Historic Homes Part 6

Back of this room, which is used for a parlor, is a dining-room with an old desk secretary, of 1800, showing the ball and eagle ornamentation.

Here also is another large old fireplace, for the interior of the house has been unchanged since it was built by Abraham Adams, in 1676.

The house has descended in a direct, unbroken line, and has been handed down from sire to son for the consideration of one dollar. It is one of the most charming of country-seats, enriched by history, and retaining still all the atmosphere of the old colonial homestead.

CHAPTER IX

THE SPENCER-PIERCE HOUSE

An unusually picturesque location has the Spencer-Pierce house at Newbury, Ma.s.sachusetts, which stands at the end of a long, gra.s.sy lane, leading off from the main road not far above the old town church. The house itself is unique and forms a fascinating study for architects in its fine state of preservation, its beauty enhanced by overhanging vines. Old houses are like open books, disclosing by their type to what period they belong, and it is interesting to find one that stands out so distinctly from other houses of long ago as does the Spencer-Pierce mansion. At first glance of its foreground of open lawn and its background of trees, one readily perceives that it was intended for a gentleman's residence. It has been falsely called a garrison house from the fact that its walls are of stone and brick, but a knowledge of the first owners and their time shows this to be a fallacy. Later it might have been used for some such purpose, but if so there is no record.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE x.x.xVIII.--The Spencer-Pierce House, Newburyport, Ma.s.s.]

Whoever built the house had an eye for the beautiful. It stands in the midst of a large farm surrounded by gra.s.s land and trees, with the ocean stretching beyond. In construction it is different from others of the period, being shaped like a cross.

The northern projection, the kitchen end of the house, shows a large brick chimney built on the outside with a stone foundation. It is so high and big that it reaches far above the roof, and possibly is the first one of its kind ever shown in colonial architecture. The self-evident age of both the brick and the plaster, broken here and there, leaves no reasonable doubt to the student of the antique as to the period of its building.

On the opposite side is the porch. This is familiarly known as the great porch of the house. Architects come from all over the country to copy the lines of this particular bit of architecture, for it is one of the most beautiful specimens in New England. Much of its beauty, however, lies in the mellow, many-toned coloring of the exterior produced by its two hundred years' exposure to wind and weather. A settled air of old age surrounds it, and without doubt it will last as it is for centuries.

The arches of this mansion are interesting, showing bevelled brick and most carefully introduced cas.e.m.e.nts, while the wonderful ornamentation has helped to establish the fact that it is not in reality a genuine garrison house.

Much doubt is expressed as to the exact year of its building, the erection of the house being generally credited to John Spencer, the younger, while others a.s.sert it is the elder who was the first owner and occupant of the house. This leads to a confusion of dates, placing the time of building anywhere from 1635 to 1651, at which time it fell into the hands of one Daniel Pierce.

One of the first settlers was John Spencer, the reputed builder of the house. He came to this country in the _Mary and John_ and settled on the banks of the river Parker in 1635, his name showing on the first page of the proprietors' records, where it appears that he was the grantee of the houselot which was next the great river. He was a man of means and took an important part in the formation of the little settlement which was established by his influence. Searching through the records of the time, we find his name constantly mentioned in the list of proprietors, and the statement that he built a mill at the falls of Newbury, where he had a mill lot of fifty acres, and rose to such prominence that the following year he was chosen magistrate in Newbury in the General Court.

In other ways, too, he was a prominent man, being very much interested in military affairs. In April, 1637, we find him captain of a battalion that had been sent out under Captain Stoughton against the Pequod Indians. His religious opinions, however, did not agree with those of the settlers, and he was discharged from his command and returned to England after having been disarmed and condemned, being one of three under sentence; the other two were Richard Dummer and Nicholas Eaton, but he was the only one who went to England, where he remained until his death, which took place about 1647.

Considering the enormous amount of work that went into the building of this house, which was a very large one, it is evident that he could not have built it before he left for England, as it could not possibly have been completed before then. While the records are scanty on this point, we have reason to believe that even if he commenced it, his nephew, who succeeded to the property, must have finished it. The brick used in the making of the old porch, and the square tile we find in the floor, were both in all probability brought over from the motherland. History relates that previous to 1680 brickyards had been established in Salem, as well as in Medford, but the bricks found to-day that were made at that period show them to be of very inferior quality. They were made by order of the Superior Court and measured nine inches long, two and a half inches thick, and four and a half inches wide.

