Lucius Paige Builder of Stone Houses

Lucius Paige of Cavendish was not the usual man of his time, a farmer. Instead he was a mechanic, wheelwright, carpenter, mason, power broker, deal maker, and many other things. He was a man who knew how to think stratgically and did what he could to take advantage of his knowledge. I thought while I am working on the DAVIS families of Cavendish, I would share the story of Lucius that we know, thus far, with you all. If anyone has anymore information, I would love to see it. For example, I would like to have a good photograph of the Hickernnel House (the gingerbread one), and an older photo of Glimmerstone. I also need to know if anyone else knows the other places that Lucius built. I think he built the stone Universalist Church in Felchville.. I have to do a little more research. Linda Welch, CHS Geneologist


Almira Davis (7) {John (6), Joshua (5), Joshua (4), Joseph (3), Joseph (2), George (1)}, was born in Springfield, Vt., 2 Nov., 1808. She m. 2 May, 1832 Lucius Paige (b. Roylaton, Vt. 7 Oct., 1802, son of Nathan & Hannah (Cobb) Paige).
Lucius’ brother was Benjamin Paige who m. Huldah Cheney and lived in Baltimore, Vt.Benjamin and Huldah had a son they named Lucius Hubbard Paige, b. Baltimore, 14 Oct., 1815, m. Wethersfield, 8 May, 1850, Lucinda Wheelock Williams]
Lucius Paige was an enterprising young man and an expert craftsman. He was responsible for building many stone structures in Cavendish and vicinity, and worked incompany with his father-in-law, John Davis. They were among the leading contracting carpenters in their day, and taking on construction projects as a company. They hired many local laborers.. Lucius helped design and built the famous "Glimmerstone" on the road to Proctorsville and also the Buck House in Cavendish Village, known to all as the 'ginger bread house.' [put in pictures of Glimmerstone and the Hickendale house here].
At the time of the 1850 census, Lucius and Almira were living in Cavendish on property valued at $1,000. He was occupied as a carpenter. Their neighbors were Salmon Dutton, Joseph Freeman, and Edmund Ingalls. They had two children living at home this time
In Cavendish on 3 June, 1850, witnessed by R. H. Eddy and F. P. Hale, Jr., Lucius applied for a patent on his invention of a new and approved "Sash-Lock." He wrote: "as a sash fastener or bolt, my device will be found to be very effective in operation, easily applicable to sashes and not liable to get out of order. The cavity for its reception in the sash frame may be made principally by a common auger, having a diameter corresponding to that of the case. A screw inserted through the center of the case and into the sash frame will not only serve to fasten the case to the sash, but as a fulcrum for the weighted arm. His figures presented with the application, he said "the combination and arrangement of the weighted arm 'D', the rack 'C' the sectoral gear or pinion 'E', the stopping arm 'F' and the stop shoulder 'H' as applied to the bolt and within the case thereof and so as to operatetogether and actuate the bolt substantially in manner as specified."
On 3 Jan., 1854, Lucius was living in Cavendish when he received Letters Patent No. 10,368 for is invention of "Screw-Bolt and Nut." He submitted his drawings and application to the patent office 7 Dec., 1853. It was witnessed by Charles L. Blood and Otis Robbins of Cavendish, and described as: It as a "new and useful improvement. The object of his invention was to prevent a screw-nut from turning backward on its screw or from being unscrewed therefrom under ordinary circumstances or when a wrench or some equivalent is not applied to the nut for the purpose of unscrewing if. His invention provides ability to "score or groove the helical thread of the male screw so as to form it into a row or line of teeth, applying the screw nut "B" with a dog or catch "C" properly made to engage with the teeth formed on the helical thread of the male screw. The catch is affixed in a recess formed in the bolt and make it as a lever to turn on a fulcrum or pin "D." He claimed that the "forming of the helical thread of a male screw with notches or teeth in combination with applying to its screw nut a dog-catch or -spring-pawl to operate in the teeth, or notches, and prevent back rotation of the nut on the screw substantially."
