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COLONIAL HOMES
AND THEIR FURNISHINGS
[Illustration: PLATE I.--Dodge-Shreves Doorway. Built in 1816.]
COLONIAL HOMES
AND
THEIR FURNISHINGS
BY
MARY H. NORTHEND
_WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1917
_Copyright, 1912,_
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
THIS BOOK
IS DEDICATED TO
ONE THROUGH WHOSE CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT
AND WISE ADVICE I OWE MY SUCCESS
IN THE FIELD OF LITERATURE
PREFACE
The wonderfully good collection of antiques for which Salem is noted was
of great interest to me, being owned by personal friends who kindly
consented to allow me for the first time to go through their homes and
pick out the cream of their inheritance. If the readers are half as
interested in these objects as I have become,--growing enthusiastic in
the work through the valuable pieces found,--they will enjoy the
pictures of colonial furnishings, many of which cannot be duplicated in
any other collection of antiques. Family bits, wonderful old Lowestoft,
and other treasures are included, all brought over in the holds of
cumbersome ships, at the time when the commerce of Salem was at high
tide.
To Mr. Charles R. Waters, Mrs. Nathan C. Osgood, Mrs. Henry P. Benson,
Mrs. William C. West, Mrs. Nathaniel B. Mansfield, Miss A. Grace
Atkinson, Mrs. Walter C. Harris, Dr. Hardy Phippen, Mrs. McDonald White,
and Mr. Horatio P. Peirson, as well as many others in my native city, I
owe acknowledgment for their kindness in opening their houses and
letting me in, as well as to Mrs. George Rogers of Danvers, Mrs. D. P.
Page, Dr. Ernest H. Noyes, and Mrs. Charles H. Perry of Newburyport,
Mrs. Walter J. Mitchell of Manchester, Mrs. Prescott Bigelow and Mrs.
William O. Kimball of Boston, Mrs. A. A. Lord of Newton, Mrs. Charles M.
Stark of Dunbarton, N.H., and the late Mr. Daniel Low.
The work was commenced at first through ill health and the desire for
occupation, and has met with such good results through an interest in
the story of antiques, that I have to-day one of the most valuable
collections of photographs to be found in New England.
MARY H. NORTHEND.
AUGUST 1, 1912.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
PREFACE vii
I. OLD HOUSES 1
II. COLONIAL DOORWAYS 16
III. DOOR KNOCKERS 29
IV. OLD-TIME GARDENS 41
V. HALLS AND STAIRWAYS 54
VI. FIREPLACES AND MANTELPIECES 63
VII. OLD-TIME WALL PAPERS 79
VIII. OLD CHAIRS AND SOFAS 92
IX. SIDEBOARDS, BUREAUS, TABLES, ETC. 105
X. FOUR-POSTERS 119
XI. MIRRORS 132
XII. OLD-TIME CLOCKS 145
XIII. OLD-TIME LIGHTS 159
XIV. OLD CHINA 172
XV. OLD GLASS 194
XVI. OLD PEWTER 210
XVII. OLD SILVER 223
LIST OF PLATES
I. Dodge-Shreves Doorway. Built in 1816 _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
II. The Warner House, Portsmouth, N. H. Built
in 1718 8
III. Middleton House, Bristol, R. I. Built about
1808 9
IV. Indian Hill Farm, West Newbury, Mass. Begun
soon after 1650 12
V. Andrew House Doorway, 1818 13
VI. Gardner House Doorway, 1804 22
VII. Doorway of Nathan Robinson House, 1804 23
VIII. Sixteenth Century Knocker, Lion type. Striker,
of first type; Georgian Urn type, in use
on modern houses; Mexican Knocker of
the Hammer type; Hammer type Knocker,
Eighteenth Century, Charles P. Waters
House 32
IX. Eagle Knocker; Eagle Knocker, Rogers House,
Danvers, Mass.; Medusa Head, elaborate
early type; Garland type of Knocker 33
X. Whittier Garden, Danvers, Mass. 46
