History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;
History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654; History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;
318 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1767. petitioned the Court of General Sessions of the Peace, at the November term of that year, for a new Court-House. They complained that the old building was " greatly out of repair and incommodious * * * ^]j,j^^ g^g ^^^^ courts at Northampton are usually held in the winter in cold and inclement weather, your Petitioners & others necessarily attending said courts are subject and exposed to great Danger of Loss of health by reason of said Building being in want of Repairs," and asked "that a new Building be speedily erected for that purpose," or the old house repaired. The court at once ordered that £100 should be raised in the next county tax for the purpose of erecting a new Court-House, and appointed Col. Partridge and Eleazer Porter a commit- tee to confer with the town of Northampton to ascertain whether the town would purchase the old one, or would unite with the county in selling it, or in building anew. At the March term following, the committee reported that the town refused to entertain either of the propositions. Timothy D wight Jr., Capt. William Lyman, Mr. Solomon Stoddard of Northampton, Col. Partridge of Hatfield, and Eleazer Porter Esq. of Hadley, were constituted a committee to " form a model of a Court House," provide the ma- terials, and proceed to erect the building. The court also ordered the committee to "set the s'* house upon the Rise of Ground before Capt. Lyman's dwelling house." At the adjourned March term, the court ordered that £30 should be paid to each of the Court-House committee^ very probably as compensation for their labor in preparing the "model." In August, 1767, the court ordered, "as the Rise of ground in front of Capt. William Lyman's house was not convenient for the purpose," that the committee should "set" the new Court-House "on the southerly side of Daniel Pomeroy's dwelling-house at or near the place known then by the name of the Poplar Tree. ^" This was on the common at the junction of Main, Elm and West Streets, in front of Smitli College. The committee at once proceeded with the work ; part of the foundation stone was delivered there and the excavation commenced. 1 Daniel Pomeroy lived on the lot now occupied by the Catholic Church, and his house was long known as the " Red Taveru."
1767.] FIRST SCHOOL-COMMITTEE— NEW COURT-HOUSE, 319 Trouble about the Soiiie difficulty seems to have developed in Site of the Build- reference to tlie location of the new build- ^^^' ing, the court ordering two changes before it was definitely settled. No one seems to have suggested placing it on the site of the old Court-House, which was the most central and convenient position, and as it proved quite near the point finally adopted. It stood in the highway, at the intersection of Main and King Streets, south- east of the present Court-House. When the decision to place the-building in front of Capt. William Lyman's* house was made known, the location was deemed so unsatisfactory that certain citizens of Northampton endeavored to procure the Elisha Alvord homestead, on Meeting-House Hill, for that purpose. In March, the town refused to aid in the purchase, but a committee, consisting of Ebenezer Hunt, Joseph Hawley, and Timothy Dwight Jr., proceeded to raise the needed sum of money by subscription. In the meantime the court changed the location. During the summer the committee succeeded in obtaining the funds with which to purchase the Alvord place. One hundred thirty pounds were contributed by fifty-five persons from Northampton, and one from Hatfield, and the land was deeded to the county " for the purpose of a Green or Common and for erecting a Court House, or Court Houses thereon." At the November term the court approved the purchase, accepted the deed, and ordered the committee to construct and finish the Court-House at that place. Site of the New The land on which the new Court-House Court-House. ^^s built, was first granted in 1675 to Sam- uel Allen, when his house on King Street was burned by the Indians. It afterwards came into the possession of Saul Alvord. He sold it in 1762 or 1763 to Elisha Alvord, and removed to Bolton. The committee of 1 It is somewhat uncertain where Capt. William Lyman lived at this time, but probably it was on Main Street, on what was afterwards the property of Judge Joseph Lyman, just west of the present Mansion House block (whpre now are the stores of F. W. Roberts, P. H. Dewey, E. H. Banister, aud Bon Marche). Yet nothing now indicates that any special " Rise of Ground '" ever existed there, unless it may be that the top of the hill at the head of South Street, was so designated. Col. William Lyman bought the homestead in 175". Lieut. William Lyman lived on Pleasant Street, in 1743, but the topography of that street would conform still less than the other to the description in the court records.
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318 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1767.<br />
petitioned the Court <strong>of</strong> General Sessions <strong>of</strong> the Peace, at<br />
the November term <strong>of</strong> that year, for a new Court-House.<br />
They compla<strong>in</strong>ed that the old build<strong>in</strong>g was " greatly out <strong>of</strong><br />
repair and <strong>in</strong>commodious * * * ^]j,j^^ g^g ^^^^ courts at<br />
<strong>Northampton</strong> are usually held <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>in</strong> cold and <strong>in</strong>clement<br />
weather, your Petitioners & others necessarily attend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
said courts are subject and exposed to great Danger<br />
<strong>of</strong> Loss <strong>of</strong> health by reason <strong>of</strong> said Build<strong>in</strong>g be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> want<br />
<strong>of</strong> Repairs," and asked "that a new Build<strong>in</strong>g be speedily<br />
erected for that purpose," or the old house repaired. The<br />
court at once ordered that £100 should be raised <strong>in</strong> the next<br />
county tax for the purpose <strong>of</strong> erect<strong>in</strong>g a new Court-House,<br />
and appo<strong>in</strong>ted Col. Partridge and Eleazer Porter a commit-<br />
tee to confer with the town <strong>of</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong> to ascerta<strong>in</strong><br />
whether the town would purchase the old one, or would<br />
unite with the county <strong>in</strong> sell<strong>in</strong>g it, or <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g anew.<br />
At the March term follow<strong>in</strong>g, the committee reported that<br />
the town refused to enterta<strong>in</strong> either <strong>of</strong> the propositions.<br />
Timothy D wight Jr., Capt. William Lyman, Mr. Solomon<br />
Stoddard <strong>of</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong>, Col. Partridge <strong>of</strong> Hatfield, and<br />
Eleazer Porter Esq. <strong>of</strong> Hadley, were constituted a committee<br />
to " form a model <strong>of</strong> a Court House," provide the ma-<br />
terials, and proceed to erect the build<strong>in</strong>g. The court also<br />
ordered the committee to "set the s'* house upon the Rise<br />
<strong>of</strong> Ground before Capt. Lyman's dwell<strong>in</strong>g house." At the<br />
adjourned March term, the court ordered that £30 should<br />
be paid to each <strong>of</strong> the Court-House committee^ very probably<br />
as compensation for their labor <strong>in</strong> prepar<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
"model." In August, 1767, the court ordered, "as the<br />
Rise <strong>of</strong> ground <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> Capt. William Lyman's house<br />
was not convenient for the purpose," that the committee<br />
should "set" the new Court-House "on the southerly side<br />
<strong>of</strong> Daniel Pomeroy's dwell<strong>in</strong>g-house at or near the place<br />
known then by the name <strong>of</strong> the Poplar Tree. ^" This was<br />
on the common at the junction <strong>of</strong> Ma<strong>in</strong>, Elm and West<br />
Streets, <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> Smitli College. The committee at once<br />
proceeded with the work ; part <strong>of</strong> the foundation stone was<br />
delivered there and the excavation commenced.<br />
1 Daniel Pomeroy lived on the lot now occupied by the Catholic Church, and his<br />
house was long known as the " Red Taveru."
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