Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

PORTSMOUTH PIER. 209
teen stores. On the north side of the Pier was another
building of the same height, divided into two stores. The
site of the latter is now occupied by Mr. Hall Varrell's
coopery.
The occupants of the large Pier building were, first on
the east end, Thomas Manning, then Daniel Huntress,
Aaron Lakeman, John McClintock, Elisha Lowe, James
Shapley, Theodore Chase, Clement Storer, Clement Jackson, Martin Parry, Elijah Hall, George Long and William
and Joseph Chase. In the third story was Joseph Walker's
sail loft. Benjamin Holmes and others occupied the other
Pier building for counting rooms and storage.
T'hese stores at the time of the fire were full of merchandise-such as liquors, molasses, sugar, salt, coffee, and one
store was filled with yellow ochre, much used for painting
in those days.
On the west of the Pier edifice and nearly adjoining it,
on the north corner of Water street, was the New zlampshire Hotel, a large brick building, where ship masters,
mates and the public generally, found accommodations. In
this hotel the celebrated ventriloquist Potter, whose fame
was world-wide in his day, was in his early life a. servant.
This hotel as well as the site of the Pier wharf, was formerly the property of the Sherburne family-Capt. Benjamin Sherburne occupied the hotel about seventy years
ago, and it was disposed of by him to the Pier Company.
The last landlord of the hotel was Mr. Geddis.
Water street before the fire varied in width from twentytwo to thirty feet. Daniel street, from Penballow street
east, was about thirty-five feet wide. There was a fiont
yard to the mansion of Elijah Hall-and the building opposite set out five feet into the present street line.
State street being so narrow, and very compactly filled
with wooden buildings, the fire extended through it with
irresistible fury. The flames from both sides of the street