XI. Peabody Garden, Danvers, Mass. 47
XII. Saltonstall Hallway, about 1800 54
XIII. Hallway, Lee House, 1800 55
XIV. Hallway, Tucker House, about 1800 60
XV. Hallway of Wentworth House, 1750 61
XVI. Historic Fireplace at Ipswich, Mass. 64
XVII. Old Fireplace in Wentworth House, Portsmouth,
N. H. 65
XVIII. First Hob Grate in New England, Waters
House; Mantel Glass and Fireplace, showing
decoration of floral basket 70
XIX. Middleton House Steeple Top Andirons, and
Bellows; Southern Andirons, Atkinson
Collection 71
XX. Cupid and Psyche paper, Safford House 80
XXI. Venetian paper in Wheelwright House, Newburyport 81
XXII. Roman Ruins paper, Lee Mansion, Marblehead 86
XXIII. Adventures of Telemachus paper, Nymphs
Swinging 87
XXIV. Queen Anne Fiddle Back; Queen Anne,
Stuffed Chair; Dutch Chair, carved;
Empire Lyre-backed Roundabout, on
Chippendale lines, 1825 92
XXV. Chippendale, Lord Timothy Dexter's Collection,
H. P. Benson; French Chair, showing
Empire influence; Flemish Chair;
Banister-back Chair 93
XXVI. Chippendale Armchair, showing straight,
square legs; Chippendale Chair; Chippendale,
one of a set of six, showing
Rosette design; Chippendale Armchair
with Cabriole legs, Ball and Claw feet 96
XXVII. Empire Sofa; Cornucopia Sofa; Sofa in
Adams style, about 1800 97
XXVIII. Sheraton, mahogany frame, about 1800;
Sheraton, with solid arms, and straight,
slender legs; Sheraton, about 1790.
Note the graceful curve of the arms 100
XXIX. Sheraton, about 1800; Sofa, about 1820;
Sofa, about 1820, with winged legs 101
XXX. Sheraton Night Table; Block Front Bureau
Desk, owned by Dr. Ernest H.
Noyes, Newburyport, Mass.; Cellarette,
1790, owned originally by Robert Morris 106
XXXI. Dressing Glass, with Petticoat legs; Empire
Bureau, 1816 107
XXXII. Chest of Drawers, 1710; Six-legged High
Chest of Drawers, about 1705 108
XXXIII. Dressing Table, with brass feet; Bureau
and Dressing Glass 109
XXXIV. Block Front Bureau Desk, owned by
Nathan C. Osgood. One of the best
specimens in New England; oak paneled
Chest, about 1675 112
XXXV. Secretary, showing Shell ornamentation;
Highboy with Shell ornamentation and
Ball and Claw feet, 1760; Highboy with
Shell ornamentation 113
XXXVI. Dressing Table, 1760; Mahogany Commode,
collection of Nathan C. Osgood. 116
XXXVII. Sheraton Sideboard; Simple form of Sheraton
Sideboard, with line Inlay around
Drawers and Doors. Date, 1800 117
XXXVIII. Bedstead in Middleton House, 1798 120
XXXIX. Sheraton type in Kittredge House; Four-poster,
about 1825 121
XL. Field Bedstead, slept in by Lafayette, in
Stark Mansion. Owned by Mrs.
Charles Stark, Dunbarton, N. H. 124
XLI. Sheraton Four-poster; Four-poster showing
decided English characteristics 125
XLII. Girandole in George Ropes House, 1800;
Girandole, 1800; Constitution Mirror,
1780 134
XLIII. Picture Mirror, showing Dawn, in Adams
House, 1703; English Georgian Mirror,
1750; Two-piece Looking Glass, 1750 135
XLIV. Oval Mirror, showing Acanthus Leaves.
Once on Cleopatra's Barge. The first
pleasure yacht built in America. Mirror,
1710, resting on ornamental knobs;
Mirror, 1810, in Dudley L. Pickman
House 140
XLV. Mirror, 1770; Lafayette Courting Mirror,
Osgood Collection; Empire Mirror, 1810 141
XLVI. Willard Banjo Clock, 1802; Banjo Clock,
1804; Willard Banjo Clock, 1802 150
XLVII. English Grandfather's Clock, William Dean
Howells; Collection of Old Clocks, property
of Mr. Mills, Saugus, Mass.; Grandfather's
Clock, formerly owned by President
Franklin Pierce. Property of Mrs.
