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History of Land Development in Waltham, Mass.
Surveys of Land Development in the City of Waltham 1630 to Present
10. Newton Chymical (Chemical) Company Area
(Lowell to Cedar Streets/Charles River to Fuller Street)
In 1814, the BMC sold the eastern half of its lot on the south side of the river (the former Richard Fuller Farm) to Seth Ross (MLR 208/438, see also 255/419). This 28-acre lot stretched from the river south to about today's Taylor Street, and from Newton Street west to around Hall Street (possibly where Cooper Street meets Pine Street, today – see MLR 683/378 and MLR 707/473). In 1824, Ross sold the lot to Asahel Adams (MLR 255/420), who flipped it to Samuel L. Dana (MLR 257/318), who flipped it to the NCC (MLR 264/273). Samuel L. Dana had developed a commercial process for producing sulfuric acid, which was needed for the bleaching and coloring of textiles. With the aid of the same financial interests that were invested in the BMC, Dana established the NCC in 1824. It was a pioneering enterprise, and became, probably, the largest commercial chemical plant in America at the time. He originally developed the process in a small building on the north side of the river by Newton Street, but then built the large plant on the other side of the river in the much more isolated location he bought from Adams.
In 1825, the NCC added a small strip of land to the south side of their lot from Bradshaw Stearns and David Fuller (MLR 264/272). This was part of the former Captain Joseph Fuller Farm, which lay south of the former Richard Fuller Farm (see next section).
The following year, 1826, the company added a 9-acre lot to the south side of their land along Newton Street from George Stearns (MLR 265/35). The lot was part of the dower land of the heirs of Isaac Fuller. Isaac Fuller was the father of Hannah Fuller, who had married Daniel Stearns, and was the mother of George Stearns. It is not clear how Isaac Fuller acquired this land, but he was the father of Captain Joseph Fuller (Hannah Fuller Stearns' brother), and this lot may have been part of Isaac Fuller's farm, most of which, later, may have become the Captain Joseph Fuller's Farm.
In 1829, the NCC land was expanded another 70 feet, or so, south, through a lot purchased from Bradshaw Stearns (MLR 308/440), and then to today's High Street through additional land purchases from William Hill in 1838 (MLR 378/117 and 118 – to Hill from Bradshaw Stearns in 1836, MLR 354/208); Horatio Moore in 1851 (MLR 614/580 – to Moore from Bradshaw Stearns in 1851, MLR 608/94 and 147); and Sarah Stearns, Bradshaw's widow, in 1864 (MLR 922/286). This last deed included the land right around Bradshaw Stearns' house, which used to stand at the corner of today's Stearns and High Streets, and which the NCC leased back to Sarah.
In 1845, Francis Cabot Lowell, the son of the Francis Cabot Lowell, who had founded the BMC, sold to the NCC land on the east side of Newton Street, opposite the land the company already owned on the west side of Newton Street. (MLR 478/80 and 81). This was part of his "Brush Pasture" purchase. The lot went from opposite about where Pine Street comes into Newton Street, south to the back yard line between today's Clinton and Cutter Streets, and from Newton Street east to the back yard line on the west of Cedar Street. Probably because of fumes produced by the chemical plant, the plant was originally located centrally in its large lot, while housing for the workers grew up along Pine Street, Newton Street (north of Oak Street), Oak Street, and Cedar Street. This was the original area of what became known as 'The Chemistry". Francis Cabot Lowell, Jr., had been the NCC's chief operating officer at one time, and his brother in law, George Gardner, had been the company's treasurer (Waltham Industries by Sanderson).
In 1825, the NCC added a small strip of land to the south side of their lot from Bradshaw Stearns and David Fuller (MLR 264/272). This was part of the former Captain Joseph Fuller Farm, which lay south of the former Richard Fuller Farm (see next section).
The following year, 1826, the company added a 9-acre lot to the south side of their land along Newton Street from George Stearns (MLR 265/35). The lot was part of the dower land of the heirs of Isaac Fuller. Isaac Fuller was the father of Hannah Fuller, who had married Daniel Stearns, and was the mother of George Stearns. It is not clear how Isaac Fuller acquired this land, but he was the father of Captain Joseph Fuller (Hannah Fuller Stearns' brother), and this lot may have been part of Isaac Fuller's farm, most of which, later, may have become the Captain Joseph Fuller's Farm.
In 1829, the NCC land was expanded another 70 feet, or so, south, through a lot purchased from Bradshaw Stearns (MLR 308/440), and then to today's High Street through additional land purchases from William Hill in 1838 (MLR 378/117 and 118 – to Hill from Bradshaw Stearns in 1836, MLR 354/208); Horatio Moore in 1851 (MLR 614/580 – to Moore from Bradshaw Stearns in 1851, MLR 608/94 and 147); and Sarah Stearns, Bradshaw's widow, in 1864 (MLR 922/286). This last deed included the land right around Bradshaw Stearns' house, which used to stand at the corner of today's Stearns and High Streets, and which the NCC leased back to Sarah.
In 1845, Francis Cabot Lowell, the son of the Francis Cabot Lowell, who had founded the BMC, sold to the NCC land on the east side of Newton Street, opposite the land the company already owned on the west side of Newton Street. (MLR 478/80 and 81). This was part of his "Brush Pasture" purchase. The lot went from opposite about where Pine Street comes into Newton Street, south to the back yard line between today's Clinton and Cutter Streets, and from Newton Street east to the back yard line on the west of Cedar Street. Probably because of fumes produced by the chemical plant, the plant was originally located centrally in its large lot, while housing for the workers grew up along Pine Street, Newton Street (north of Oak Street), Oak Street, and Cedar Street. This was the original area of what became known as 'The Chemistry". Francis Cabot Lowell, Jr., had been the NCC's chief operating officer at one time, and his brother in law, George Gardner, had been the company's treasurer (Waltham Industries by Sanderson).
Area developed by the Newton Chymical Company: Lot No. 1 from Boston Manufacturing Company to Ross to Adams to Dana to NCC, 1824; Lot No. 2 from George Stearns to NCC, 1826; Lot No. 3 from "Wellington" land to Jackson to NCC, boundary and dates uncertain; Lot No. 4 from Bradshaw and Sarah Stearns land to NCC, 1825-1864; Lot No. 5 from F.C. Lowell to NCC, 1845; Lot No. 6 from Parmenter and Whitney to NCC, 1868. Solid blue areas sold by NCC to BMC in 1872 and 1873 (base map from OpenStreetMap).
The final major land purchase by the NCC was in 1868 (MLR 1054/516 and 517). This was a lot of about 27 acres on the south side of High Street. It was purchased from Jonas Parmenter and Mary Whitney in two parts, and stretched south from High Street to the back yard line south of Fuller Street, and from about opposite Stearns Street east to today's Parmenter Avenue (originally named Cranberry Street). It is interesting that the NCC made this purchase at this time, since the company was going out of the chemical business around this time, selling off its plant assets and company-built housing, clearing away the plant buildings, and going into the real estate development business. In total, at its peak, the NCC was responsible for the development of over 90 acres of land on the South Side.