Lucius applied for a second patent No. 12,245 (witnessed by S. H. Wales and S. F. Cohen) and it was approved 16 Jan., 1855, for "Brake-Block For Railroad Cars." It was a new improvement in a peculiar construction and arrangement of the shoes which bear against the wheels. "The improvement of so construction the shoe and the socket or bearing thereof and applying them as described herein, that the shoe may extend entirely through and out of the socket in opposite directions and be capable of being moved up to the wheel as fast as occasion may require until it (the shoe or rubber) is worn up or rendered unfit for service; my improvement being one of the great practical importance and utility." The next patent he applied for on 20 March, 1855, with Josiah Q. Adams and OtisRobbins as witnesses, for a "Lever of Railroad-Car Brakes," which was in an improvement in mechanism for operating the brakes of the truck frames of an Eight-Wheel Railway Car. His patent for the same was approved 25 March, 1856.
The third patent we find issued to Lucius Page was dated 24 April, 1855 (Patent No. 12,765); for "Combined Table and Writing-Desk." He applied for it 30 Sept., 1854, and he described it as a new and useful "secretary, table or article of furniture which can be converted into a table or writing desk at pleasure. He submitted figure designs and the application was witnessed by Charles L. Blood and Otis Robbins of Cavendish.
In a mortgage deed to Edmund Stone of Cavendish for $200 dated 8 Dec. ,1856, we learn the boundary description of the Lucius Paige home in Cavendish. "bounded on the west on the old Weathersfield Turnpike Road, on the north by land now owned and occupied byJoseph Freeman, and Sarah A. Freeman, on the east by land of Salmon Dutton, and on the south by land owned by the Widow and heirs of Addison Fletcher, deceased, and now occupied by the widow Mary S. Fletcher, containing about half of an acre of land, be the same more or less, together with the buildings thereon. "
On 2 Nov., 1855 in a patent application witnessed by J. P. Derby and William J. Pillsbury, Lucius Paige of Cavendish applied for his fourth patent for a "Grinding-Mill." It was approved 29 Jan., 1856 and issued Letters Patent No. 14,164. This invention made use of a screw 'A' applied to a vertical shaft 'B' extending downward through a hopper 'C' and supported in suitable bearings so as to be capable of being rotated. He employed four or any other suitable number of wheels shoe peripheries were formed with teeth or helical spaces to engage and work with the screw, "that when said screw is revolved, each of said wheels will be put in revolution, thereby on its own axis." He stated that "a mill constructed and made to operate in the above described manner has been found very advantageous for crushing and grinding or pulverizing various substances; whereby one or more wheels and a hopper whereby such mechanism is ame to answer the purpose of a mill for grinding."
Lucius was not done inventing. He applied for his fifth patent from Cavendish, 20 March, 1856, witnessed by R. H Eddy and F. P. Hale, Jr. He with Albert L. Lincoln of Boston were issued the patent 22 April, 1856 for "Studs For Wearing-Apparel" This was for an improved shirt button or stud, submitted with drawings. "In carrying out by invention, I take a common shirt stud or button as constructed with a circular disk or plate holder; "a" united to another disk "by" by a shank or projection "c" and I form said disk or plate holder with a slot "d" extending inward from its circumference towards its shank, and bend one edge of said slit so as to elevate the same a little above the other edge as seen in Figure 1, and in order to enable such raised edge to be inserted in a button hole corresponding in length with that of the slit. My improvement consists in constructing the "back disk holder" of an ordinary shirt stud or button with a slit "d" extending from its circumference to the shank, and having one of its raisedwith respect to the other substantially as specified."