Charles Stark 151
XLVIII. General Stephen Abbot Clock; Terry Shelf
Clock, 1824; English Clock, with Ball
ornamentation 158
XLIX. Whale Oil Lamps with Wicks; Mantel
Lamps, 1815; Paul and Virginia Candelabra 159
L. Astral Lamps, 1778; English Brass Branching
Candlestick, showing Lions 164
LI. Colonial Mantel Lamp; Single Bedroom
Brass Candlestick; Sheffield Plate Candlesticks 165
LII. Pierced, or Paul Revere, Lantern; Old
Hand Lantern; English Silver Candlestick;
Brass Branching Candlestick,
Chippendale, 1760 170
LIII. Peacock Plate of Delft, very rare; Decorated
Salt Glaze Plate, about 1780 171
LIV. Liverpool Pitcher, showing Salem ship; Old
Chelsea Ware; Canton China Teapot;
Wedgewood, with Rose decoration.
Very rare 176
LV. Gold Luster Pitcher; Staffordshire Pitcher,
with Rose decoration; Peacock Delft
Pitcher; Jasper Ware Wedgewood
Pitcher, Blue and White 177
LVI. The Shepherd Toby. One of the rarest Tobies;
English Toby, very old; very old
Toby showing Cocked Hat 190
LVII. Venetian and English Decanters; Toddy
Glasses, about 1800; English Glass with
Silver Coasters. Very old 191
LVIII. Russian Glass Decanter and Tumblers. Note
the exquisite cutting on this Decanter 200
LIX. English Cut Glass Decanter, about 1800;
Typical Red Bohemian Glass Decanter;
American Glass Bottle, Jenny Lind, about
1850 201
LX. Bohemian Glass. The center one is rare,
showing figure of Peacock, in Red and
White; English Cut Glass Wineglasses,
1790; English Glass Decanters. Very fine
and rare 208
LXI. Pewter half-pint, pint, and quart Measures.
One hundred years old; Three unusual
shaped Pewter Cream Jugs; German Pewter,
Whorl pattern 209
LXII. Old Silver Coffee Urn with Pineapple finial;
Sheffield Plate Teapot, formerly owned by
President Thomas Jefferson; Tall Silver
Pitcher, of Flagon influence 226
LXIII. Several old silver pieces; collection of Salem
silver, almost all inherited; wonderfully
fine Silver Bowl with chasing 227
CHAPTER I
OLD HOUSES
There is an indescribable charm surrounding colonial houses, especially
if historic traditions are associated with them. Many of an early date
of erection are still to be found throughout New England towns, where
the Puritan and the Pilgrim first settled, and not a few have remained
in the same families since their construction. Some are still in an
excellent state of preservation, though the majority show weather-beaten
exteriors, guiltless of paint, with broken windows and sagging sills,
speaking forcibly of a past prosperity, and mutely appealing through
their forlornness for recognition.
These are not, however, the first homes built by the colonists, and,
indeed, it is doubtful if any examples of the earliest type are still
standing. These were rude cabins built of logs, kept together by
daubings of clay thrust into their chinks, and showing roofs finished
with thatch. Great chimneys were characteristic of all these cabins,
built of stone, lengthened at the top with wood, and best known by the
name Catted Chimneys. In the rude interiors of the old-time fireplaces
hung soot-blackened cranes, while on cold, cheerless nights the blaze of
logs on the hearths
"Made the rude, bare, raftered room
Burst, flowerlike, into rosy bloom."
The next type was the frame house, built large or small according to the
means of the owner, and constructed through the influence of Governor
John Endicott, who sent to England for skilled workmen. Generally, these
dwellings were two stories in height, the more pretentious ones showing
peaks on either side to accommodate chambers, and their marked
superiority over the first type soon resulted in their adoption
throughout New England. In design they bore some resemblance to the
Dutch architecture of the period, the outcome doubtless of many of the
early settlers' long sojourn in Holland. Many of the frames were of
white wood brought from the mother country in the incoming ships, and
the low ceilings invariably present were crossed with the heavy beams of
the floors above, projecting through the timbers.
The lean-to, characteristic of some houses of this type, did not come
into vogue until about the middle of the seventeenth century, and its
adoption is generally believed to have been for the use of the eldest
son of the family, who, according to the law of England, would inherit
the homestead, and until such inheritance, could remain, with his
family, beneath the ancestral roof.
The third type, the gambrel-roofed house, was at the height of its
popularity about the time of the Revolutionary War, and continued in
favor until the tide of commercial prosperity sweeping through the land
brought in its wake the desire for more pretentious dwellings. Then came
into fashion the large, square, wooden mansion, later followed by that
of stately brick, excellent examples of both types being still extant.
