Readfield 1790-1820 ~ The Beginning of a Town: SMITH, John Capt. 1820 US Census Readfield 1-1-3-3-1 (updated 11/2023)

John Smith was born 1776,[i] the sixth child of Capt. Mathias and Comfort Carpenter Smith. His father was an early settler in Readfield, about 1768, who built his cabin on the Winthrop Road, a little south of Dead Stream. His brother Mathias Smith Jr. built the Smith homestead on Sturtevant Hill Road. Several members of the Smith family were instrumental in building the Readfield Union Meeting House in 1827 and in supporting it henceforth (Keeping the Faith by Ernest Bracy).

The John Smith house c1808 is now owned by
and sits adjacent to the Union Meeting House
(UMH). The building was donated to UMH by
Asa Gile in the 1860s, he son-in-law of John Smith,
to be used as a vestry and it was moved to
its present location. Read on to learn more.

John Smith married Lucia MNU before 1804[ii]. He purchased three parcels of land at Readfield Corner from Thomas Craig 1808-1810[iii] and probably built his home (pictured at left) about that time. Smith gained his military title during the War of 1812 when he was Captain of the Militia in Colonel Ellis Sweet’s Regiment. Smith’s civic duties included: Readfield Town Clerk 1809 and 1813; Readfield Selectman 1814-1819 and 1823-1826; Readfield Treasurer 1820, 1827 and 1833; and Maine State Legislator 1822. He also became an attorney.

By 1820 there were nine living in his household and he was engaged in farming and commerce at which time he was a store-keeper at Readfield Corner. In 1840 he opened a second store at Readfield Corner on the present site of the Emporium Pub and Bistro (2019). His son, John Jr., took over the business and in 1856 was burned out.[iv]

John Smith and his son ran a store at the current

location of Readfield Emporium. It burned in 1856. After the Smiths

D.D. Merriman operated a store on this spot which is pictured here c1900.

This store burned in 1921.

Interesting is the reference made to Smith’s store in a description of Musters held at Readfield in the 1840’s: [v] "…Readfield Corner was the rendezvous; the rum kegs in the Corner grocery there were exhaustless. Fresh sand was strewn in the store that morning. Boots crunching in the sand, the clink of glasses, the hearty voices…”.

The Smiths must have extended a great deal of credit at the stores for between 1812-1853 they were plaintiffs in 27 cases presented at the Kennebec County Supreme Judicial Court in the attempt to collect debts owed them. In spite of this Captain John Smith was listed as “Gentleman” and his real estate was valued $15,000 in 1850.[vi] By comparison none of his neighbor’s real estate value exceeded $700.

Captain John Smith and his wife Lucia are buried in Readfield Corner Cemetery.

Pictured here is his gravestone as it appears today.

Lucia Smith died in 1855. Her gravestone at Readfield Corner Cemetery reads Lucia Smith, wife of John Smith, Esq. Sometime before June 1860[vii] John Smith moved in with his oldest child Caroline and her husband Moses Whittier. John Smith died 03 Dec 1860[viii] and is buried next to his wife. His stone is inscribed Captain John Smith.

Capt. John Smith's "mansion" once sat at this location.

It was moved in 1868 and remains

adjacent to Union Meeting House to this day.

The house pictured here was built by his daughter and husband

Asa and Ursula (Smith) Gile circa 1868.

In 1854 Capt. John sold his house to his daughter Ursula and husband Asa Gile. Soon after his death they donated it, known as the "Smith Mansion", to the Union Meeting House to be used as a vestry, and it was moved from the Asa Gile estate to its present location[ix]. A break in the stone wall behind the vestry remains today, where the house was dragged to its present location. Ironically Captain Smith’s militia of 45 privates and several officers would have held their Musters on the site where Smith's mansion (the vestry) now sits - on the Union Meeting House lot. Military Musters were held at that location in the early years.
Asa and Ursula Gile built a new home (pictured above) about 1868 – commonly known as “the house with the iron fence” on Main Street, Readfield Corner.

Children of John and Lucia Smith: