Asbego-John Gay Cottage Memoir by Sylvia Wardwell (HOM.16)

SYLVIA WARDWELL REMEMBERS ASBEGO

ASBEGO, THE JOHN GAY MANSION, WAS BUILT BY SCOTT LYMBERNER ON THE HIGH BLUFF AT BYARD’S POINT. THIS BEAUTIFUL GEORGIAN DESIGN HOUSE STOOD SO HIGH THAT IT COULD BE SEEN FROM ABOUT EVERYWHERE ALONG EGGEMOGGIN REACH. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT.

WHEN THE GAY FAMILY PUT THE HOUSE UP FOR AUCTION IT WAS BOUGHT BY HARVEY HARMON, THE FOOTBALL COACH AT RUTGERS COLLEGE. HE AND HIS WIFE WILLIMENA, WHO WAS SO VERY SMALL, AND HARVEY, A VERY LARGE MAN, CAME TO MY MOTHER TO ASK HER TO CLEAN THE PLACE AND READY IT FOR USE.  I HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A LARGE MAN THOUGH OF COURSE HE PLAYED FOOTBALL, LIFTED WEIGHTS AND ATE A LOT LIKE ALL THE PLAYERS DO TODAY.  HE WAS A VERY KIND MAN AND I LIKED HIM A LOT. THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY CHILDREN BUT WILLIMENA’S MOTHER CAME ALONG WITH THEM. SHE WAS A VERY NICE LADY AND PLAYED THE ORGAN FOR THE CHURCH AT DEER ISLE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, AS DID HER DAUGHTER WILLIMENA. MANY TIMES I STAYED OVERNIGHT WITH MRS. EKINS, THE MOTHER IN LAW, WHEN HARVEY AND HIS WIFE WERE AWAY AS SHE DIDN’T CARE TO STAY ALONE IN THE BIG HOUSE. THE FAMILY WAS A VERY NICE ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY AS THEY WERE ALWAYS READY TO HELP SOME ONE OR TO DO A GOOD DEED.

MY GRANDFATHER ALBERT BILLINGS, WILLIAM SIMMONS AND ROLLIE GRAY, WERE SOME OF THE MEN WHO HELPED SCOTT LYMBURNER BUILD THE HOUSE. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER THERE WAS A LOT OF SPACE FOR THE STAIRS AND STAIR CASE WHICH WAS SHAPED LIKE A VERY LARGE EGG OR FOOT BALL. THE STAIR CASE WAS OF OAK PAINTED WHITE, AS WERE ALL OF THE WALLS.THERE WAS A KITCHEN IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO THE RIGHT AND A BATH AND WOOD SHED BEFORE YOU GOT TO THE KITCHEN. THERE WERE LIVING QUARTERS UPSTAIRS FOR THE HELP WITH STAIRS LEADING TO THE WOODSHED AND KITCHEN.

THE KITCHEN HAD CUPBOARDS MADE OF VERY DARK WOOD AND WAINSCOATING, A WOOD STOVE, AND A SINK LOOKING OUT OVER EGGEMOGGIN REACH AND THE PUMPKIN ISLAND LIGHT HOUSE.  WHAT A PLACE TO WORK. THE DINING ROOM HAD A MARBLE FIRE PLACE WHICH WAS VERY NICE WITH A MIRROR AND MARBLE ALL AROUND.  IT WAS SO ELITE, WITH COLUMNS OF MARBLE MADE LIKE THE CORINTHIAN COLUMNS IN THE LIVING ROOM. THERE WERE 13 OF THEM THAT SEEMED TO HOLD THE HOUSE UP. THE FLOORS WERE OF HARD WOOD AND VERY NICELY FINISHED. THERE WAS A MASTER BEDROOM AND 5 ADDITIONAL BEDROOMS UPSTAIRS.