Lucius was issued another patent 26 Aug., 1856 (Letters Patent No 15,617) for his invention of a new and improved "Water-Gage for Steam-Boilers." His object was to so construct a gage that in case one of the tubes of the inner series should become broken, thetube surrounding it will prevent the escape of steam and enable the gage to be continued in use until a more convenient opportunity to repair it shall occur. Furthermore should any one of the tubes of the external set become broken, the inner tube thereof will sustain the column of tubes and enable to gagte to be continued in use and also, by making the gage of several separate glass tubs instead of one long glass tube, there is not much danger of its being broken or getting out of order in consequence of contraction and expansion which its emperature various from time to time when the gage is in use."
Lucius d. of dropsy in Cavendish, 15 June 1857 (age 53).
When the 1860 census was taken, Almira was a widow and head of her household living with her daughter Sarah who was employed as a music teacher. Fourteen-year- old Danny was attending school. Mr. Orasia Lockwood (age 36) the station agent was boarding in the home. Almira’s real estate holdings were valued at $1,800 and she had personal property of $200. All those “inventions” of her husband did not seem to increase their annual income, but everyone in town still believed that Lucius was a brilliant man and Almira must have been left "wealthy"From all his inventions. It could not have been farther from the truth. She struggled to take care of herself and do what she could for her children, but she had always been a proud woman. Her neighbors in 1860 included William Davis, Widow Mary (Parkhurst) Spaulding, Samuel and Calista Adams, and James and Mary Whitten. Almira lost her beloved son Chancellor in the Civil War. He died far off in Louisiana at the age of 20 in 1865. He was buried with honors at Chalmette. Almira and her children were not listed in the 1870 census of Cavendish. In 1880, Almira lived in on the Hartland Road in Woodstock with her daughter's family.
Almira d. at the home of her daughter, 3 Aug., 1880 (age 71).
Lucius and Almira and the three young children they lost early, are all buried in the Cavendish Village, Mt. Union cemetery.

Paige Children (at least):

1. Eckford Paige, b. 1833 ....... d. Cavendish 14 July, 1834
2. Henry E. Paige, b. 1837 ....... d. 2 June, 1837
3. Lucius Allen Paige, b. 1838 ...... d. 2 April, 1842
4. Sarah Paige, b. Bethel, Vt., 1840. She m. Cavendish, 1 Jan., 1868, William Henry Harrison Sargent of Woodstock, Vt. (b. Tunbridge, Vt. 4 March, 1840, son ofWilliam Brown & Mahala (Noyes) Sargent). Mr. Sargent had moved to SouthRoyalton Vermont in 1865 to find work and settled permanently in the town in 1868. He bought a blacksmith shop of Mr. Charles Crandall. When the 1860 census was taken, he had $2,100 in real estate and $1,000 in personal property. Almira, Sarah's mother lived with them and helped look after the house. He carried on the blacksmith business until 1883 when he started a meat market, which proved very successful. Impaired health deprived Sarah of an active social life for many years, but the “quiet graces of domestic life” were found constantly in her cheerful home.
Sargent children:
1. Harry Adelbert Sargent, b. Woodstock, Vt. 2 Nov., 1869. He m. April, 190, Gerturde Dowing of Newmarket, NH.
2. HerbertChancellor Sargent, b. Royalton, Vt., 30 July, 1871. He m. in Royalton, 15 Aug.,1894, Nettie Pamela Waldo (b. 12 Nov., 1871, dau. of Joseph Warren & Nettie (Woodworth) Waldo). They had no children.
3. Fred Wellington Sargent, b. Royalton, 28 Oct., 1873
4. Myra Louise Sargent, b. Royalton, 18 Dec., 1875 ….. d. of consumption, 1 Aug., 1905.
5. Josephine May, b. Royalton, 4 May, 1883. She graduated from the South Royalton Highschool, and became a teacher in 1902.
5. Chancellor Paige, b. 1844. He was a Civil War soldier. He was 20 yrs. old 20 Aug., 1864 when he enlisted Co. "G", 7th Reg't. Vt. Vols. He was mustered in 20 Aug., 1864. He died of disease in New Orleans, Louisiana, 21 Jan., 1865. He was buried in the Chalmette National Cemetery, Louisiana.
6. Danny Paige, b. 1846 (nothing further).