Built in 1848 by Sewall Chase

A Greek Revival double-house in the Longfellow Square neighborhood

 

William Chase didn’t follow the family path.

He was born in Portland in 1820. His parents, Timothy & Mary, moved to Paris Maine soon after William’s birth. Timothy, along with William’s brothers Sewall, Edward & Granville Chase were all masons. William became a merchant and trader. By 1843, he was living in Portland and it was in that year he married Ellen Eaton. Ellen was born in Portland in 1820 to George & Elisabeth Eaton. George was a joiner. The Eaton family lived further up Pine Street. William and Ellen moved into #10 Pine Street in 1849.

Sewall Chase built a block measuring 46′ on Pine Street, 34′ deep and 2 stories tall with a third in the garret. There is a 2 story ell, also of brick, that is 32′ wide and 36′ deep running off the rear of the main block. There are later additions to the rear of both units. The bricks are laid in a running bond with tight mortar joints that was a trademark of the Chase Brothers work.
The facade is defined by 4 bays being inset from the corners creating a pilaster and architrave motif. The two outer bays are set deeper than the inner pair which increases the pilaster effect of the corners and highlights the portals. I believe the portico with its classical columns, along with the doors, is not original and is contemporary with the bay on #12 and the oriel on the northwest second story of #10.

Although William Chase was successful in business, family matters were different. 10 children were born to he and Ellen between 1845 and 1864. One, George William, born in 1846, drowned in Kents Hill in July of 1862. He was one of 3 children that saw their 10th birthday. Only 2 lived to adulthood.

in 1849, Sewall & Edward Chase purchased the land running from our subject to the corner of Winter Street from Thomas O’Brion. Sometime around 1855/56, the Chase brothers erected the row that now covers 18 to 22 Pine Street. It is my belief that Charles A Alexander provided the design. But that is another story.

#12 Pine Street was sold to Mary Hamilton in November of 1849. Mary was born to Charles & Betsey Barbour in 1814. She married Charles B Hamilton in 1833. They had 7 children before his death in 1848 at the age of 42. Charles had been William Chase’s partner in Chase & Hamilton Merchants from 1845 until his death. Mary and her children lived here until 1858 when she sold it to William Chase.

After Charles Hamilton died, William partnered with Peter Jenness and Edward Leavitt. Jenness seems to have had a financial stake in the firm but no active role. He was a merchant living in Portsmouth NH.  This partnership ended in 1854 when Jenness left and Chase Leavitt & Co was formed. Edward May Leavitt was born in Portland in 1826 to John & Eunice,  Edward married Elizabeth Hanna in 1849. Elizabeth was born to Capt. Peter and Mary Hanna, in Portland, in 1826. Although I cannot find any published notification, Edward Leavitt seems to have left the partnership prior to 1860 when he advertised a new firm with Isaac Came. Edward May Leavitt died of consumption in October of 1862.

William & Ellen Chase moved to Paris Hill in 1870. Some records indicate that they bought the Hannibal Hamlin house but this is not clear. William died in 1876 after being run over by a train that he had just stepped off from. Ellen died in 1896.

When the the Chase’s moved out of Portland, they sold #10 & #12 Pine Street to Anna Blake & Joseph Blabon respectively. Anna Blake seems to have had a connection to the Chase family. She was listed as residing with Edward P Chase and his family in 1850 when her last name was Hutchins. She married George Blake and moved to Chelsea MA in 1851. She sold #10 Pine Street to Mary Clement in 1872.
Joseph Blabon was born in Chesterville in 1829. His parents were Otis and Mary. He married Martha Smith of Phillips in 1849. Joseph was a tailor who became involved in the dry goods trade with Deering, Milliken & Company on Middle Street. Joseph Blabon drowned in Washington state in December of 1899. Rebecca sold the #12 Pine Street in 1904 by which time she was living in St Paul.

Mary Morrill & Edwin Clement had married in Gorham Me in 1853. They were both from Amesbury MA. Edwin was a carriage maker and ran a livery/stable on Congress Street from 1856 onward. By the time they moved into #10 Pine Street in 1872, Edwin had moved into the lumber trade. The couple had 4 children with 3 dying before reaching the age of 10.

Edwin Clement was a member of the Maine Charitable Mechanics Association. He was also a ‘Wide-Awake’ and strong supporter of Lincoln throughout his presidency. The Clements were very active in the founding and workings of the Maine Hospital Camp Association which was an early soldiers relief organization founded in 1862.

