Pilgrim Guide Book to Plymouth, Massachusetts: With a Brief Outline of the Pilgrim Migration and Settlement at PlymouthAtwood, William Franklin
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Pilgrim Guide Book to Plymouth, Massachusetts: With a Brief Outline of the Pilgrim Migration and Settlement at Plymouth
Atwood, William Franklin
Plymouth (Mass.) -- Guidebooks
Passing up North Street, shaded by its arch of lindens, we come to the
house of Gen. John Winslow, built in 1730. This building stands at the
corner of Main and North Streets and is now a business block. It was
upon Gen. Winslow, who was a brother of Edward Winslow, that fell the
unpleasant burden of removing the neutral Arcadians from Nova Scotia.
This historic building was later the home of James Warren, President of
the Provincial Congress, who married Mercy Otis, sister of James Otis,
the brilliant champion of American rights.
We are now in Shirley Square, the town’s business center.
It may be observed that North Street and Leyden Street run parallel
toward the water, Carver Street following the curve on Cole’s Hill
connecting with both streets at the north and south sides of the hill.
Middle Street, starting at Main, runs between North and Leyden Streets
and ends at the hill.
To those who have not visited Plymouth in recent years, the transition
of Court and North Streets from their quiet residential charm, to
avenues of commercial enterprise, will be noticeable. It is the
inevitable contribution to expansion and progress.
Let us turn right here and proceed north on Court Street. A few steps
takes us to the Plymouth County Court House and the Registry of Deeds.
The Plymouth County Court House stands between North and South Russell
Streets with its wide expanse of lawn extending to Court Street. From
here one looks down Brewster Street to the harbor. On the northerly
corner of Brewster and Court Streets is the Methodist Church. On the
southerly corner, the home of the Old Colony Club.
The Court House was erected in 1820 and was remodeled in 1857. It
contains, beside the court rooms, accommodations for the various county
offices.
During recent years the houses on the south side of South Russell Street
running westerly from School Street have been removed and Burial Hill
has been extended to the corner. This change brings the historic hill
into view across the Court House lawn as one approaches from the north.
THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS
[Illustration: {Illustrated capital}]
On North Russell Street stands the Registry of Deeds, a fireproof
building erected in 1904. To the antiquarian and those interested in
historical data, this building would rank next to Pilgrim Hall, if not
first in importance. It contains papers of unusual interest, including
many signed by Pilgrim hands, as well as those bearing the identifying
signs or marks of the native Indians.
There are deeds in the native language, Gov. Bradford’s order for trial
by jury, various laws pertaining to the guidance of the colony and of
the division of land, including a plan of the laying out of the first
street (now Leyden Street).
The second patent, dated 1629, granted by the Earl of Warwick, may be
seen in the original box in which it came from England.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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