Adville A. Spinney

• General Notes
  • When Advill and Elsie were first married they lived with his parents at 15 Main Street. They rented for a time and later purchased a home which was still standing as of 1991. The road, which was originally the driveway of the home, ran from Main Street through to Pleasant Street. This is now known as Cove Road. In later years they purchased a home at 9 Bolt Hill Road which was also still standing in 1991 although the original barns, hen houses and garage have been razed. When their family was all grown they sold this large farm and rented until purchasing a house at 112 Main Street which was still owned by Elsie in 1991.
    Advill worked for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (now called Kittery Naval Shipyard). He hired in as an apprentice plumber and worked his way through the ranks to retire with the title of Master of Public Works. When Advill and Elsie lived in the house on what is now Cove Road, Elsie's father, Ernest Wood moved in with them and the two men established a poultry business known as Riverside Poultry Farm. Besides working on the Navy Yard and helping run the poultry farm, Advill kept cows and pigs and had gardens which supplied most of the families table foods.
    Advill served as fire chief in the towns voluntary fire department for many years. He was one of the men who fought for, and saw built, the first Eliot High School gymnasium. He was active in the South Eliot Methodist Church and the Eliot Lions Club. In March 1954, at town meeting, Advill was given the Fabyan Drake Memorial Award for Outstanding Citizen. He was the first citizen to receive this award, which is still presented yearly to a citizen of Eliot, Maine.