In 1867, Edwin sold his stable and livery business and went into the lumber business. His first venture was a partnership with George Goodridge that lasted until 1871. After this, “Clement, Benson & Co” was formed with Andrew Benson, Elihu Libby & Frank Clement. Frank Clement was 24 years old in 1871 and, according to the 1870 census, was born in Maine. He certainly seems to have been related to Edwin & Mary Clements as he is listed as boarding with them on the afore said census and the 1873 city directory. That being said, I cannot find a direct connection. In 1872, Andrew Benson left the business and “Edwin Clement & Co” was formed.
Mary Clement died of apoplexy in 1899. Edwin Clement died of heart disease in 1905.

When Rebecca Blabon sold #12 Pine Street in 1904, the buyer was one Benjamin Franklin Webster of Portsmouth. It appears that Webster purchased the property as a wedding gift for his grandson Fred, who married May Lydston in Portsmouth in June of the same year. Fred was a physician. The couple had a son and daughter before divorcing prior to 1920. In 1922, Webster sold our subject to Dr. Edson S Cummings.

Cummings was born in Lewiston in 1875. He married Harriet Mckenzie in Lewiston in 1903. Harriet was born in South Rawdon Nova Scotia in 1875. Edson graduated from the Maine Medical School at Bowdoin College in 1900. He worked in Lewiston until enlisting Army in WWI. After the war, the Cummings family moved to Portland where their son, Philip, was born in 1918. Edson Cummings was an X-ray specialist in Portland until his death in 1939. After his death, Harriet sold #12 Pine Street to Edward Greco. Harriet moved to Los Angeles where she lived with Philip and his wife until her death in 1948.

Edward A Greco was born in Portland in 1900. He graduated from Portland High School and attended Georgetown University. His wife, Katherine Rasmussen, was born in New Jersey in 1901. They married in New York around 1930 but the date is unclear. Edward served in WWI & WWII. He was a cardiologist who worked at Maine General Hospital, now Maine Medical Center, before establishing the cardiac care program at Mercy Hospital. Edward was a founding member of the Maine Heart Association. Edward and Katherine Greco had 2 daughters and a son. They owned 12 Pine Street until his death in 1972.

#10 Pine Street was purchased in 1892 by Isabelle Rundlett. Isabelle Gould was born in Albany Township in 1858 to the local Congregational minister and his wife. She was the youngest of 9 children. 2 of her brothers died in the Civil War. Isabelle married Edwin Rundlett in Boston in 1886. Edwin was a store clerk in Portsmouth, NH. He died on consumption in 1889. After Edwin’s death, she moved to Maine to live with her sister Alice.

Alice Gould had married Herbert Twitchell in Freeport in 1885. Herbert was a native of Bethel. He graduated from Bowdoin Medical School, where he was class president, in 1883. The Twitchells lived in Freeport until 1892 when all parties moved to Portland. Isabelle had an active social life based on newspaper mentions. She was often noted at teas, dinners, and many charity events. She regularly travelled with Marion Chisholm, the wife of the founder of International Paper.  Isabelle Gould Rundlett died in of kidney disease in 1907 at which time #10 Pine Street passed to Alice Twitchell. She sold our subject to Kathryn O’Sullivan in 1923.

Kathryn Dugan O’Sullivan was the wife of Timothy J O’Sullivan. Timothy was, you guessed it, a physician. He was an ‘ear, nose, & throat’ specialist who worked at Maine General Hospital & the Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary on Congress Street as well as seeing patients here on Pine Street. He was a WWI veteran. The couple had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1918 and a  son, Timothy Jr, in 1927. He died in 1933. Timothy Sr died in 1941. Kathryn remarried in 1944. She sold our subject to Norman & Alice Flagg in 1948. They ran a beauty shop out of #10 Pine Street very briefly before selling in 1949 to the manager of Cushman Bakery, Karl Murch and his wife Doris. They in turn sold it in 1952.

Reginald & Margaret Wilson purchased #10 Pine Street from Karl & Doris Murch in 1952. Reginald was born in Glenburn in 1905 and Margaret was born in Germantown PA in 1902. It was her second marriage. Reginald was an interior decorator and Margaret a nurse. She was the director of the Sweetser Children’s Home in Saco. She died in 1964. Reginald died in 1976. His stepson, John Houghton, inherited the property at that time.

#10 Pine Street is listed as a 4 family home. It is in good condition.
#12 Pine Street is listed as a 3 family home. It is also in good condition.

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