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 20 TO 25 WINDOWS AND A PICTURE WINDOW IN THE FRONT FOR THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW AND THE SIDE NEXT TO EGGEMOGGIN REACH WAS ALL WINDOWS. THOSE ON THE STAIRCASE HAD STAINED GLASS AND THOSE ON THE DOORS THAT OPENED AT THE FIRST LANDING WERE LEADED STAINED GLASS. THE STAIR CASE TOOK UP A GREAT DEAL OF SPACE AND IT WAS SO LOVELY.  THERE WAS A COAT CLOSET BEHIND THE STAIRS AND IN THE MIDDLE WAS THE LIQUOR CLOSET WHICH WAS ALWAYS LOCKED.  MY GRANDFATHER SAID NO ONE BUT MR GAY WAS TO USE THAT AND TO GIVE OUT THE DRINKS.

THE OUTSIDE HAD A PORCH ON THE EAST AND SOUTH SIDE AND ON THE NORTH SIDE THERE WAS A SMALL ONE FOR THE WOOD SHED AND THE HELP. IT WAS ALL NICELY PAINTED.  MY GRANDFATHER SAID IT TOOK 40 GALLONS OF PAINT EVERY TWO YEARS AND HE SAID HIS ARMS WERE VERY TIRED BY THE TIME IT WAS ALL USED UP.

THE GROUNDS WERE LOVELY SO MY GRANDFATHER AND MOTHER TOLD ME.  WHEN MOTHER AND I CLEANED THE HOUSE FOR MR. AND MRS. HARMON OUR SON BLAINE WOULD BE THERE TOO. HE HAD GREAT FUN DRIVING HIS LITTLE TRACTOR AROUND THE COLUMNS. THE WINDOWS WERE A DAY’S WORK TO CLEAN AND IT TOOK MANY DAYS TO CLEAN THAT HOUSE AND GET IT READY FOR USE.

OSCAR HOOPER WAS OUR UNCLE. HE MARRIED MY GRANDFATHER’S SISTER AND WAS MY HUSBAND’S GRANDMOTHER’S BROTHER SO IT MADE HIM AN UNCLE TO US ALL AROUND. IN THE LATE 50’S AND EARLY 60’S WE ALL WORKED AT ASBEGO TOGETHER.  OSCAR USED TO COME IN AND HAVE LUNCH WITH US LOOKING OUT OVER EGGEMOGGIN REACH AND WATCHING THE CATTLE BOATS AND AN OCCASIONAL LOBSTER BOAT AS THEY SAILED UP AND DOWN THE REACH.

UNCLE OSCAR DIED IN 1958 SO HAROLD EATON AND LEE WEBB CAME TO DO THE WORK IN THE WOODS AND GARDEN.  HAROLD STAYED DOWN AT THE LOG CABIN GARDENER’S QUARTERS. UNCLE OSCAR’S GARDENS WERE PERFECT BUT I CAN TELL YOU HAROLD EATON’S WEREN’T AS TIDY.  LEE RAKED THE GROUNDS AND THE ROAD AND GOT THE FIREWOOD.

THERE WAS A GEORGIAN PLUM TREE BY THE HELP’S QUARTERS WHICH I REALLY LIKED. WE ALWAYS MADE PLUM JAM AND CAKES AND MOTHER AND I ALWAYS USED THEM TO MAKE PLUM PUDDING FOR CHRISTMAS AND THANKSGIVING.

MRS. EKINS WAS VERY FRIENDLY WITH MRS. LALOR AND THE DAVIES FAMILY. THEY MAY HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER BEFORE COMING HERE.  MRS. EKINS PASSED AWAY AND SOON AFTER HARVEY PASSED AWAY SO WILLIMENA SOLD THE PLACE TO FREDERICK BILLINGS LITTLEFIELD WHO, AT THAT TIME, RAN THE ROBIN HOOD CAMP FOR BOYS. HE HAD PEOPLE LIVING AT THE HOUSE AND A WOMAN WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN THERE ON OCTOBER 12, 1974 WHEN THE HOUSE WENT UP IN FLAMES. IT WAS A VERY STILL MORNING WITH NOT A BIT OF WIND BUT THE HOUSE WAS FULLY ENGULFED AND FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE ROOF BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED.

