The house was built by John "Talking John" Melbourne Rich, the first of his three houses. John owed his Uncle Jonathan Rich (1836-1907) a sum of money, so he swapped this Tremont house for Jonathan's older less valuable Richtown house. Emily (Rich) Trask (1884-1981), John Melbourne Rich's daughter, said in a 1975 interview that she was born in the house, "in that back bedroom up there… That was a big place. It was different from these days…it had a piazza clean around it and round the front. Father was great on building big places but he got in debt so much that he had to give up and go over to Richville [Richtown] and live." The main house, minus barn and ell, still exists in 2016, although covered in green asbestos shingles. The house was originally painted a cream color with brown trim. It sits back from the road just before the Tremont Congregational Church. After Jonathan Rich's death in 1907 his widow, Roseanna B. (Dix) Rich sold the house to Joseph E. Wooster. Roseanna built a house on the water opposite. A later owner, Alvah Dalton Rich, Sr.'s widow, Evelyn Frances (Pomroy) Rich's second husband, Charles Edwin Hamblen, tore off the barn and ell during the depression to save money on taxes. The house had no electricity until 1942.
Description: The house was built by John "Talking John" Melbourne Rich, the first of his three houses. John owed his Uncle Jonathan Rich (1836-1907) a sum of money, so he swapped this Tremont house for Jonathan's older less valuable Richtown house. Emily (Rich) Trask (1884-1981), John Melbourne Rich's daughter, said in a 1975 interview that she was born in the house, "in that back bedroom up there… That was a big place. It was different from these days…it had a piazza clean around it and round the front. Father was great on building big places but he got in debt so much that he had to give up and go over to Richville [Richtown] and live." The main house, minus barn and ell, still exists in 2016, although covered in green asbestos shingles. The house was originally painted a cream color with brown trim. It sits back from the road just before the Tremont Congregational Church. After Jonathan Rich's death in 1907 his widow, Roseanna B. (Dix) Rich sold the house to Joseph E. Wooster. Roseanna built a house on the water opposite. A later owner, Alvah Dalton Rich, Sr.'s widow, Evelyn Frances (Pomroy) Rich's second husband, Charles Edwin Hamblen, tore off the barn and ell during the depression to save money on taxes. The house had no electricity until 1942. [show more]
Robert Kaighn originally owned the top of Western Mountain and hiked during his time on the island. "This is a photo I took of what has been termed Kaighn's "rustic summerhouse" on top of Bernard Mountain. He owned the land from the West Peak to Great Notch, which he later gave to the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations. Note the four iron spikes outlining a square and a iron ring in the middle. If this is in fact his rustic summer house, then it was nothing more than a hut or shelter, given its small size. There was a path named for Robert Kaighn on top of Bernard Mountain. I haven't yet found that path, altho I did "discover" another old abandoned one called the Spring Trail from which it branched." - Don Lenahan 2009
Description: Robert Kaighn originally owned the top of Western Mountain and hiked during his time on the island. "This is a photo I took of what has been termed Kaighn's "rustic summerhouse" on top of Bernard Mountain. He owned the land from the West Peak to Great Notch, which he later gave to the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations. Note the four iron spikes outlining a square and a iron ring in the middle. If this is in fact his rustic summer house, then it was nothing more than a hut or shelter, given its small size. There was a path named for Robert Kaighn on top of Bernard Mountain. I haven't yet found that path, altho I did "discover" another old abandoned one called the Spring Trail from which it branched." - Don Lenahan 2009 [show more]
Edward Lothrop Rand, the brother of photographer, Henry L. Rand, was born to Edward Sprague (II) and Jane Augusta “Jennie” Lathrop Rand on August 22, 1859 in Dedham, Massachusetts. Edward attended the private school of J.P. Hopkinson in Boston and graduated from Harvard in the class of 1881 (Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude) and Harvard Law School in 1884. He married Annie Matilda Crozier, a school teacher, on June 29, 1893 in Boston, Massachusetts. Edward and Annie lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His law office was at 53 State Street, Room 740 in Boston. Edward and Annie Rand lived on the Henry Clay and Henry Seaton Rand estate in the house at 120 Elm Street next door to the main house. He was a member of the Champlain Society. Edward Lothrop Rand died on October 9, 1924.
Description: Edward Lothrop Rand, the brother of photographer, Henry L. Rand, was born to Edward Sprague (II) and Jane Augusta “Jennie” Lathrop Rand on August 22, 1859 in Dedham, Massachusetts. Edward attended the private school of J.P. Hopkinson in Boston and graduated from Harvard in the class of 1881 (Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude) and Harvard Law School in 1884. He married Annie Matilda Crozier, a school teacher, on June 29, 1893 in Boston, Massachusetts. Edward and Annie lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His law office was at 53 State Street, Room 740 in Boston. Edward and Annie Rand lived on the Henry Clay and Henry Seaton Rand estate in the house at 120 Elm Street next door to the main house. He was a member of the Champlain Society. Edward Lothrop Rand died on October 9, 1924. [show more]