In this house the bricks used were much smaller and were also very smoothly molded. This leads one to believe that they were imported English brick, perhaps brought over as ballast in some of the s.h.i.+ps that came to this country with settlers. The walls, however, were composed of a great variety of stone, some of which was probably brought by boats and rafts down the Merrimac River. There were also many that doubtless came from a long distance, but these facts are difficult to determine because of the scanty information to be obtained.

Young Spencer, who was the next to own the land and who may have begun the construction of this house, was a careless, improvident man. He soon became involved in pecuniary troubles and sold the farm in small lots, eventually getting rid of the entire property. His uncle, Daniel Pierce, a village blacksmith, bought part of the land in 1651 with the proviso that any time within the next seven years, if Spencer wished, it could be repurchased on the same terms. This transaction was through the old ceremony of "turf and twig," the transfer being supplemented by a deed. It was a blind transaction, there being nothing to ascertain the worth of the place. Pierce was a thrifty man, and tradition relates that he kept all the money he possessed tied up in an old stocking that was hung up in his shop.

Through Mr. Coffin, the historian of Newbury, we learn that the house was not built until 1666 to 1670, but no matter how carefully we trace the records, we find it impossible to determine the accuracy of this fact. Nowhere in the Pierce family is there a tradition that it was built by any of their ancestors, and even the oldest inhabitants failed to swerve from their a.s.sertions that the Spencers were the first occupants of this stone house. The only fact that points to its presumable erection by a Pierce is that Daniel Pierce, who was a member of Governor Carteret's first Council, and who with others founded the town of Woodbridge, two years later returned to his native place with a well-lined purse. We read how he valued his estate highly and desired to entail it in his will, saying: "It shall never be sold nor any part divided." Whatever his intentions were, they were never carried out, as is shown later on.

Pierce supported the cause of the pastor in the famous Parker controversy, and died in 1677 at the age of sixty-six years. His son Daniel was his sole executor, and he was asked to do for his brother Joshua's children as he thought best. The will also has a singular provision, allowing that his wife Anne, according to his marriage agreement, should have "twenty pounds a year and all the proper necessaries of which she stands in need, and during her life to enjoy her former liberties in the house."

Daniel Pierce, Jr., or Colonel Daniel Pierce, was the next to live in the house. He was most prominent in military and civil affairs, marrying Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Anne Millwood, who was only sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. He was considered the most important man in town, as is shown by an extract from the town records, where is found a statement that the minister's wife's pew shall be built close to the pulpit stairs and that Daniel Pierce shall have the first choice of pews. This was a difficult and delicate matter, as the seats were a.s.signed according to age, dignity, and deafness.

"To my son Benjamin" was the estate next left. Benjamin received it on August, 1771, and died in May of the following year. Charles, his eldest son, became the next owner. He was a man prominent in church affairs. We find him a firm adherent of Whitfield, taking part in the great controversy which eventually divided the old town church and led to the establishment of the old South Society at the Port. Among the most distinguished descendants of the Pierce family was the late Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth President of the United States, who was said to have been a visitor at this historic house.

It is hard to say whether Nathaniel Tracy, the merchant, or his father was the next owner of this house. It was sold by Daniel Pierce, who owned half of the estate, to Nathaniel Tracy in 1778, and by the widow of William Pierce the same year. This was at a time when Tracy was possessed of great wealth and lived in magnificent style, owning a large house on State Street in Newburyport nearly opposite the Dalton house, and a large farm at Medford, as well as the Craigie house in Cambridge.

Nathaniel Tracy was well known in the mercantile profession. He was a das.h.i.+ng young man, who loved to change his place of residence at his whim. Few men of the period had a more brilliant career than did he. At the breaking out of the Revolution he was a very young man, and with patriotic zeal he fitted out a fleet of privateers to prey on British commerce, the first privateer ever fitted out in our country being his, and sailing in 1775. They were small vessels, manned by intrepid men and having but few guns which, however, were handled in so masterly a manner that many valuable prizes were brought by them to both Boston and Newburyport.

