Moses Brown

Moses Brown. . , Brown Square was established in 1802 by Moses Brown, a wealthy merchant who established a rum distillery on Newburyport's waterfront and built the Garrison Inn. , Moses Brown (1742-1827) was a prosperous Newburyport merchant, shipbuilder and philanthropist. As a boy, he was apprenticed to a carriage-maker on Prospect Street in Newburyport, and at 21 he established his own carriage business. As a business man, he imported sugar and molasses and processed New England Rum. He also invested in shipbuilding, and became the largest landowner in Newburyport in his day, as well as the second wealthiest man in the prosperous town (after Captain William Bartlet). , Moses Brown established Brown Square in 1802 when Pleasant Street was just a footpath. He also built the Brown Square House, which is now known as the Garrison Inn located straight ahead. Brown was directly involved in the establishment of the Plum Island Turnpike, and made large donations toward the establishment of the Brown Latin High School as well as the Andover Theological Seminary. He lived in the Dalton House on State Street until his death and is buried in Newburyport's Oak Hill Cemetery. , Moses Brown also played a critical role in the re-establishment of the American Navy. The Navy had been disbanded after the Revolutionary War due to the government's lack of money, and in the 1790s French privateers began seizing unprotected American ships. Merchants like Moses Brown were significantly impacted – Newburyport alone officially declared 77 vessels captured. In 1798, Moses Brown and eight other wealthy residents came up with the idea of privately financing and building warships and giving them to the federal government for reimbursement. They inspired other coastal communities such as Salem and Boston to do the same, and ultimately nine navy ships were built in the “subscription ship” program. Moses Brown's committee financed the building of a 28-cannon sloop-of-war at the Federal Street shipyard. Designed by world famous shipbuilder William Hackett, the ship was called the Merrimack and had a crew of 105 men plus 21 marines. The captain of the ship was also named Moses Brown. The swift Merrimack went on convoy duty and captured four French navy ships, as well as re-capturing a number of American ships previously taken by the French. , [Captions (clockwise from top right)] , . The Merrimack: 28-cannon sloop-of-war built in 1798. , . Portrait of Moses Brown. , . Historic photo of Brown Square. , Images courtesy of Historical Society of Old Newbury