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Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney

BOSTON. PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from

NEW VINEYARD.    393

The plan of the house struck us as being very convenient. The entrance hall
does not run through the building, but nearly across the front, having little depth,
but considerable length. In the rear of the hall, opposite the outer door, entrance
is given to a large, square reception-room, which occupies the middle of the house.
On each side of this are two smaller rooms, entrance to which is gained from the
hall, and also from the central room. These smaller rooms are used as kitchen,
sitting-room and bed-rooms. In one of these we were shown a wooden, round-
topped chest, in good preservation, which we were told is one hundred and eighty
years old.” * * * Pastor Wiren “ has built up in a corner of one of his rooms the
tall, brick, chimney-like stove of Sweden. At one end of the house stood a heavy
timber swing, built on the plan of a merry-go-round_/ or flying horses, with a seat
at each end of the projecting arm.”

The Lutheran church is the only religious society here. Ten lots
in this township are reserved for schools and other public purposes.
The three public schoolhouses were erected at a cost of $500. The
value of the school property is estimated at $900. The valuation of
estates in 1880 was $22,041. The rate of taxation was 16.053 on
$1,000. [See close of article on Civil History, in the first part of this
work].

NOW Yi 110yOT(I is situated in the eastern part of Franklin
County* having Strong on the west and the latter and Freeman on the
north-west, Industry on the south-east, the latter and Farmington on
the south, Industry and Anson in Somerset County on the east and
Strong, Freeman and New Portland in Somerset County on the north.
The town has a remarkable outline. There are two right-angled
notches on the north-western side and three on the south-eastern.
There are also nine projecting right-angles. A range of mountains
crosses the town from south-west to north-east, dividing the waters of
Sandy River from those of the Carrabasset River on the north. There
are no less than nine peaks in the town and on its borders, of which
Herrick mountain is probably the highest. The scenery in some parts
is strikingly beautiful. Porter’s Pond, lying on the middle border and
partly in Strong, is the principal sheet of water. The streams are
Porter’s and Barker brooks, and Hillman, Fairbank’s and McLeny mill
streams. The rocks are granite boulders, and out-cropping and under-
lying limestone. The soil is generally good, especially in the northerly
and easterly sections. New Vineyard Village (formerly known as
Vaughn’s Mills) near the middle of the town, is the principal business
centre. New Vineyard has two saw-mills, and a grist-mill carried by
water-power, and a spool-mill by steam-power. The manufactures are
salt-boxes, shovel-handles, dowels, brush blocks, spools, carriages,
shingles, clapboards, flour and meal, boots and shoes, brooms, etc.
New Vineyard is 10 miles from Farmington, on the stage-line to King-
field, East New Vineyard is the other post-office.

New Vineyard township was purchased from Massachusetts by an
association of persons belonging in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., together
with Jonathan Knowlton of Farmington, who acted as their agent;
hence the plantation took the name, “ New Vineyard,” from the first.
Daniel Collins and Abner Norton, having previously commenced im-
provements, moved in with their families in 1791, thus becoming the
first settlers. These were soon followed by Samuel Daggett, Jonathan
Merry, James Manter, Ephraim Butler, John Spencer, Cornelius
Norton, David Davis, John Daggett, Benjamin Benson, Joseph Smith,