East of Main Street, South of Owen Park
This map is derived from part of a December 1914 map of Vineyard Haven made by the Sanborn Map Company of New York.
Numbers and KEY added by Stan Lair, c. 1980.
KEY.
Numbered, bold quotes are from a brown looseleaf notebook titled -1914- Buildings in Vineyard Haven by Number By Stan Lair which accompanies these annotated maps.
Non-bold quotes are from the audio tape From Martha's Vineyard National Bank to Around West Chop by Stan Lair, 1979.
Bracketed notes were compiled from a variety of sources by C. Baer.
73. "Martha's Vineyard National Bank -- John E. White President"
74. "E. St. Croix Oliver -- Chandler and Grocer"
"The Captain St. Croix Oliver house, and I believe it's now owned by the Lambert Knight family."["The house owned by Mrs. Oliver is the third of the first seven houses built, the two already mentioned being those of R. W. Crocker and H. H. Bodfish. It was built by Jonathan Manter more than two hundred years ago. He was a large landowner and leading man. He had a large family of children and gave each one a house lot. His daughter, Rebecca, being single at his death, was given the old homestead. She was exceedingly plain looking, I am informed, having four lips; but Dean William Downs, a widower was attracted perhaps not by her face but by her fortune and won Rebecca for a wife. Here he kept a grocery store.
"Mrs. Love Chase was the next owner. It was afterward sold to my father and after the fire of 1883, was sold by my mother to Captain Oliver. There have been additions and improvements to this house; the writer has an affection for this old place where her girlhood days were passed.
"I am reminded of hearing of a little shop near this spot, the home of Jennie Godfrey. Jennie was a spinster and was held in high esteem by the youth of the village from the fact that she sold big glasses of spruce beer at one cent each. She seldom went away from the island but on one occasion, before the days of steamboats and decked packets, took a trip to New Bedford. On her return she embarked early in the morning in an open boat. The wind died out to a calm and continued so all day, and the men in charge were compelled to row all the way home under a broiling sun, arriving late at night. Jennie had a mortal terror of marine disasters but always referred to this trip as a most enjoyable one. Ever since, long passages because of calms have been characterized as 'Jennie Godfrey times.'"- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Occupied by Mr. Robert Hyde; owned by Mrs. Lisette Knight. Homestead of Jonathan Manter, built in 1712. This is one of the five oldest houses in the village, according to the historian, Mrs. Norris. Jonathan Manter died in 1820, leaving the house to his spinster daughter, Rebecca. She married Deacon William Downs. They kept a grocery store there." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.]
75. "Capt. William M. Randall -- Mrs. Lambert - Mrs. Knight"
"The William M. Randall house, now owned by Lambert Knight."["In [this]house lived [Thomas Manter's] sister Parnel, daughter of Jonathan Manter and sister of Parnel, the Revolutionary heroine, born after her death and named for her. This Parnel married Captain Alexander Newcomb; they had several children and Caroline married Captain Frederick Lambert, who resided there and it still belongs to that family.
"The Captain Jonathan Manter before alluded to, the grandfather Miss. Daggett, was a shipmaster sailing from Boston. He was a men of great energy of character, of fine appearance and very fastidious in his dress, and indeed so particular was he in this respect that he was commonly known among his acquaintances around Boston as 'Count Manter.'
"The last Jonathan Manter, who died about 1842, was a man of strong will and from his eccentricities of character he seemed to have made strong impressions on the minds of all who knew him. Even the names of his dogs and horses are well remembered. More than one hundred years ago there were but two horses owned around the harbor. Their names were Romeo and Cape Breton, and Captain Manter owned Romeo. The first cooking stove used in this place or on the Island was purchased by Captain Manter and brought over in the vessel he owned and commanded, called the Harmony.
"Captain Manter owned most of the land from the harbor to Tashmoo and the old Manter house which was destroyed in the fire of 1883, was one of the old landmarks of the village and especially so of Manter Hill, -- it being the first one erected on the hill. It was near this house the famous liberty pole stood when destroyed by the three girls in 1775."- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Owned and occupied by Mrs. Lisette Knight and family. This house-lot, which like most others at that time, reached from the harbor to Tashmoo Pond, was Jonathan Manter's wedding gift to his youngest daughter. She was named Parnell, for her oldest sister who was one of the Liberty Pole girls, and who died in 1777. The second Parnell married Alexander Newcomb in 1801. They built their house on the lower end of the property facing the harbor." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.]
[Capt. William M. Randall (1853-1914) was the son of Sylvester and Sarah Ann Randall of Port Jefferson, Long Island, NY, and the husband of Louise Harding Dillingham (1855-1906) and Lou D. McDonnell. His obituary states that he was "for half his lifetime one of the best known masters of our seacoast and then a prominent investor in real estate and other kinds of property. Capt. Randall commanded the respect of all who knew him for sound sense and excellent business judgment by which he acquired a competency. …Capt. Randall was born at Fort Jefferson, L. I., of seafaring stock and became master of a vessel at the early age of 17 years. He married for his first wife Louise Harding Dillingham of this town and she was his constant companion on his voyages until the loss of his beautiful and finely furnished floating home, the four-masted schooner Louise H. Randall, in a terrific gale and blinding snowstorm off Long Island and their narrow escape from death, shocked her nerves so that she persuaded her husband to give up the merchant service. (A very graphic story of this thrilling experience and escape from drowning was penned by Mrs. Randall and printed in a neat pamphlet.) …The Captain then became owner of the water boat Susie D. and purveyor to the needs of all the craft passing through Vineyard sound and touching here. From this business he retired some years ago certainly 'well-to-do.' Capt. Randall was a Master Mason and Son of the Am. Revolution." He was also well-known as the captain of the Susie D., which ran mail up and down the coast for many years. For more information about Capt. William Randall and his family, see The Descendants of Jeruel West Jr.]
