History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

fact that nearly all the residents of the road were
milkmen. A lane ran from the head of Prospect
Street over Bullard's bridge, which spanned the
creek, and going tiirough a birch-pasture came out
at Inman's Farm. From Bullard's bridge there
SOMEEVILLE. 311
was an open way to the gate of the path which led dwelling opposite the asylum gate. An old cellar,
to the Lechmere Farm. In 1637 the land between
these principal highways — called the common —
whose superstructure was unknown to any now
living, existed as early as the year 1800, opposite the
was divided into rights of pasturage, or the " com- southerly end of Shawmut Street. The next was a
mon was stinted," as it was termed. In 1685 small dwelling on the estate at the westerly corner
this tract was lotted out and confirmed to propri-
etors, and eight range-ways were laid out, connect-
ing the Cambridge and Milk Kow roads with the
Winter Hill and Arlington roads. These correspond
to Franklin, Shawmut and Cross, Walnut, School,
Central, Lowell, and Cedar streets, and Willow
Avenue. All are believed to have been two rods
wide originally, but the one corresponding to Shawmut
and Cross streets was in later years one rod
wider, and was called Three Pole Lane. Middle,
Cross, or still later Barberry, Lane ran from Cross
Street, nearly opposite the head of Tufts, in a line
with the upper part of Clicster, into what is now
Highland Avenue. At School Street it turned
northerly ten rods, and then continued westerly,
and terminated in Central Street.
The houses standing in Somervijle at the time
of the Eevolution can be approximately placed as
follows : Beginning on Broadway at the Charles-
town line was the Locke place, with its low house
still standing on the north side of, and a little back
from, the road. Opposite was a building on the
site of the residence of the late Mr. Fitch Cutter.
It now stands on the corner of Sycamore and
Foster streets. There was another house on the
southwest corner of Cross Street. The next in
order was on the northeast corner of Temple
Street, formerly the entrance to Ten Hills Farm.
On the summit of the hill just northwest of the
residence of Mr. Jonathan Brown stood Joseph
Tufts' house, which has been removed to Lowell
Street. Daniel Tufts lived iu a house which is a
part of the stately mansion on the north side of
Broadway, opposite the powder-magazine.
There was a dwelling upon the powder-house
farm. The generous old mansion of Mr. Oliver
Tufts was bought, and occupied during the war by
John Tufts, father of the present owner.
David Wood's country-house was in Three Pole
Lane, near the northeast corner of Pearl Street.
Hither he brought his family after the battle of
Bunker HiU. On the Cambridge road from the
Cliarlestown line nothing except a brook broke the
monotony of the open fields, till the house of
Joseph Miller was reached, on the easterly corner
of Franklin Street. It is still standing, and in
good preservation. It is believed there was a
of Boston Street. Mrs. Debby Shed lived above
and opposite, in a house which, with a subsequent
addition, is still standing, some fifty yards east of
Mystic Street. As the road turns toward the west,
opposite the " Yellow Block " stood the small
gambrel-roofed house of Samuel Shed, which is
now the second story of Mr. William Walker's
residence. On the southeasterly corner of Prosjoect
Street was a house, and in the vicinity of Bonner
Place lived Mr. Samuel Shed, Jr. Pythian Block
occupies the site of Benjamin Piper's tavern. No
other dwelling existed on the Cambridge road,
except a house at the entrance of Webster Avenue
and another on the site of the small dwelling just
west of the abutment.
Milk Row was somewhat more thickly settled.
After leaving the Union Square of to-day we
should first have come to Samuel Choate's, on the
west side of Bow Street, a few yards south of Wal-
imt ; the house, thougli removed from its former
site, is still standing. In the scarred and bleached
old building just under the eastern wall of the
Methodist Church lived Mary Frost, a widow.
Jonathan Ireland lived on the northwest corner of
School Street, in a house which has been moved to
the rear of the Franklin Scliool building. Samuel
Tufts occupied the old homestead still standing
on the west side of the road near Laurel Street.
The widow Rand lived on the northwest corner of
Central Street, in a dwelling which has long since
passed away. Samuel Kent resided in the low
hip-roofed house yet in good repair at the corner
of Garden Court. There was another dwelling on
the opposite side, near the present greenhouse.
The twin-brothers Huimewell dwelt beyond, at the
turn of the road, on the east side between Craigie
and Lowell streets, in a very old house, demohshed
some fifteen years ago. After this there was no
dwelling till we arrived at Timothy Tufts', near
Willow Avenue. A hundred years have passed
away, and this house is still standing unchanged,
and still occupied by a Mr. Timothy Tufts.