During the next eight years he was the princ.i.p.al owner, according to records, of one hundred and ten merchant vessels which had a gross tonnage of fifteen thousand six hundred and sixty tons and cargoes valued at $2,733,300. Many of his fleet were lost or captured,--so many indeed that at the end of the war there were only thirteen left. The value of the work they had done in aiding the government can never be estimated. They brought into port quant.i.ties of stores and ammunition that were designed primarily to supply the British army. The records show that during this period Tracy's men captured one hundred and twenty vessels with twenty-two hundred and twenty-five men, and their cargoes were sold for $3,950,000. His patriotism is well shown from the fact that in addition to these services he loaned the government $167,000.

Rivalling Tristram Dalton, he is said to have had some of the finest horses and coaches in the country and to have lived in grandeur and luxury, his house being the meeting place for the dignitaries of the land. He was also very fond of reading and had in his possession a large and well selected library. With the close of the war, his money vanished. His successful ventures met with disaster, so that in 1786 he was bankrupt. His estates were all given over to his creditors with the exception of the Newbury farm, which had been secured by his father to his family. Here he lived the remainder of his life, pressed by no claims for money, and loved and respected by all. This was his favorite home, and it was no disappointment to spend his declining years here, walking around his extensive estate and listening to the sound of the seas while reviewing the troublous times of the Revolution.

In size he was a large man, comely of feature, and noted for his wit and humor. He married in early life the daughter of Colonel Jeremiah Lee of Marblehead, who was a great beauty; during her lifetime the house was filled with noted guests.

Few houses with such numerous changes in occupants have had so many noted owners as the Spencer-Pierce house, which after the death of Mr.

Tracy was sold by his wife, through the authority of the General Court, to one Offin Boardman for $12,800. Captain Boardman was well known, particularly in a military way, on account of his performing the daring feat of capturing a transport as it came into Newburyport harbor. It was a British s.h.i.+p, _Friends_, with Captain Bowie commanding, that appeared off the mouth of the harbor, tacking and wearing in such a way as to indicate that she did not know her bearings. This led Captain Boardman, whose house guarded the mouth of the river, to suspect that it was a British s.h.i.+p bringing ammunition for the troops that were stationed in Boston. Calling seventeen men to his aid, they manned three whale-boats and rowed off to the stranger. When in speaking distance, they hailed her to know where bound, rightly suspecting she bore contraband goods.

She replied that she hailed from London and was uncertain as to her situation, whereupon she was offered a pilot. The vessel was boarded by Captain Boardman and his valiant crew who carried no arms in sight, thus preventing the suspicion of the captain. The boldness of the attack won success, and the s.h.i.+p was taken into Newburyport, where she was overhauled.

For twenty years afterwards the house was occupied by the same owner, being sold at auction in 1813. It was purchased by one John Pettingell, who is said to have used it as a summer residence only; during the time of his occupancy the wooden buildings at the back, together with the farm, were let to tenants.

The mansion house has been owned and occupied by wealthy families ever since it was built. It is considered one of the most picturesque homes in New England. Unlike other houses built at that period, the walls, which are two feet thick, were made of granite interspersed with stone and brick, over which a thick overlay of plaster was placed, and having arched doorways and windows and small niches introduced over the door.

The wooden additions at the back were built for the use of servants. The porch of the house is unique. The bricks that form the arch of the door have fancy, rounded edges that distinguish them from those made in the colony. Hanging vines add to the picturesqueness of the house.

The entrance door is divided like the Dutch doors of to-day, showing two sections acting independently, the upper part being at one time protected by an inner shutter. This was arranged so as to hang down from the ceiling, the old hinges which are still left plainly attesting to this fact. There are also shown to-day marks of the pulley through which ran the cords to raise and lower the shutter. The old-fas.h.i.+oned door swings back on wrought hinges twenty-four inches in length. These, as well as the old hardware in the house, have been carefully preserved.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE x.x.xIX.--Hallway, Spencer-Pierce House.]

