Name/Title
Joseph Bucknam House | 118 Water Street, Eastport, MaineDescription
-WATER118
I7-0A4-12
Built:1887
Address:
118 Water Street
Eastport, Maine
ARCHITECTS
Henry N. Black
• From Eastport Sentinel, June 1, 1887, p.3,c.3: “BUILDING OPERATIONS....Mr. Joseph Bucknam will rebuild at once upon the site of his former dwelling at North End. Workmen are now placing the foundation in order...."
• From Eastport Sentinel, April 16, 1890, p.2,c.4-6: “A Walk up North End.
There are about our island several well-defined pedestrian routes, and certain persistent walkers who may be seen underway in all sorts of weather. Doubtless, they think themselves well repaid, for besides the gain from exercise for people who have little heavy work to do, the winter landscape `as charms of its own, though to the average townsman it seems hardly desirable to face freezing winds and tread through snowbanks for such rewards. As the sun charts higher and begins to have its effect upon earth and sky, more are tempted to come out of doors. Still, the reign of frost is apt to be succeeded by that of mud, and the walker who should be looking above and abroad is obliged to turn his eyes beneath and pick his way over the ground.
There is, however, one interesting route rarely impeded, which has many side attractions for those who choose to use their eyes in looking about, and that is the walk up the plank sidewalk to North End. In no part of the town has there in recent years been greater improvement than in this section which begins at The Hollow, and the improvement is most noticeable here at the very outset.
The Hollow has well nigh lost its old topographical character as it has its undesirable reputation. The abrupt descent and ascent on either side have about gone and the street has beef leveled up almost beyond recognition. At one time the place was generally known as The Aqueduct, the water from Clarks Spring further up being conducted through hollow logs down here and to a place at the shore where it could be drawn off for supply of shipping in the harbor. This spring to which the early settlers awarded fabulous powers, claiming that those who once drank of its waters would “live and die on Moose Island,” is now covered under from sight beneath the planking on the other side of the fence. I have heard it described by those who remembered when it jubbled up among stones and mosses, beneath tall firs and spruce, a thing of beauty as well as refreshment. Uncle Jerry Burgin once imitated for me the expressive pantomime by which one Indian showed another the way to the spring. They were at his brother Judge Burgins' store where Mr. E.A. Holmes's factory now stands. The Indian pointed out the direction, held his hands forward showing the slope uphill, with outspread fingers for the fish flakes standing there, and then reaching further out pushed several fingers upright for the trees. The movements were made with almost the quickness of a flash; the other “caught on,” started away, and easily found the place. Afterward, Balm of Gilead trees were planted, and one of the town pumps set up there. These town pumps appear to have been a New England institution, a part of the regular municipal arrangements, a substitute for the public fountains in the old lands across the ocean. Their fame has been embalmed in a charming sketch by Hawthorne entitled “A Rill from the Town Pump,” suggested by a familiar one standing at a street corner in his native town of Salem. There were several here--one in front of the old South School House, another on Washington street just above Kilby street, a third where the Frontier Bank now stands, and this above the Hollow, at the Clark spring. Hither came men and women, girls and boys, with buckets and pitchers, exchanging bits of gossip; and the wayfarer who after giving a few strokes with the handle, made a cup with his hand at the spout and drank in refreshment, while thirsty animals were served at the trough provided for thei[r] special convenience, in which small boys sailed their shingle boats.
But these public conveniences had their drawbacks. The monotonous creak of the handle must have been tiresome to the neighbors, and the waste and overflow running into the street and across the sidewalk left a slippery pathway in winter and a deposit of mud the rest of the year, and so when the old wooden pumps decayed they were not renewed, and the wells were covered over.
But we linger at the start.
This neighborhood was swept by the last great fire, and though it shows many new buildings, has also some unsightly vacant places. If we could now see the hipped roof mansion built by Judge Buroin in the early years of the century, with the row of Lombardy poplars which he planted in front it would be recognized as a most attractive picture. It was afterward the home of the Peaveys and Frenchs, the exterior had been changed to meet a changing taste and the trees were no longer there when it was swept away in the fire. The large double house built on the site by Mr. Cor|hell and occupied by his descendants is a prominent object in the landscape, to which it is also an ornament.
The houses on the opposite side of Water Street are much superior to those before standing there, especially the group of three at the northern extremity of the burnt district, the houses of Messrs. Joseph Bucknam, J.H. Rumery, and Herbert Kilby, the last recently built and still waiting its final touches, and all are excellent specimens of modern houses of their class.
Across Adams street stands the old Dr. Mowe house, unchanged in general appearance, the home of Mr. J.J. Pike.
In the spacious house next beyond with its projecting bays, and ornate street front will hardly be recognized as an evolution out of the attractive little cottage years ago the home of the Kimballs, afterward the residence of Theodore Cutts, Martin Bradish, and others then enlarged and opened for guests, as the Lawn House. Mr. Hiram Blanchard the present owner, with further enlargement and improvements has made for himself a spacious and elegant residence.
His neighbor, Mr. E.A. Holmes, has taken the house next north, the first two-story house on the island, built by Col. Oliver Shead, and afterward occupied by Solomon Rice, and James H. Andrews, and on the site erected a spacious and attractive modern house, portions of the original building, sufficient to make a connection between the past and the present going into its construction. The adjacent grounds are carefully kept, and from the bluff above looks out the North End Giant whose likeness the skillful hand of Mr. Shea enables us to give here [has reproduced an illustration of a sketch of the rock face] and like “that awful face of stone,” as the poet Whittier calls it, which is hited [?looks like “hited,” but not absolutely sure, perhaps a typo for “hinted”] above the Franconia Notch in New Hampshire, the giant is invisible to those who stand directly in front, but must be looked upon from a distance. At this season when the trees are not in leaf a far off glimpse can be got of him from the Washington street sidewalk just above the Quoddy, but the best point of view is from near the further end of the bridge above the electric light works, looking South between Mr. Holmes out-buildings. Some years ago a Cincinnatti [spelled with 2 “t”s] artist who was greatly taken with the figure and made a sketch of it, called it Mozart’s head, claiming that it bore a striking resemblance in the profile of the great composer.
Mr. Alex Boyd’s house and those on the east side above escaped the fire and stand practically unchanged in recent years, with an air of neatness as well as comfort about them.
The spacious house long known as the Odell residence is now the house of Mr. William Martin.
Next comes the neat white cottage, the former home of Capt. Joseph Noyes.
The former residence of Gen. Ezekiel Foster still owned and partly occupied by his descendants, retains the old hip roof once so popular for the better class of houses in town and of which a few honored specimens still remain. It was built by the senior Warren Hatheway, as was the adjoining house where W.H. Colwell lives, and both are painted in sober color.
Beyond is a showy modern house built by a junior member of the same family, which is gay in a prevalent style, and though claiming to be only a cottage, lifts high above a projecting bay its sharp gable pierced roof quite overlooking its old fashioned two-story relatives. It is now the attractive home of Mr. B.F. Kilby.
The last house towards the bridge, the residence of Mr. George W. Capen, looks as white and substantial as in the days of its builder, Samuel Bucknam, and his successor, Asa Bucknam, in whose family it still belongs.
• From Eastport Sentinel, January 18, 1888 (p.2,c.4-6, p.3,c.1-2): Eastport's Building Record for the Past Year....Next south of this Mr. Joseph P. Bucknam has completed a fine two-story dwelling from plans drawn by H.N. Black. The contracting builder was Samuel B. Martin, and the house as completed is in striking contrast to the old-fashioned dwelling that occupied the site for years before the fire.
