The Historic Vaughn House
A South Berwick Colonial Home
Nestled along the banks of the Salmon Falls River, sits the quaint New England village of South Berwick, Maine. It has been home to the famous author Sarah Orne Jewett and generations of families who have left their mark on this historic town. Many of their homes are still standing.
Built in 1785, there is a large center-chimney colonial that embodies this rich heritage to be passed down to future generations. The influential families that lived within its walls have included merchants, lawyers, a reverand, tanner, postmaster, physician, to name just a few.
The first owner was William Lambert who practiced law and was considered be, "a worhty citizen of the town." After his first wife, Rhoda & their infant son died, he married Abigail Ricker, the daughter of Captain Ebenezer Ricker, a Rollinsford sea captain, and Elizabeth Wallingford.
William and Abigail had two children and Lucy Hill Lambert. This daughter went on to marry Sen. John Hale of Dover, NH (who was known as a strong abolitionist and supporter of Abraham Lincoln). The Hales had two daughters, Elizabeth Hale and Lucy Lambert Hale. It is this second daughter (and granddaughter to William Lambert) that has become a foootnote in history.
Sen. Hale worked very closely with President Lincoln and he and his wife were hopeful that Lucy would marry Todd Lincoln, the Presidents son. Lucy, however, became secretly engaged to an actor, which was met with great disproval by the Hale family. As his term of office was ending, Sen. Hale approached Abraham Lincoln and was granted an appointment as ambassador to Spain in an effort to seperate Lucy from her unfortunate choice of companion.
The date is April 14, 1865. Lucy is seen meeting with her fiancee at the National Hotel In Washington. His name is John Wilkes Booth and later that same day he entered the National Theatre and assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The rest of the tale is history - but it has been documented that when John Wilkes Booth's body was found, he had a picture of Lucy Lambert Hale in his wallet.
Did John Wilkes Booth assassinate Preident Lincoln because of his views on slavery and the defeat of the Confederacy or was it driven by jealousy and a need for revenge at the interference by Abraham Lincoln in his reationship with Lucy? William Lambert's granddaughter has become a part of history with questions that will never truly be answered.
The next family of note to occupy the home was the Boyd family, who purchased the house in 1817. Reverend Ebenezer Little Boyd was a member family of eminent men and scholars. Rev. Boyd was a noted Baptist preacher and was mentioned by Sarah Orne Jewett in her famous work "The Old Town of South Berwick". He was married to Sarah Frazier Boyd. Sarah's sister, Ann Frazier, was married to William King, the first Governor of Maine.
Ebenezer L. Boyd's brothers were noted for their achievements. His older brothers, Robert Boyd and Joseph Coffin Boyd were successful merchants in Portland, Maine. Joseph became the the first Treasurer of State in 1820 and died in 1823 at the age of 63 while still in office. John Parker Boyd, a younger brother, was made a brigadier general and served through the war of 1812 and is prominently featured in documents recounting the battles.
In 1852, the house passed to the ownership of the Dennis Ferguson Family. Dennis Ferguson also purchased the the home across the street and set up a tannery on that property. Dennis and his wife Mary had eight children. He was considered a prosperous businessman and at a later time became the postmaster for So. Berwick. Over time, his daughter Suzie lived in the current house while her sister, Martha, lived across the street. A member of the Ferguson Family owned the the home until 1909.
Various owners lived in the home until 1931 when Annie Hooper established the Purity Hospital in the House. Eventually the hospital was sold to J.A. Kenney who changed the name to the South Berwick Maternity Hospital and continued to serve South Berwick until the early 1950's. We have determined by speaking with individuals who either had children here or were born here themselves, that a tiny upstairs room was the "birthing room" and an upstairs back bedroom was set aside for bathing and changing the newborns. There are photographs showing the Hospital Sign Hanging from a large porch, (it has since been removed) that extended across the front of the building.
The house then returned to private ownership and changed hands several times. In 1964 the house was purchased at auction and a restoration to its original condition was undertaken. The current owners have added traditional colonial gardens to the property.
On June 1, 2003 a destructive fire caused severe damage to portions of the building but the main body of the house remained intact. Always with an eye for authenticity, great expertise, and crafmanship the house has again been restored to its former beauty.
With fine care and good fortune the Lambert House House will remain standing for another 200 years and continue to be a part of South Berwick history.
Written by Mary Vaughn, January 15, 2004