm of Capt. Thomas Mitchell.
This Correctly, the west end of it)
was separated from the Ballard place
by more or less steep banking, sur
mounted by an old-fashioned stone
wall. We moved into our new home
in December of 1856.
At that time. the only dwelling be-
tween US and Eastern avenue was the
Ballard house-the same white house
that still stands on the corner of
Stone street and Eastern avenue.
| Mr.. Ballard was engaged in the
crockery business. and resided on the
west side of the river and the Ballard
house was then occupied by DR.. VIM.
B. Laphan1 and family. DR.. Lapham
was an commissioned officer of the
Civil war "a captain, thinls) but he
never paraded his title and became
prominent as a writer of local his
tories throughout Maine, of genealo-
gies and as a newspaper correspon-
dent.
] have an idea (although not sure)
o.
once possessions of a Mr. Davenport
and am positive of having heard Dr.
Lapham say he lived on the "Daven-
port place" and that he occupied the
original Davenport residence"
To all external appearance, the
house looks the same as in my early
recollection, but now it is occupied by
Lawrence Roderick. by George Camp
bell and others, so its interior must
be greatly changed to house two or
more families.
Since my youth when T often en-
joyed calling upon DR.. Lapham the
old Ballard house (perhaps more
correctly, the Davenport house, has
had MANY tenants. Rather than try
to name them, I simply say the house
is landmark and has a history Of
its own, being one of the oldest
dwellings in that neichhorhood.
Shortly after my father moved into
the remodeled Capt Mitchell house
Con tie exact site of the present resi-
dence of DR.. V. T. Lathbury) Levi
Hallovell and the late VIM. H. Allen
took lots a little up Eastern avenue
from the large corner house on the
Ballard place.
The family of Mr. Hallowell and his
wife has since grown to son.
daughter. daughter-in law and erand-
son who live with the old folks who
make things merry and the original
couple take pleasure in marking
time" TO the music Of their juniors
Mrs. W. H. Allen resides in the
home Of her late husband
A few months sped on when Kervtn
f. Hanks established a comfortable
home on Eastern avenue and on the
ballard place. which he, wife and
daughter occupied rranv years.
All the rest Of the Ballard place
hood presented a vastly different ap-
pea EtdHCe 10 NilpI II now CoCS.
In the early 'o0's my father built
house and stable about a rod north
Of the Ballard line wall A long
drivewav had to be built along that
line from Stone street 70 the house
After the settlement Of the estate
of Mrs. Ballard. who outlived her llus-
band. Spcare & Webb of Waterville
got possession of it. The line wall
was taken down, the banking was
also done away with and Davenport
street (also Ballard street, were
made. Ten houses were in various
Stages of construction, when Hon. F.
f. Newhert took ma tiers in his hands
and he made a thriving community Of
the one-time Ballard place.
This covers all can say Of the old
ballard place" now obliterated by a
new population and now houses there.
Most Of the present houses were fin
ished or built by Mr.. Newhert and he
later disposed of most of them.
All of the present Davenport street
is on what was once known as the
Ballard place"
In the eye of recollection, I can see
the beginning of my 18th year when
my father took me TO our new homo
and can imagine myself standing in
the dooryard and looking to the south
at long stone wall on top of a
steep bank. On the other side of that
wall | see a field of about six acres
which extends to Eastern avenue and
only three residences along the ave-
nue.. | seem to feel q longing to cross
that field to the corner house and ask
DR.. Laphan1's permission to look over
his books (for his was as complete a
private library as I had seen. up to
that tire) or to listen to his stories
and anecdotes. Those buildings, the
field, the old wall and embankment
constituted the Ballard place" in 1886.
! The removal of the wall and the
building Of Davenport street account
for two apparent streets running
parallel from Stone street eastward
and only a few feet apart a. one is
the driveway to- the house built by
my father before Davenport street
was thought of. He ran that drive
way to lead from Stone street on his
side of the line, toesthe house and
buildings of what is now the estate
of~the late' DR.. c. J. Lincoln and at
present occupied by Coach" Raw
Thompson of the High school and
family