Johnston Historical Society Newsletter
Vol. I, #4, May 1985
Shirley Beaune, President, Louis H. McGowan, editor

The Mathewson Farm
by Louis H. McGowan
Situated in Belknap along Greenville Avenue at Atwood Avenue is the Mathewson farm which had been in that family since 1793. In that year Rufus Sprague sold the sixteen acre property with its house to William Mathewson. The sale marked the beginning of 192 years of continuous occupation of the site by the Mathewsons. The present owner, William Henry Mathewson, is a great-great-great-grandson of William, the original purchaser of the farm and a ninth generation descendent of James Mathewson, the first family member in Rhode Island. James appears in the Providence records by 1658 and when he died in 1682 he left substantial amounts of land to his heirs including land beyond the Seven Mile Line, which today forms the west border of Johnston. With his wife, Hannah Field, James had five sons: James, John, Thomas, Zachariah, and Daniel.

William Mathewson, the first of his family to occupy the Greenville Avenue farm, was a great-grandson of James. He married Marcy Sheldon of Johnston and is believed to have been a cooper in addition to running his farm. He died in 1796, leaving at least eight sons and daughters, but appears to have passed the farm on to one son, William. Nothing is known of William, his son, except that he died by 1813, passing on the farm to his brothers and sisters. One of the brothers, Philip, bought the shares of the other heirs and he and his wife, Mary Winsor, made the farm their home. Philip was also a cooper and in later years he added a small store to his cooper shop. For a number of years he appears on the muster roll of the Johnston Rangers, a local militia unit. By 1808 he was a Captain in that outfit. His son, Paris, bought the farm in 1845 but Philip lived there until his death in 1853.

Paris was born on the family farm in 1804 and worked there with his father until his marriage when he moved to a nearby farm. After his father died he returned to the home farm with his wife, Phoebe Tripp Olney, and remained there until his death in 1875. Paris was a farmer and teamster in his early years, later becoming a building contractor and a horse salesman. He also took an active part in politics, serving for a number of years on the Town Council and in the State General Assembly.

In 1855 the farm was sold by Paris to his son, William Henry Mathewson, the grandfather of the present owner. William, born about 1824, married Mary Westcott and resided on the farm, keeping horses, farming, and running a cider mill. He passed the farm on to his son, William Henry. This second William Henry Mathewson was born in 1867, married Nellie V. Berchant, and died in 1939. He farmed, kept dairy cows, ran the cider mill, and was involved in local politics. The farm in 1953 became the property of the third William Henry Mathewson, the present owner. He had worked the farm, though, since 1931, selling vegetables to Weybosset Pure Food Markets in Providence during the 1930s and 1940s. In addition he ran a local tractor business for thirty years.

The house, itself, appears to date to at least 1740 although Mr. Mathewson has reason to believe it may be even older. It is a two-story, wooden building with five bays and a central chimney. It sets back about sevety-five feet from the road. The main doorway is centered on the front with pilasters on either side of the door. A fan (now boarded over) is above the door. A one-story porch with six simple columns extends along the front of the house and was added about 1925. A brick path leads to the front porch and stone paths lead from the back door to the driveway and the barn. The stones, about two feet by four feet, were laid by William Henry, father of Mr. Mathewson.

In 1913 William Henry Mathewson, 2nd, built the one-and-a-half-story barn and the first silo. The other two silos were added by his son, moving them here from other farms. The barn is topped by a central cupola and is freshly shingled. An extension to the south houses forty-eight dairy cattle. The Mathewsons started selling milk to the Hood Company in 1917. William, the present owner, had cows here from 1931 until 1947. An ell to the west of the barn was used for storing ice which was cut on the pond to the south of the farm house.

Numerous other buildings, now all gone, were owned by the Mathewsons on both sides of Greenville Avenue. A building directly across the road on the north housed a general store on the first floor and a dance hall on the second floor. It burned in 1898. The cider mill lay just to the east of the store. On the south side of Greenville Avenue and just to the east of the house was a blacksmith shop which was torn down about 1915 by Mr. Mathewson when he was just a young man. The Mathewsons hired blacksmiths to work the shop. A cooper shop lay just to the west of the house. A building that remains houses the Mathewson Equipment Company. It was built in the early 1950s on the north side of Greenville Avenue and Gibson. William Mathewson sells farm equipment there, having taken over the business from his father.

To the south-west of the house, in back of the barn, lies the family cemetery. It is well-maintained. The earliest headstone dates to 1812.