76. "Captain Frederick Lambert"
"The house belonging to Mrs. Lambert, who was Lambert Knight's grandmother."["The house above Captain Newcombs, on Main Street was built for his mother and after her death, became the property of Captain Nathan Smith, who exchanged it for the house now owned and occupied by Postmaster S. C. Luce.
"The next owner was Mary, widow of Captain William Crowell. Capt. Crowell died at sea. Mrs. Crowell long kept a little store in one front room. Her son, Barzilla, was a veteran of the Civil War, a member of the famous 20th Massachusetts Infantry, -- and lost a leg in battle. The house passed to him and after his death it was purchased by Capt. William M. Randall,, whose widow is now the owner."- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Owned and occupied by Mrs. Lisette Knight and family. The Newcombs built this house soon after their marriage for Mr. Newcomb's mother. After her death the house changed hands several times." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.]
77. "Loretta Daggett --- (Dr. Strock)"
"Loretta Daggett. The Harrison Crist house was at this location. I don't recall whether it was a remodeled Loretta Daggett house, or a new one, but the Harrison Crist house was here. He was the editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, and now it is occupied by the Dr. Strock's."["The house now occupied by Miss Loretta Daggett was built by Captain Thomas Manter, her grandfather. He was the son of Jonathan Manter, a Revolutionary soldier, and married Hannah Luce.
"In 1820 while on the pilot boat Superior, she capsized, and Thomas Manter was drowned. The property has always remained in the family. The age is not known but the deed of the land was made in 1802 and it is natural to suppose that the house was built soon after."- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
78. "Captain Hartson H. Bodfish -- Whaleman"
"Capt. Hartson H. Bodfish house. He was a famous whaling captain, and a book was written by Joseph Chase Allen about Capt. Bodfish, titled "Chasing the Bowhead." He had two boys, Howes and Hallett. And eventually the house was demolished by a woman who brought her own home from Oak Bluffs - moved it over here - and later it was owned by the Hanrahans. Mr. Hanrahan was the owner of the Mohawk Carpet Factory."["The house known to many as the Dias place on Main Street, now owned by Captain Hartson H. Bodfish, was one of the first built in the village and is consequently quite old. In a deed in possession of the family, dated May 20th, 1741, this house was deeded to Abraham Chase by Sarah Daggett. The place is spoken of a 'ye house lot,' and the house lot's limits were Holmes Hole harbor on the east and Tashmoo on the west, -- and the inference drawn is that the house was built by the Daggetts between the years 1725 and 1741.
"On March 29th, 1741, Abraham Chase deeded the house to John Whelden, a sea-faring man and the sum paid for the house and lot in both deeds was said to be 330 pounds current money. Abigail, wife of John Whelden, was the daughter of Abraham Chase.
"In 1795 the property passed into the hands of Thomas Whelden, doubtless his son. The next owner was Captain Joseph Dias, who fought in the war of 1812, and it has since remained in the family, -- Mrs. Bodfish being a granddaughter." - from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
79. "Cordelia Luce"
"The Cordelia Luce house. Cordelia lived to be over a hundred years old. Then it was owned by her daughter, Sheri DeLey, and now Sheri's son, George DeLey. DeLey I guess by the way is French for 'Luce.'"
80. "Alfonso Smith"
"Directly in back of the DeLey house was the Matthew Smith house. Both of those houses border on Owen Park, and this hill on the south side of these houses was known by a lot of people as Doanes Hill. It was a good place to slide on sleds in the winter. Also at times a dangerous slide, because some of the more adventurous kids would start up on William Street, which meant sliding directly across Main Street, just hoping no cars would be going by. I guess they were lucky, 'cause I don't recall any accidents there. And then slide on down the hill to the harbor, right onto the harbor ice. Less traffic in those days."Bessie and Arthur Doane lived in this house for a long time, and that's how it got the name Doane Hill. I recall the first appendix operation I ever heard about was right here. Arthur Doane was operated on for appendix by Dr. Putnam. I presume right at his home - we didn't have any hospital then. I do recall the street being blocked off for awhile to keep things quiet. Arthur was pretty sick for a long time, but he recovered - in fact, he's alive today! I guess Dr. Putnam did a pretty good job.
"Next is Owen Park. This is a tract of land given by Mrs. Owen to the town just for that purpose. Two houses were previously moved off to about half a mile to the north, around Bayside, and one is on the corner of Main Street and Owen Little Way. Mr. Owen had planned on building a mansion here but it didn't materialize."
["The house of Mr. Alphonso Smith of New Bedford, the great grandson of the original owner. It was built by Captain Thomas Harlock Smith, a successful sea captain. At one time he kept a store of vessel supplies below his house. He was a son of David Smith, who was on the sea coast defense at the time of the Revolutionary War, and whose second wife was Maria Allen, the Revolutionary heroine.
"A story is told of a brother of Thomas Smith, whose boat was chased into the harbor during the war of 1812 by a Britisher, and when the wife heard of it she said to a little girl, 'Here, Sally, hold this baby while I watch those devils cannonade Nathan.'
"This house has always remained in the family."- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jay. Built by Capt. Thomas Harlock Smith in the early 1800's. It remained in his family for four generations. He was first mate of the whaleship Sharon at the time of the mutiny in which the captain was killed (one of the famous horror stories of whaling) and completed the voyage as captain." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.]
[For more information on Mr. Alphonso H. Smith (1882-1944), his great-grandfather Capt. Thomas Harlock Smith (1786-1868), their in-law Capt. Matthew Luce Smith (1828-1910) and their families, see The Descendants of Deborah (West) Smith.]
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