Kingsport 1844: Brimblecombe House

19) Brimblecombe House
601 Turner Street, Downtown. Est. 1729

A) The Town House
Constructed in 1729, this colonial building was originally called the “New” Town House, and replaced Kingsport’s original “Old” Town House, built in 1640 and damaged during the Earthquake of 1727. The location of Kingsport’s first public well, the town stocks, and the constabulary, it was also the where the town crier rang out daily announcements—a quaint tradition that continues to this day. By the time of the Revolution, most residents forgot it was not the original building.

In 1837, the Town House was renovated and enlarged, its meetinghouse-blue clapboards repainted bright yellow. Officially renamed Brimblecombe House after Kingsport’s first constable, the first-floor constabulary was joined by the newly-established Kingsport Fire Department. A public marketplace was installed in the basement, and a cobblestone plaza replaced the earthen courtyard. Bronze statues of George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette were erected near the Old Well, commemorating their joint visit to Kingsport on October 29, 1789. The base of Lafayette’s statue is engraved with his words of gratitude to Kingsport: “May your prosperity, in the preservation of that liberty so gloriously purchased, ever venerate the memory of their ancestors.”

Brimblecombe House is open to the public every day except Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Levies, fees, and fines are paid in various offices located on the first floor, which also contains a large assembly hall available for public meetings. A mural of Kingsport’s municipal history sprawls across the hall’s western wall, curiously omitting such niceties as the witch trials, the Smallpox War, and the burning of Opium Row. Hanging above the southern fireplace is a battered doglock musketoon, said to have been carried by Mayor Eben Hall when he arrested the St. Michael’s Witches in 1722.

B) The Town Crier
Like many New England towns, Kingsport maintains the colonial tradition of employing a town crier. An honorary position appointed by the Board of Selectmen and granted a small stipend, the town crier stands in the plaza at noon, rings a hand bell, and announces public notices, city ordinances, weather reports, and other newsworthy items. Kingsport’s current town crier is a retired bookbinder named Phineas Crabbe. He takes his job very seriously, dressing in colonial garb and carrying a bell dating from the early eighteenth century. Armed with the most recent copies of the Kingsport Chronicle, the Hollow Gazetteer, the Compass, and the Arkham Advertiser, Crabbe carefully curates his headlines, and includes most imminent ship departures. (The Quiddity’s departure is cried out on October 30 and 31.) Another tradition associated with the town crier is the announcement of weddings, and many Kingsport couples pay Crabbe $1.00 to have their engagements cried out on Saturday afternoons. He usually attracts a crowd of 20-30 people. The Keeper is free to improvise daily news as needed. Crabbe has been known to stand around and gossip after discharging his duty, and a Fast Talk roll earns a rumor drawn from the Kingsport Rumor Table.

C) The Constabulary
Although it’s unlikely the player characters will become significantly involved with Kingsport’s legal system, the generic stats for a Kingsport constable are offered below. The Keeper is free to add variations or create specific NPC lawmen.

Kingsport Constable
Age 18–50, Nationality: American, Birthplace: Essex County

Combat

Skills
Climb 50%, Credit Rating 20%, First Aid 30%, Intimidate 75%, Jump 40%, Law 65%, Leadership 35%, Listen 75%, Locksmith 25%, Persuade 50%, Psychology 40%, Read Lips 20%, Ride 70%, Renown 5%, Spot Hidden 80%, Stealth 50%.

Description
Kingsport’s eight constables dress in old-fashioned uniforms consisting of white trousers, Navy-blue coats sporting three rows of brass buttons, and blue shakos with white plumes. Each is issued a truncheon, a whistle, and a copper shield. When firearms are required, the armory contains eight brand-new Springfield M1842 caplock muskets, and four Simeon North M1808 Navy flintlock pistols dating from the War of 1812.

 D) Central Hill Fire Company
In 1839, Kingsport established the Kingsport Fire Department, dividing the town into six wards and appointing thirty-six firemen. Although the firemen earn a small stipend from the city, insurance companies provide the bulk of their income, and pay firemen based on their responses to actual fires. For this reason, the companies are in friendly competition with each other. Well, usually friendly—fistfights have been known to occur over territory; and in 1841, the Lafayette Brigade accused the General Clovers of setting fires deliberately. The Arkham court found them guilty, and the Clovers were disbanded.

While most companies use portable hand-tubs and leather buckets, the three largest companies possess horse-drawn fire engines. Two of these are located at the Yards; the Illsley Liberty Bell Hose Company and the Tuttle Hellfighter Engine Company. Both shipyards wisely supplement their firemen’s municipal pittance with “standing readiness wages.” The third engine is stationed in this new addition to Brimblecombe House, and is dedicated to serving the Downtown area. The offices of the Kingsport Fire Department itself are on the second floor.

E) The “Old Wooden Gale”
Although Kingsport plans to construct a modern jail next year, this rickety building next to Brimblecombe House serves as Kingsport’s sole holding facility, and was constructed after the burning of the Gravesend prison hulk. Locals refer to the building as “the old wooden gale.” Boasting eight cells, the jail is drafty, uncomfortable, and filled with rats. Fortunately, few people occupy it longer than a day or two, as serious cases are transported to Arkham or Salem for trial. However, if anyone should find themselves needing to break into or out of a cell, a Locksmith roll is enough to jimmy the rusting lock.

White Leviathan > Chapter 1—Kingsport 1844
[Back to Encounter 18, Seventh House on the Left | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to Encounter 20, Turner Hall]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 30 October 2021
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]