Delaware Valley Advance 1929
by Samuel C. Eastburn
The house where Mr. Baxter lives was the outcome of the "Temperance Wave" which over spred this region about 1833 and again in 1835. the "Sons of Temperance" was formed, the on in Attleborough having over one hundred members. Much cider had been made and drunk previously, and the more radical converts cut down the apple trees in their orchards, whose fruit was only fit for cider, and pulled the spiles out of many cider barrels, that they might be out of the way of temptation. They would not stop-at a hotel where "hard Liquor" was sold, so they raised money and built this building as a Temperance house. it was built over the original stone house of Henry Van Horn. A part of it is still its kitchen. The third floor was not divided, and it was the only hall that Attleborough had. It was approached by a wide oak stairway in the rear, and was used for the "Sons of Temperance" meetings, occasional lectures, and Indian shows. It had a large stable and yard back of it to accommodate the teams of traveling people.
In the years following, when the ardor had cooled-off, it could not be made to pay financially and was sold. By an irony of fate, the purchaser at once applied for a license. This stirred even the lukewarm people, at the idea of having two hotels in Attleborough and was bitterly opposed. Next it, where the hall now is, was one of the best types of Georgian architecture. its end to the street was then the post office, and Samuel Cooper, a tailor, was the postmaster. it had been the home of Joseph Johnson, who ran the brickyard, and who had his pottery back of it.
I remember its large kiln with oval top, some twelve feet high and the sheds that ran from the house to the kiln, under which the potters worked. The yard back of it was planted with pests, on which hung their pots and crocks to dry. At this time almost all the family containers were glazed crocks, or strongly made wooden tubs. Jeremiah Hayhurst occupied the Candy property. As far as I know he was Attleborough's first dentist. This property for the next forty years was owned successively by four dentist, the last being the late Dr. James B. Candy.
The Old Tailor Shop
Where the Stackhouse store now it, was a square box-like building probably 15 x 15 feet with a flat roof and a wife window to wards the street. This was the tailor shop of George Washington Jones. there were many tailors in those days, as ready made clothes were not in vogue. We boys used to see him sitting, tailor fashion working at his garments.
In our first Comly Spelling Book, I thin, we had a story intended to impress us with kindness to animals, of a sagacious elephant that used to come, to the tailor's daily and stick his trunk through his open window for an apple. One day he didn't have any and stuck the elephant with a needle. It went away and stirred up a puddle of muddy water, and filling his trunk, went back and squirted it all over the tailor and his goods, doing much damage. As the street was not paved then, and it location there was almost always a pool of muddy water at this point after rain, we boys used to visualize this as the place.
Squire Carpenter-Undertaker
New on the same side, was the carpenter shop of "Squire Bill Blakey" (to distinguish him from Farmer William Blakey). It was a two-story frame building, and the upper story where he held court was approached by an outside stairway. The lower floor was his carpenter and woodworking shop where he repaired furniture and made coffins. The "funeral directory" and the "undertaker" had not yet arrived here.
The Townsend Building was built in 1802, and was a continuous store for nearly one hundred years, under many owners. There had been a store here before this, but Wm. Flowers occupied it at this time. He also had a slaughter house on the rear end of the lot. The hotel on the other corner has been a continuous place of entertainment, under many owners, since the Friends of Four Lanes End petitioned the court at Newtown to grant a license for it to one of their number in 1701. Abel Small occupied it at the time of which I am writing. It has seen much of the history and activities of the village, and furnished some of the inspiration for them during that time. I remember I had seen a wood cut of it in its very early days, it showed a two story log and stone building with a hip roof.
After the stage coach days were overdue, somewhat to the opening of a railroad to Bristol in 1834, and after the 'Temperance wave" of 1835, the quantity and kind of its entertainment changed. Many of the visitors for the net forty years were friends of people already here, or were visitors to the meeting, or were lecturers or teachers interested in the schools and they were entertained privately, though many still took their "bitters" and ease at the inn.
Going west on Maple Avenue from the hotel, on the north side, the first stone house by it date stone was built by Wm. Paxson in 1783. I take it that this was the third William Paxson from William Paxson "the Elder," the first settler who was granted by "William Penn True and Absolute Proprietor and Governor in and of the Province of Pennsylvania, and territories thereunto belonging, by letters patent to his commissioners Edward Shippen, Griffith Owen and James Logan on the 14th day of third month 1685 (confir4med in 1704), to Wm. Paxson the elder, in the 4th year of the reign of our Sovereign, Lady Anne, 397 acres of land." This deed I have. Isaac Eyre lived in this house at this time. He was a large man and a great force in the community.
The next house, where Mr. Haimbach lives, was Isaac Livezey's. His store ran from it, a long, low frame, building to Alfred Wildman's house and store. This was a typical country store. The pavement in front of it was of flat, Edgehill stone, one of the few in the village. Along its front were barrels and store boxes, which in nice weather were popular gathering place4s for the old men and retire farmers of the village (those who did not sit around the hotel) to sit on, and talk of their wisdom and experiences and the foibles of the younger generation, and wait for the farmers to come in from the country with their news, (we had no telephones then), and to watch the farmers from the north and east going by toward Philadelphia, in white topped market wagons, taking their produce and cattle to market. They were familiar with the whole territory and this added many subjects for their talks. In the winter they gathered inside and sat around the big stove.
When Isaac Livezey quit keeping store he was succeeded by Gilbert Shaw, Augustus Thornton, Alfred Marple, Benjamin Mather, Mahlon Saeger and, finally, by his son-in-law. John E. Parry. This was the post-office for many years.
|