Like the Egyptian Isis who went forth to gather up the scattered
fragments of her husband Osiris, fondly hoping that she might be able to
bring back his former beauty, so we of to-day are endeavoring in New
England to gather and bring into unison portions of the early homes,
that we may eventually restore them to their original charm and
dignity. Outwardly these dwellings appear much as they did when built,
more than a century ago, but inwardly sad changes have been wrought,
leaving scarcely a trace of their old-time beauty. Yet beneath this
devastation one versed in house lore can read many a tale of interest,
for old houses, like old books, secrete between their covers many a
story that is well worth while.
Among the carefully preserved specimens, none of the earlier type is
more interesting than the Pickering house at Salem, Massachusetts, built
in 1660, more than a hundred years before the Revolution. The land on
which it stands is part of the twenty acres' grant which was a portion
of Governor's Field, originally owned by Governor Endicott, and conveyed
by him to Emanuel Downing, who, in order to pay for his son George's
commencement dinner at Harvard, disposed of it to John Pickering, the
builder of the home, in 1642.
In design, the dwelling is Gothic, a popular type in the Elizabethan
period, and closely resembles the Peacock Inn at Rouseley, England. The
timbers used in its construction were taken from a near-by swamp, and
when it was first built it showed on the northern side a sloping roof
affording but a single story at that end. In 1770, the then owner,
Timothy Pickering, decided to raise this end to make room for three
chambers, and the new portion was built to conform exactly with the old
part, the windows equipped with the same quaint panes, set in leaded
strips, which were finely grooved to receive the glass, on which the
lead was pressed down and soldered together. It was found when the
weatherboards were ripped off that the sills were sound, and it was
decided to continue to use them, feeling they would last longer than
those that could then be obtained. Two of the peaks found to be leaky
were removed at this time, and they were not replaced until 1840, when
Colonel Timothy Pickering's son, John, had reproductions set in place.
The house has never been out of the Pickering family, and, with one
exception, has descended to a John Pickering ever since its erection.
Distinctly a New England landmark is the Colonel Jeremiah Page house at
Danvers, Massachusetts, erected in the year 1750. It occupies a site
that at the time of its construction was on the highway between Ipswich
and Boston, now broadened at this point and known as Danvers Square.
Originally, it consisted of four rooms, but these were later moved back
and a new front added, the ell being replaced by a larger one.
From a historic point of view, the roof is probably the most interesting
feature of this old home, for here occurred the famous tea-party that
Lucy Larcom has forever immortalized. During the troublous times of
1775, when all good patriots scorned the use of tea, Colonel Page
demanded that it should not be drunk beneath his roof. Mistress Page had
acceded to his request, but she did not promise that she would not drink
it on his roof, so with a few friends she repaired one afternoon to the
rail-enclosed roof, and here brewed and distributed the much liked
beverage. The secret of the tea-party did not leak out until after her
death, when one of the party, visiting at the house, asked to be taken
to the roof, at the same time relating the, till then unknown,
experience.
Antedating the Page house some twenty-five years is the home of the
Stearns family on Essex Street, Salem, erected by Joseph Sprague, a
prominent old-time merchant, whose warehouse occupied the present site
at the corner of North and Federal streets. This dwelling is of spacious
dimensions, excellently proportioned, and it is especially interesting
from the fact of its unusual interior arrangement, which provides on
each floor for three rooms at the back and only two at the front. The
original owner was captain of the first uniformed company of militia
organized in Salem, April 22, 1776, and he was also the first American
to spill his blood in the Revolution, receiving a slight wound at the
time of Leslie's retreat, while scuttling his gondola so it should not
fall into the hands of the enemy.
Another fine old home is the Cabot house, also in Salem. This dwelling,
erected in 1745 by one Joseph Cabot, is considered by experts to be of
the purest colonial type, and it has proved a subject of unusual
interest to any number of artists and architects.
No modern touch has been allowed to mar the old-time aspect of the
Whipple house at Ipswich, Massachusetts, built in 1760, and which
remains wholly unchanged from its original construction. It stands
to-day almost alone in its picturesque antiquity, its huge central
chimney, tiny window-panes, plain front door, guiltless of porch, with
iron knocker, steep-pitched roof with lean-to at the back nearly
sweeping the ground,--all betokening its age. Little wonder it is the
haunt of tourists, for it presents a picture in its old-time beauty that
modern architecture can never duplicate.