The Mathewson property is a beautifully-kept farm, one that is important to the town both because of its beauty and because of the history connected with it. Farms are rapidly disappearing in this area and well-cared for examples such as this one are quite rare.

• Austin, John Osborne. Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. Baltimore: Genealogical Publ. Co., 1887, 1969. p.131.
• Benns, Martha A., "Mathewson Family" (RIHS typescript).
• Bicknell, Thomas W. History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, Vol. 5. New York: American Historical Society, 1920. p.28-29.
• Interview with William Henry Mathewson (May 13, 1985).
• Smith, Joseph J. Civil and Military List of Rhode Island. Providence: Preston & Rounds, 1901. Vol. 2, p.126.
• Town of Johnston, Town Clerk's Office. Land Records, Book 3, p. 145; Book 6, p.31, 32, 345, 348, 565; Book 10, p.39; Book 13, p.29; Book 16, p.349; Book 75, p.462.

The Mathewson farm, Belknap corners, looking west on the Killingly Road (Greenville Avenue) ca. 1890? From left, a shed, the main house, the well (just to the right of elm tree), the cooper shop, a drive-through shed (dark building behind horse team), and on north side of road, a barn and the store (with dance hall on second floor)—this latter building burned in 1898.

Prof. Edward M. Cook, Jr., of the University of Chicago's History Department writes that he is "working on a book about Rhode Island politics in the period 1760 to 1820." He is looking for "any old letters or papers of the old families of the town that would shed light on the early political history" of Johnston, other than records at Johnston and Providence city halls, which he has already combed. Check with Bob Burford, Mohr Library, if anyone has items possibly of use in this quest.

The best projects entered in Johnston High School's "History Day" were submitted to the State History Day Fair held at URI on April 27th. Eleven Johnston entries were selected to go to the "nationals" this month. This program has been gaining strength at Johnston H.S. for several years. Might the Society take an active part in the "History Day" by awarding prizes for projects of local or state significance?

Editorial Policy
This publication is to provide: 1) timely information to the members of the Johnston Historical Society, while 2) fostering the study of local history by sharing data and reasonably researched articles about the town's heritage. Six issues will be published per year. Back issues are 75 cents per copy. The editor eagerly solicits manuscripts and notes of any length and grammatical quality (generally not to exceed 2000 words). Topics can range from history and preservation of old houses (general or specific buildings) through biographical sketches and genealogy of local families, to Johnston events, geography, archaeology, industries, clubs and organizations, to folklore and crafts of past decades. Documents and diaries of historical significance would be considered for reprinting.

Streets Of The Town
In the Frog City section of Thornton are two streets named Angelico Street and Pezzullo Street. Their names derive from Angelico Pezzullo, an Italian immigrant who came here from his native country in 1887. He spent his early years in Rhode Island as a construction worker, saving money until he could purchase a house and send for his wife. After a few years he was able to start his own construction business which became very successful in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1921 he purchased the Simmons Mansion on Atwood Avenue for his son, Joseph Pezzullo. Joseph was born in Providence and lived there until he moved to the Simmons Mansion with his wife, Theresa DeSisto. In 1933 he organized the Star Novelty Company, maker of sterling silver jewelry. From 1936 until 1938 Pezzullo served as State Representative from Johnston and in 1941 he was elected to the State Senate, remaining there until his retirement in 1957. Joseph died in 1979. Two of his children still reside in the Simmons Mansion.

Total Systems Inc., a Providence communications company, has donated a four-drawer file cabinet and a stationery sorter to the Society for its growing collection of historical notes and documents. We are indebted to John S. Cain for his obtaining these nice gifts from the people at Total.

Our thanks also go to Mrs. Dora Warren and Mrs. Marilyn (Kaye) Brown for the loan of several fine old photographs of local people and places.

Inadvertently left out of last issue was a BIBLIOGRAPHY to go with the article on Gen. Zenas Bliss:

• Hopkins, William P. The Seventh Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers in the Civil War, 1862-1965. (Providence: Snow & Farnham, 1903).
• Barker, Harold R. History of the Rhode Island Combat Units in the Civil War, (1861-1865). (privately printed, 1964).
"A Johnston Boy Colonel Zenas R. Bliss May Be Made A Brigadier," Providence Journal, (Mar. 13, 1895).