Between the outside porch and the inner one is a second set of doors, in between which are hanging buckets. These are of leather and were kept in the hall of every house for use in case of fire. The stairway starts at the right-hand side of the hall, which is merely a narrow pa.s.sageway. It leads by two turns to the second-story floor and has a most unusual background in the brick work of a large chimney. Tradition tells us that the builder of these stairs received no ready money for his work but, instead, eight acres of land, since it was a very common practice at that time to pay for work in this way.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XL.--Dining Room, Spencer-Pierce House; Living Room, Spencer-Pierce House.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XLI.--Parlor, Spencer-Pierce House.]

At the right is the old parlor, which is now used as the family dining-room. It is a s.p.a.cious apartment, nineteen feet square, with walls two feet thick, corresponding in depth to all those found in the main house. Great oak beams, rough with marks of the adze, support the chamber floors. These beams, for many years boxed in, have been lately revealed. The table in the parlor is of the empire period, while the chairs are rough bottomed, Windsor, and other types, all colonial, though of mixed periods.

Singularly enough, the house differs from most of its kind in that it has two main chimneys, one providing fireplaces between the front rooms and the other built in the kitchen. During the summer months these are still used, but in the winter stoves are subst.i.tuted.

The inner kitchen is now used as a living-room. It has been remodelled within the last few years, there being no plaster on the wall except that which was put directly on the stone. The old fireplace is still seen in this room, although adorned with a new mantel. Window-seats have been introduced, and many Sheraton chairs and Hepplewhite tables are seen. Indeed, every piece of furniture belongs to the same period.

While the eastern part of the house is the original building, the western end shows an attractive addition that was built on during Captain Boardman's lifetime for the benefit of his wife, who was a confirmed invalid. She had believed it was unhealthful to live between stone walls and so asked that this addition be built. This part shows the same finis.h.i.+ng as other rooms in the house and is furnished like them in colonial style. The central feature is a gate-leg table, while a Sheraton chair of the Martha Was.h.i.+ngton type is found here, and a Chippendale, together with Dutch chairs having rush bottoms, dating back to 1740.

The chambers show a likeness to the lower rooms, and the attic is especially large. In the chambers there is little or no hand-carving but very good woodwork.

Long before this house came into its present owners.h.i.+p, during the time of the Pierce occupancy it was used to stow away a part of the town's powder. While this was stored here, one of Pierce's slaves, a negro woman, went up-stairs to her room and carelessly placed a lighted candle near one of the kegs. She was weary from a long day's work and fell asleep without any thought of serious consequences. While she slept, the candle burned lower and lower, finally sputtering and falling over. A grain of powder that had been carelessly spilt on the floor was ignited.

A blinding flash, a tremendous report, an unearthly yell, and the negress flew out of the window, bed and all, and landed safe in the top of an apple-tree which is still standing!

The old home is a splendid example of the houses of that day. It is in a perfect state of preservation, and from its windows one still overlooks the river, where in the olden days the s.h.i.+ps of the Tracys pa.s.sed to and fro, bearing rich cargoes in their holds.

CHAPTER X

THE GOVERNOR DUMMER MANSION

Richard Dummer, emigrant ancestor of the family of that name, came to America in 1632, joining the little company who were banded together at Ma.s.sachusetts Bay in 1632. His first residence was in Roxbury, but he removed afterwards to Boston. While here, he became interested in starting a stock farm, in which venture he was joined by two other prominent citizens named Richard Saltonstall and Henry Sewall, the ancestor of the chief justice who bore that name. When looking about for a suitable place to start their enterprise, they came to Newbury, Ma.s.sachusetts. This was in 1634. Here they selected the territory bordering on the river Parker, or Great River as it was called at that time.

It was a most suitable place to carry on this enterprise, both on account of the fertility of the upland and because of the large quant.i.ty of salt marsh gra.s.s which was considered of special value for forage, so they immediately contracted for the importation of a large number of cattle. In May, 1635, the same day that this territory, known as Wessac.u.mcon, was by the General Court of the colony allowed to be a plantation under the name of Newbury, a committee was appointed to set out a farm for Richard Dummer about the falls of Newbury, not to exceed five hundred acres, that is, provided it be not prejudicial to Newbury.

On the eighth day of July it was further ordered by the General Court that a convenient quant.i.ty of land be set out within the bounds of Newbury for the keeping of the cattle that came over in the Dutch s.h.i.+p that year and to belong to the owners of said cattle.