In the historic town of Marblehead, in Massachusetts, is one of the most
interesting of old-time homes,--the Colonel Jeremiah Lee mansion, built
in 1768, and considered at the time of its erection the finest house in
the Colonies. It was designed by an English architect at a cost of ten
thousand pounds, and the timber and finish used in its construction were
brought from England in one of the colonel's ships. It stands well to
the front of the lot of which it forms a part, with scarcely any yard
space separating it from the sidewalk, and it boasts a handsome porch
supported by finely carved pillars, approached by a flight of steps. The
broad entrance door, with its brass latch and old-time knob, swings
easily upon its great hinges into a spacious hall that extends the
length of the dwelling, affording access to the finely finished interior
apartments.
Equally as interesting as these old homes are several houses in New
Hampshire, one of the most prominent being the Stark mansion at
Dunbarton. This was built in 1785 by Major Caleb Stark of Revolutionary
fame, and it is approached to-day through the original tree-lined
avenue, a mile in length. In construction it is of the mansion type, two
stories in height, with gambrel roof, twelve dormer windows, and a
large, two-storied ell. Its entrance door is nearly three inches
through, with handsome, hand-made panels, and it swings on wrought-iron
hinges two feet either way. It is adorned with a knocker and latch that
were brought from England by the major. Ever since its erection, this
house has been occupied by a member of the Stark family, and the present
owner, Charles Morris Stark, boasts the distinction of being of
Revolutionary stock on both sides of the family, his mother being a
lineal descendant of Robert Morris, the great financier of the
Revolution.
[Illustration: PLATE II.--The Warner House, Portsmouth, N. H. Built in
1718]
Another interesting colonial home is the Warner house at Portsmouth,
occupying a corner section on one of the city's main thoroughfares. This
fine dwelling was erected by Captain Macpheadris, a wealthy merchant who
came to this country from Scotland, and it is built of Dutch bricks that
were imported from Holland, with walls eighteen inches thick. It stands
firmly on its foundation, a magnificent specimen of early construction;
and its gambrel roof, Lutheran windows, quaint cupola, and broad
simplicity of entrance door, suggest the old-time hospitality that was
so freely dispensed here. After the captain's death, the house came to
his daughter, Mary, who had married Hon. Jonathan Warner, a member of
the King's Council until the outbreak of the Revolution, and it is by
his name that the fine old home is known.
Two miles from Portsmouth, at Little Harbor, is the old home of Governor
Benning Wentworth, built in 1750. In general, this dwelling is two
stories in height, with wings that form three sides of a hollow square,
though it boasts no particular style of architecture, appearing to be
rather a group of buildings added to the main structure from time to
time. It is screened from the roadway by great trees, and on the north
and east faces the water. Originally it had fifty-two rooms, but some of
these have been combined, so to-day there are but forty-five. The cellar
is particularly large, and here in times of danger the governor hid his
horses. After the governor's death, his widow married John Wentworth,
and it was during the occupancy of Sir John and his wife that Washington
was entertained here.
Typical of the wooden mansion type, that succeeded in favor the
gambrel-roofed dwellings, is the house now known as the Endicott house,
at Danvers, Massachusetts. This building, constructed about 1800, was
purchased about 1812 by Captain Joseph Peabody, a Salem merchant, and
grandfather of the present owner, as a place of refuge for himself and
family during the embargo. In design, it is most imposing, and the front
now shows a wide veranda, with the entrance dignified by a
porte-cochere, supported by high columns, between each two of which a
great bay tree is set. Sweeps of smooth lawn afford an attractive
setting, and great trees, here and there, bestow protecting shade. The
dwelling is surrounded by beautiful gardens, the most interesting from a
historic point of view being the old-fashioned posy plot laid out at the
time of the erection of the house.
[Illustration: PLATE III.--Middleton House, Bristol, R. I. Built about
1808.]
Not unlike in type to this fine home is "Hey Bonnie Hall" in Rhode
Island, the residence of the Misses Middleton. Built in 1808, it stands
to-day in all its original beauty, the pure white of its exterior
admirably set off by the great green sweeps of sward, dotted with fine
trees, that surround it on all sides. It was erected from plans of
Russell Warren, who designed the White House at Washington, and it is
renowned not only for its beautiful colonial architecture, but also for
the wonderful collection of old-time furniture and objects of art that
it contains.
