Old Stone Lobby Made Landmark Farmington News Article, Page2, 1925-07-03
Title
Old Stone Lobby Made Landmark Farmington News Article, Page2, 1925-07-03
Description
An article covering the Old Stone Lobby being made an official local landmark. It is located in the Farmington News, Page2, July 3, 1925.
The article reads:
T h e old stone lobby at the junc-
ture of Church and Uionn streets has:
been perpetuated as a landmark of
the town by many improvements
made by its new owner. Downing V.
Osboune . This old pile of huge
granite slabs that occupies a pretty
plot of ground at the location men
tioned some timeago was threatened
by demolition and its heavy material
became likely'to be used in building.
Mr Osborne, whose home is nearby
saw the ultimate probability and
purchased the lot and lobby. He
since has made repairs to the falling
masonry, which consists of thick
granite slabs fashioned into a square
compartment, and has replaced the
broken iron bars In door and win
dow and restored the huge lock by a
facsimile of the original in order to
preserve for all time this historic
monument. It appears that the lot
and material cost only $175" when
purchased in 1859 and that the subi-
quont structure was the outgrowth
for a secure lobby for the town,
which to confine violators ot the law
who having offended the peace and
dignlty of the state, were required
to await trial. The lobby was built
by reason of a contract made by Col.
Louis Bell, one of Farmington's
early lawyers and trial justices and
also one of the ablest men who ever
graced the state. Colonel Bell is
highly revered In our national military
history, having-been made a
brigadier general on the day he was
killed at Fort Fisher during the Civil
war. The contract further enjoined
Ed Barnard, proprietor of the old
hotel that formerly occupied the site
of the Mrs. Lottie Russell property
on Main street, and William Sampson,
the stone mason of the town at
that town. The last named built
the lobby, it is thought, with the intention
of coverlng it with a frame
structure, which project no doubt
was abandoned because of the open-
ing of hostilities with the South and
it seems to be a fact that the gray
pile of granite never was used for
the purpose intended However, it
is a monument of Farmlngton's early
endeavors and a credit to Mr. Osborne,
who no doubt finally will dispose,
of it as a public benefit.
This is a digital file and does not reside in the physical collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
The article reads:
T h e old stone lobby at the junc-
ture of Church and Uionn streets has:
been perpetuated as a landmark of
the town by many improvements
made by its new owner. Downing V.
Osboune . This old pile of huge
granite slabs that occupies a pretty
plot of ground at the location men
tioned some timeago was threatened
by demolition and its heavy material
became likely'to be used in building.
Mr Osborne, whose home is nearby
saw the ultimate probability and
purchased the lot and lobby. He
since has made repairs to the falling
masonry, which consists of thick
granite slabs fashioned into a square
compartment, and has replaced the
broken iron bars In door and win
dow and restored the huge lock by a
facsimile of the original in order to
preserve for all time this historic
monument. It appears that the lot
and material cost only $175" when
purchased in 1859 and that the subi-
quont structure was the outgrowth
for a secure lobby for the town,
which to confine violators ot the law
who having offended the peace and
dignlty of the state, were required
to await trial. The lobby was built
by reason of a contract made by Col.
Louis Bell, one of Farmington's
early lawyers and trial justices and
also one of the ablest men who ever
graced the state. Colonel Bell is
highly revered In our national military
history, having-been made a
brigadier general on the day he was
killed at Fort Fisher during the Civil
war. The contract further enjoined
Ed Barnard, proprietor of the old
hotel that formerly occupied the site
of the Mrs. Lottie Russell property
on Main street, and William Sampson,
the stone mason of the town at
that town. The last named built
the lobby, it is thought, with the intention
of coverlng it with a frame
structure, which project no doubt
was abandoned because of the open-
ing of hostilities with the South and
it seems to be a fact that the gray
pile of granite never was used for
the purpose intended However, it
is a monument of Farmlngton's early
endeavors and a credit to Mr. Osborne,
who no doubt finally will dispose,
of it as a public benefit.
This is a digital file and does not reside in the physical collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Creator
Farmington News
Publisher
Farmington News
Date
7-3-1925
Date Created
7-3-1925
Files
Collection
Citation
Farmington News, “Old Stone Lobby Made Landmark Farmington News Article, Page2, 1925-07-03,” Farmington Historical Society-Museum of Farmington History, accessed April 28, 2024, https://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net/items/show/644.