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. The people in the photograph left to right: Jonathan Rich (1836-1907) Roseanna B. (Dix) Rich - Mrs. Jonathan Rich (1841-1916) Avah Dalton Rich, Sr. (1876-1908) Unknown lady in a white shirtwaist Unknown seated lady Rena “Teenie” or “Tiny” May Thurston - a dwarf (1866-1905) Unknown lady in a hat Unknown man in a suit
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. The people in the photograph left to right: Jonathan Rich (1836-1907) Roseanna B. (Dix) Rich - Mrs. Jonathan Rich (1841-1916) Avah Dalton Rich, Sr. (1876-1908) Unknown lady in a white shirtwaist Unknown seated lady Rena “Teenie” or “Tiny” May Thurston - a dwarf (1866-1905) Unknown lady in a hat Unknown man in a suit [show more]
Note the board sidewalks on Main Street and the manure in the road. There are several pieces of Adirondack furniture on Dr. Neal's lawn. Two men and a horse and buggy are parked in front of the house. A black dog (labrador?) sits on the walk. Lace curtains and geraniums may be seen in the windows.
Description: Note the board sidewalks on Main Street and the manure in the road. There are several pieces of Adirondack furniture on Dr. Neal's lawn. Two men and a horse and buggy are parked in front of the house. A black dog (labrador?) sits on the walk. Lace curtains and geraniums may be seen in the windows.
The buckboard is stopped on the road between Southwest Harbor and Somesville, now Route 102. The view is looking west across Echo Lake to Beach Cliffs.
Description: The buckboard is stopped on the road between Southwest Harbor and Somesville, now Route 102. The view is looking west across Echo Lake to Beach Cliffs.
Notice the elaborate hat worn by the lady in the front seat! The buckboard is stopped on the road between Southwest Harbor and Somesville, now Route 102. The view is looking west across Echo Lake to Beach Cliffs.
Description: Notice the elaborate hat worn by the lady in the front seat! The buckboard is stopped on the road between Southwest Harbor and Somesville, now Route 102. The view is looking west across Echo Lake to Beach Cliffs.
“As Americans developed a preference for fresh fish, demand for ice increased. Here, armed with a handsaw, ice chisel, and ice plow ...these ...men are harvesting ice, which rivaled granite in the 1890s as Maine’s prime export.” - “Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, 2001, p. 42.
Description: “As Americans developed a preference for fresh fish, demand for ice increased. Here, armed with a handsaw, ice chisel, and ice plow ...these ...men are harvesting ice, which rivaled granite in the 1890s as Maine’s prime export.” - “Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, 2001, p. 42.
“As Americans developed a preference for fresh fish, demand for ice increased. Here, armed with a handsaw, ice chisel, and ice plow ...these ...men are harvesting ice, which rivaled granite in the 1890s as Maine’s prime export.” - “Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, 2001, p. 42.
Description: “As Americans developed a preference for fresh fish, demand for ice increased. Here, armed with a handsaw, ice chisel, and ice plow ...these ...men are harvesting ice, which rivaled granite in the 1890s as Maine’s prime export.” - “Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, 2001, p. 42.