IT WAS A VERY FAST FIRE AND ASBEGO QUICKLY BURNT RIGHT TO THE GROUND.  I WAS THERE AND WATCHED THE FIRE.  THE FIRE DEPT DID A GREAT JOB BUT COULDN’T SAVE IT. FRANKLIN NUTTER WHO LIVED OVER TO SNOW’S COVE WAS FIRE CHIEF AT THE TIME. HE WAS OUR GRANDCHILDREN’S GREAT GRANDFATHER.

IN HIS WRITEUP ABOUT THE GAY FAMILY, THEIR GRANDSON ARTHUR MENTIONS EVIE BARBOUR.  EVIE WAS MY GRANDFATHER’S COUSIN AND WAS THE WOMAN WHO, WITH HER HUSBAND MR. KIMBALL, TOOK MANY OF THE PICTURES THAT ARE NOW ON POSTCARDS FROM THIS AREA.  SHE MARRIED A SECOND TIME, AS MR. KIMBALL DIED, TO A MAN NAME BARBOUR.

ARTHUR DESCRIBES THE DRESS FOR JOHN III AT HIS BAPTISM AND SPEAKS OF HOW MRS. GAY WAS A BIT HARD TO GET ALONG WITH. HE PUT IT WELL IN HIS WRITINGS. MRS. GAY WAS NOT A VERY EASY PERSON TO WORK FOR BUT MR. GAY WAS A LOVELY AND UNDERSTANDING MAN. UNCLE OSCAR ALWAYS SAID MRS. GAY COULD BE HARD TO PLEASE BUT MR GAY WAS ALWAYS SO NICE TO EVERYONE AND WOULD DO SPECIAL THINGS LIKE BRINGING UP HICKORY WOOD TO USE IN THE SMOKE HOUSE FOR HE LOVED SMOKED DUCK, CHICKEN AND FISH.

MOTHER WAS FRIENDLY WITH ADELAIDE GAY WHO MARRIED DR. DONALD HAWKINS WHO LIVED DOWN WHERE THE SCHROTH FAMILY LIVES TODAY. ADELAIDE GAVE MOTHER A PRESENT WHEN I WAS BORN. THEY LIVED IN DAMARISCOTTA AND CAMDEN AND HE WAS THE BROTHER OF HAVILAH HAWKINS (BUDSEY) WHO HAD THE SCHOONER MARY DAY.

THE DAVIES FAMILY CAME HERE FOR MANY YEARS AND THAT IS HOW THE GAY FAMILY BEGAN COMING HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEIR FAMILY STILL COMES TO THIS AREA.  JOHN R. DAVIES IV LIVES OVER TO WEST SEDGWICK TODAY AND HIS SISTER MARRIED A TALBOT. THEY SUMMER ON DEER ISLE. THE LALOR FAMILY IS STILL IN THE AREA.  CAROL GRAVES IS THE 5^TH GENERATION AND SHE NOW OWNS THE LALOR COTTAGE.

AFTER THE FIRE, THE ASBEGO LAND WAS SOLD TO DAVID AND DORRACE SEXTON AND HOUSES HAVE SINCE BEEN BUILT ON THE PROPERTY. THEY HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE AREA ABOUT 25 YEARS AND MRS.DORRACE SEXTON WENT TO SCHOOL WITH ROSAMOND PECK WHO IS RELATED TO THE WATERMANS.THE PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE HOUSES ARE BUILT IS PART OF THE HAGERTHY-SARGENT SUB –DIVISION, THE FIRST SUB-DIVISION IN THE TOWN OF SEDGWICK.

SYLVIA CONNER WARDWELL
SARGENTVILLE, MAINE
DEC., 2013