Monday, September 17, 2007

Olden Time Relics

The Marietta Intelligencer, March 3, 1859

As the relics of olden time are fast disappearing from our city, it may not be amiss to make a few notes of them by way of remembrances. The tearing down of the old frame house on Front street, by Mr. W. F. Curtis, a few days ago, suggested some inquiries in regard to the age of that and several other old buildings about town. Below will be found the results of our investigations.

The building spoken of above was put up, according to the best information we could obtain, by Obed Lincoln, in the year 1800. Mr. L. occupied it as a dwelling house, and also as a butcher's shop. He sold it to John S. Sharpe, who inhabited one part of it and rented the other to a Mr. Hannaway. In 1808 or 10, Mr. Sharpe disposed of it to Jason R. Curtis, who lived in it until his death in 1832, and since that time it has been occupied by his family until within a few years past. Mr. C. had a hatter's shop in a part of the house, where he carried on the business for many years. James Dunn worked in the shop from his first coming to Marietta in 1812 until 1825, when he built a brick shop on the ground where Holden's Block now stands.

The old dwelling house on Front street, just above John M. Woodbridge's store, was built by Wing Devol in 1802. When Joseph Holden came to Marietta in the spring of 1803, it was still unfinished, and he made the sash for the windows.

Another house contemporary with these, is the one standing on the corner of Greene street and the alley, opposite Mr. Booth's house. This was built by Joel Bowen, who raised it so high from the ground that he could drive under it with an ox team. An addition was afterwards made to it by Alexander Hill, who kept a public house there for several years.

A building still more ancient is the one now occupied by Charles B. Hall next to the Congregational church. The precise year of its erection we have not been able to learn, but it was as early as the year 1795. It was built by Commodore Whipple.

There is one house, however, still standing which had an existence as far back as the first settlement of the Northwest Territory. The one inhabited by Judge Arius Nye was built in 1789, by Gen. Rufus Putnam. It was constructed of poplar logs, four inches thick, first hewed and then whip-sawed, and was regarded as bullet-proof. It formed part of the old Stockade Fort.

The first brick building erected in Marietta, and indeed in Ohio, was the one now occupied by Mrs. Buell, on the corner of Greene and Second streets. This was built in 1795, by Gen. Joseph Buell.

The first store opened in the Northwest Territory, was kept by Dudley Woodbridge, grandfather of Geo. M. Woodbridge, Esq. The building stood on the extreme point, on the vacant lot below the house occupied by John Marshall. All trace of it has long ago disappeared.

The second store opened was in a building erected for the purpose by Charles Green, in 1793, on Ohio Street. It was a frame building, and is now standing next to the store of W. B. Thomas & Co., on the west side, and occupied as a hotel.