SMITH, Mathias Jr.

This picture of the Smith homestead was taken
in the late 1800's before the third story was
added and the roofline changed. Picture
courtesy of Joanne Fogg Fournier.

Mathias Smith, Jr. came to Readfield with his father and family about 1770. He was born 8/30/1758 in Pomfret, CT a son of Mathias and Comfort (Carpenter) Smith. A few short years after their arrival here the Revolutionary War began and Mathias served along with his father, uncles and some of his brothers. After the War he married in Tisbury, MA to Temperance Blossom in 1785. She was born 1761 in Barnstable, MA the daughter of Lieut. James and Bethia (Smith) Blossom. Mathias and Temperance were distant cousins. The Blossom family moved to Monmouth, Maine. Temperance's sister Asenath also lived in Readfield. Asenath married to Peter Norton, the town's first lawyer. 

Mathias built the Smith farm / homestead on Sturtevant Hill Road. After his father died his log cabin was moved from its original location near Dead Stream and through the woods to Sturtevant Hill Road then incorporated into Mathias Jr.'s house. The kitchen of the Smith homestead is the original log cabin and the walls are a foot thick (I was told this by Olive and Reggie Smith in 1989). 

Mathias and Temperance both died in Readfield – he 1812 and she 1817. They are buried at Readfield Corner Cemetery. 10 children i)James b.1787 ii) Carpenter b.1789 iii) Samuel b.1791 iv) George b.1793 v) John b.1794 vi) Benjamin b.1796 vii) Oliver b.1798 viii) Mathias b.1800 d.1802 ix) Ansel b.1803 x) Harriett b.1805