In keeping with the holiday season, I decided this would be a good time to share some Christmas entries from Nell’s Diary from 1912:

“Mrs. Jas Mulville moved into her new house Christmas Eve Dec 24/12”

“Born to Mrs. Coskey (nee A. Brady) a son on Christmas Day 1912”

And speaking of Mrs. James Mulville, her husband, J.V. Mulville was the owner of The American House on Main Street (40 Main Street), and the Mrs. would keep control of the hotel for many years after his death.

An interesting tidbit about J.V. can be found within the pages of The Book of Westport:

“In August, Mr. J.V. Mulville had on exhibition at the American House Hotel, a 5 ounce egg from one of his Black Minorca hens measuring seven and a half by eight and a half inches. 1905″

That’s one big egg!

Less than a month later, the death of James Mulville was reported in local papers:

“Mr. James Mulville, proprietor of the American House Hotel for thirty years, died on August 30th at 78 years of age. Settling in Westport half a century before, he came from Ireland, and for twenty years operated two stage lines running out of Westport. His widow and seven children survive. 1905″

Do you have your copies of The Book of Westport and Nell McCann’s Diary to give as gifts this holiday? If not, The Book of Westport can be purchased at Lower Mountain Mercantile and Town Hall for $20.00, and The Diary of Nell McCann is available at Town Hall for $10.00!

J.V. Mulville’s American House Hotel can be seen on the left-hand side of the street. This building still stands at 40 Main.

The American House sign can be seen just beyond that of the Windsor Hotel. The Windsor was destroyed by fire in the 1920’s.

J.V. Mulville, proprietor of The American House, was also the proud owner of a very, very large egg in 1905.