In type, it is very similar to a Maryland manor, with projecting wings,
the service portion in a separate building connected with the main house
by a covered passage, after the Southern fashion. In this passage is the
well room, so called from the fact that a well of pure spring water is
located here. In length the house is one hundred and forty feet, its
front just enough broken to avoid monotony, and its spaciousness
affording an air of comfort. Two Corinthian columns, as high as the
house itself, support the roof over the entrance porch, and on either
side are well-protected verandas, overlooking beds of old-fashioned
flowers and smooth stretches of sward. In front lies the harbor, and
beyond is the picturesque town of Bristol, affording a most pleasing
prospect.
[Illustration: PLATE IV.--Indian Hill Farm, West Newbury, Mass. Begun
soon after 1650.]
Unlike these latter-day types, in fact unlike any set design, is the
low, rambling house at West Newbury, Massachusetts, known as Indian
Hill, and so called from the location that it occupies. In appearance,
this dwelling is most picturesque, resembling in design a castle, and it
is as historic as it is interesting. The site that it occupies is the
last reservation of the Indians in the neighborhood, the land having
been sold by Old Tom, the Indian chieftain, to the town, and the deed of
the sale being still preserved by the present owners.
Viewed from any angle, the house presents a series of pictures, each
equally as interesting as the other, and its irregular roof lines,
gables and bays, quaint, diamond-paned windows, and chimneys adorned
with chimney pots, are further embellished by the flowering vines of a
rambler rose, perhaps the finest in the country. While the house can be
seen from the road, it is only when one drives under the archway into
the courtyard, bounded on three sides by barn, stables, and house, that
he can realize its true worth.
[Illustration: PLATE V.--Andrew House Doorway, 1818.]
Salem, fortunate in specimens of early construction, is also fortunate
in examples of latter-day types, and here are to be found several of the
fine brick dwellings, built at the time of her greatest commercial
prosperity. One of these is the Andrews house, located on Washington
Square, and one of the three dwellings erected in 1818. Its brick
exterior gives no hint of its age other than the softening dignity that
time bequeaths, and it stands to-day, tall and broad, its gray-faced
bricks brightened by white trimmings, and its beauty emphasized by a
fine circular porch supported by white columns, topped with a high
balustrade. At one side is a charming old-fashioned garden, laid out in
prim, box-bordered beds, and all about its fence inclosure flowering
vines clamber. Complete, the dwelling cost forty thousand dollars,--a
large sum for the time of its erection.
Every brick used in its construction was first dipped into boiling oil
to render it impervious to moisture, and all the framework is of timbers
seasoned by long exposure to the sun and rain. On one brick is cut the
date of erection, the work of the master builder under whose supervision
the dwelling was erected. The great pillars of the side porch,
overlooking the garden, are packed, so the story goes, with rock
salt--not an uncommon process at that time--to keep out dampness and to
save the wood from being eaten by worms.
Some years previous to the erection of this dwelling, Mr. Nathan
Robinson had constructed on Chestnut Street a brick dwelling, considered
by connoisseurs to be one of the finest specimens to-day extant. The
porch, at the front, is wonderfully fine, and has attracted the
attention of any number of students and architects, who have made a
careful study of it.
And so we might go on and on, singling out particularly good specimens
here and there, but when all is said and done, it is undeniable that all
old houses afford interesting study. Architects of the present are
coming to appreciate their worth, and into many modern homes features of
early construction are being incorporated. Naturally, to the
antiquarian, nothing can ever take the place of these bygone specimens,
and as he paces the main thoroughfares of historic cities, now lined
with stores, he sees in fancy the stately homes with their fragrant
garden plots, which modern demand has superseded. Pausing on the curbing
near the old State House in Boston, what an array of bygone dwellings in
fancy can be conjured, and how many of the old-time dignitaries can be
recalled. So vivid is the picture that one might almost expect to see
old Thomas Leverett saunter by, or perchance hear the rattle of wheels
as the carriage of Dr. Elisha Cook lumbered on its way. It is a pleasant
picture to contemplate, and the lover of the old breathes a sigh of
regret at the passing of such picturesqueness.