| Notes |
- Lived on the west side of Back River on land granted by the town to his father. It was on this land that the Damme Garrison now preserved at the Woodman Institute at Dover was built.
William Pomfret and wife Rose in a deed dated 28 Mar 1674, deeded land to William Dam about twenty years of age "s/o John Dam planter." (New Hampshire Deeds, vol 7, f 75)
His burial ground can still be seen there on the bank of the river.
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This is the last of all of Old Dover’s garrisons and was built by John Damm for his son William Damm, about 1675, who married Martha Nute. The Damm family lived there 95 years and after Leah Nute married Joseph Drew, it was called Drew Garrison for 112 years. Mrs. Holmes Rounds owned it for 33 years making it 240 years old when Mrs. Rounds made a formal gift of it to the Woodman Institute. It took one week for one horse to draw it on rollers from Dover Neck to Central Avenue, and was placed under cover to protect it from rain. It was dedicated July 26, 1916. It stands between the Woodman-Christie House, built in 1818 on its right, and the Hale House built in 1813 on its left, the builder of each of these houses being Captain William Palmer. Both are large brick houses and the three buildings comprise the Woodman Institute. The Garrison is filled with antiques of its period.
The old Garrison was lived in until the close of the Civil War, when it began to decay, and Mrs. Rounds had it repaired. The logs are 20 feet long and jointed on each side of the chimney. It has apertures to shoot from. It is well worth seeing, and is 268 years old now in 1944.
From “Old Houses Built Before 1840; many before 1780, Dover, New Hampshire” compiled by Florence E. McDaniel and Olive S. Austin, 1944.
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By most accounts, there were a total of 16 garrisons built in Dover. Indians destroyed some of these, others were lost in fire, and a few were torn down for rebuilding. The only remaining original garrison is the Damm Garrison, which was built by William Damm. The year it was built is not certain, but it is believed to have been some time between the years 1673 and 1682. William Damm and his descendants occupied this house until 1883, when it was sold to Bryant Peavey, who later gave it to his daughter, Ellen Rounds. The Damm Garrison survived the Cochecho Massacre in 1689 as well as many other Indian raids and does not, in fact, appear to have ever been attacked by the Indians (perhaps because of its location). It was originally located on “Back River”, or what is now called Spruce Lane. In 1915, Ellen Rounds gave the garrison to the Woodman Institute, and four men and one horse moved the 40-foot by 22-foot structure from Back River to the Institute. Today, it remains at the Woodman Institute, in remarkably good condition, under a protective canopy built by the Institute.
The Damm Garrison is very nearly in its original state, with a few exceptions. The windows are much larger than the originals would have been, probably replaced during the Civil War years. Only one of the original windows remains, and it can be found in a small compartment in the back of the building. Another feature that has been updated is the chimney, which was rebuilt by the Institute after the garrison was relocated there.
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On June 7, 1712, William Dam, Sr. of Dover, in consideration of the love, good-will and affection which he bore to his son, William Dam, conveyed to him one-half of the new house he was then building, and half of the land on which it stood, with one-third of his orchard, and three acres of land, being all his land on that side of the creek.
William Dam, Jr, on the same day, June 7, 1712, bound himself to be a one-third of the charge of moving the house in which he then dwelt at the west end of the Dam lands, the said house being 24 feet long and 30 feet wide, "up to the logg house and set it there.",«s1», «s12»
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Old Dead Relatives
1653 - 1718 (64 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