Extracted from Rhode Island Colonial Records
Johnston, General Assembly, 1754-1779

Historical Teasers: Answers to last month's questions

1. Samuel Ward King was the only Johnston resident ever elected to the governorship of Rhode Island.
2. Hipses Rock was one of the original boundary markers for the gift of land from the Indian Sachems Canonicus and Miantinomi to Roger Williams. It is located to the south of Morgan Avenue and to the west of Vincent Drive.
3. Oresto DiSaia designed the Johnston Town Hall and St. Rocco's Church, in addition to many other buildings in the area such as Mount Pleasant High School and St. Pius Church in Providence.

This Month's Questions:

1. What two Johnston streets are named after Italian kings?
2. In what year did the first class graduate from Johnston High School in the twentieth century? What important accomplishment did that class make in the field of sports?
3. In 1841 the Town voted to build a town house. It was constructed soon after this. It was the first building specifically erected for use as a town house. Where was the building located?

What's Happened Around the Johnston Historical Society
At our March meeting we were treated to an excellent talk given by Robert and Vivian Lynch of the Cranston Historical Society. They detailed how the Sprague Mansion, home of their historical society, was saved from being torn down. Starting only one month before the scheduled demolition date, a small group enlisted the support and financial aid of much of the community in saving that remarkable building. They knew that they had to bring in widespread support, not just people interesting in history. The rescue of the building and its restoration thereafter became "the thing to do" in the city. The time and effort spent by many individuals and groups produced results, as the mansion was restored to its old splendor.

We extend our thanks to the Lynchs for the intelligent and informative presentation.

On April 13th, twenty-four members and guests of the Johnston Historical Society visited the Smith-Appleby House in Smithfield for a tour and chicken pot pie dinner. Ruth Lebeck, president of the Historical Society of Smithfield, led us on the tour of the grounds and house interior. The east side of the house dates from 1696 and was originally a "stone-ender". An ell on the south side dates to 1725 and is the only section that has been modernized. The western portion of the structure is actually another house that was moved there from the Clemence property in Johnston. Their society has acquired many period pieces of furniture and most of the rooms have been restored through contributions of benefactors. Noteworthy interior items include a "marbleized" floor, a smoke room for curing meat, original wall stenciling, a built-in china cabinet, and a particularly large and attractive fireplace in the kitchen.

After the tour, several Smithfield Society members put on a delicious, homemade chicken pot pie dinner. The large kitchen, with its beautifully set tables, made a pleasant setting for a fine meal. We thank Ruth and all the people involved in helping us to an enjoyable and edifying afternoon.

On April 20th, eight Society members showed up for the 8:00am cleanup of the King Cemetery on lower Hartford Avenue. This enthusiastic group spent the morning raking and cutting out small trees. The Town of Johnston donated rakes, gloves, and trash bags, and a town maintenance crew picked up our 50 bags of collected refuse. The cemetery is in reasonably good condition and many outstanding slate stones from the 18th century are present. An inventory of the town's cemeteries is currently in progress and periodic clean-up days will be scheduled in the near future.

Saturday, May 11th, the Society held its Flea Market on the grounds of Farnum House. The day was beautiful, the crowds enthusiastic and twenty-two dealers paid for table space. Initial reaction is that the event raised a respectable amount of money for JHS.

Ask Joe Paquette for the time of the next airing of his half hour video production about the textile mills in Thornton. Louis McGowan was guest historian, with Bob Burford acting the role of MC. It contains much solid history and is also a good presentation of video techniques. More history programs are planned.

Having spent some time one afternoon looking for this address for a library user, I will share it with you who possibly have similar interests. Donations for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty can be sent to: Statue of Liberty—Ellis Is. Foundation, 101 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10178.

Calender Of Events
May 28 (Tuesday) Johnston Historical Society GENERAL MEETING. Carolyn Thornton, a Johnston High School student, will speak on her family history at 7:30 p.m. at the Farnum House.

June 1 & 2 (Saturday/Sunday) Johnston HERITAGE FESTIVAL, Johnston Memorial Park. We will serve coffee and pastry on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A slide show on Johnston's past will be shown during the same time period.

June 23 (Sunday) Dame Farm nature walk, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Meet at Dame Farm, Brown Ave.

June 24 (Monday) Johnston Historical Society GENERAL MEETING, 7:30 p.m., at the Farnum House. Slides will be shown.

July 14 (Sunday) Tour of the John Brown House, Providence, 2:00 p.m. Meet at the Farnum House at 1:30 p.m. Admission: $2.50 (Elderly $1.00).

August 3 (Saturday) Photography duplicating at the Farnum House, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Society members will make reproductions of photos owned by anyone wishing to let us make copies. Photographs will be copied on the spot and will never leave the sight of the owners.