|
The
Oscar Aylsworth House
Not far from Williams Corner, on the north side of Post Road in
the direction of Apponaug's Four Corners, is a lovely, one-and-a-half
story, cross-gabled house that is sure to attract your attention.
This blue, Victorian era home, on the east corner of Spruce Street
was built by Oscar Aylsworth in 1886. Aylsworth was a successful
"drummer," or salesman, and the bracketed cornices and
handsome bargeboards ornamenting his home indicate his affluence.
Twentieth century additions and improvements have been made without
sacrificing any of the house's basic integrity and it remains one
of the nicest homes in the village. Until her death in the latter
part of the twentieth century, this was the home of Aylsworth's
granddaughter, Apponaug historian, Dorothy Mayor. During its hundred
year history it has served as a boardinghouse, family dwelling,
beauty parlor and dress shop.
Apponaug shocked
Oscar Aylsworth built the house to conform with the better structures
of the late 19th century which featured high ceilings and large
windows. By this time, stoves had become very efficient and replaced
the old fireplaces. When the house was built, the Aylsworths were
regarded as one of the most fortunate and successful couples in
Apponaug. Within a short time after the house was built, however,
Apponaug was shocked to learn that Oscar and Georgianna Aylsworth
were getting a divorce.
In 1893, as part of the divorce settlement, the beautiful home at
3165 Post Road became the sole property of Georgianna Aylsworth.
To keep up the house and to raise her daughter proved to be a formidable
undertaking for a woman without a husband, and Georgiana decided
to use her skills as a cook and housekeeper to increase her small
income and decided to turn her lovely home into a "rooming
house" to supplement her income. The timing for such an enterprise
excellent.
Room and Board
Apponaug had become an important mill village by this time and large
numbers of immigrant workers were looking for "room and board"
in the vicinity of the mills. The establishment of such a large
enterprise as the Oriental Print Works in the late 1850's had brought
about a number of changes in what had once been primarily a seaport
town. The purchase of a mill site in Apponaug by Alfred A. Reed
and his partners in the Oriental Print Works included one large
tenement house and one or two smaller ones. Hotels and boarding
houses, such as the Oriental Boarding House owned by the village
butcher, A. W. Hargrove, flourished in the early years of the Print
Works. The mill attracted large numbers of workers and, unlike the
early villagers, many of them were not of English or Scottish origin
and were not Protestant but were Irish and French Catholics.
A rooming house
The increased activity saw Apponaug once again revitalized and returned
to an important center for business and trade. Twenty years earlier,
in 1873, Apponaug had witnessed a decline in the prosperity of the
Oriental Print Works. This was the year of a very serious "Panic"
or "Depression" which had a devastating effect on Rhode
Island. Shortly after that, in 1879, the man behind the success
of the print works in Apponaug, Alfred A. Reed, died and by 1883,
the company ceased to operate. Fortunately, the company was able
to resume operations after 1896. At that time it was known as the
Apponaug Bleaching, Dyeing, and Print Works Co. This company concentrated
on the printing of staple cotton fabrics. The Print Works enjoyed
a limited success until 1913 when, under the leadership of J.P.
Farnsworth, it made a major change and began a period of unprecedented
prosperity.
It was during the turn of the century that Mrs.Aylsworth rented
rooms and provided meals for the workers at the mill. The enterprising
Georgianna raised her own chickens and tended a large vegetable
garden. She very quickly became noted for her excellent jonnycakes,
chicken dishes, and corned beef and cabbage. As the Apponaug Company,
under the direction of Farnsworth and his colleagues, achieved success
and stability, Mrs. Aylsworth found a degree of prosperity as well.
The hours were long, however, and the work was difficult. Eventually,
the house began to suffer from the intense use and large numbers
of workers who came for "room and board."
Georgianna's sister, Anne Taylor, a very wealthy widow, provided
a solution. She offered to move in with Georgianna and make the
home a family residence once more.
The story of the Aylsworth house, Mike Carroll's Shamrock Café,
and other buildings of significance in Warwick will be continued.
1. The house on the right in this sketch is the Oscar Aylsworth
house. The drawing was made by Oscar’s granddaughter, Dorothy
Mayor.
From “I Remember Apponaug” by Dorothy Mayor.
2. The Aylsworth house, enlarged by the addition of a large kitchen
and porch in the twentieth century, stands proudly today on the
corner of Spruce St. and Post Road.
Photo by Don D’Amato
|
