.jpg)
History of Land Development in Waltham, Mass.
Surveys of Land Development in the City of Waltham 1630 to Present
5. Chemistry Village Area – East of Newton Street to Flood Street, and North of High Street to the Charles River
In the early 1800s, Samuel L. Dana 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 Boston Manufacturing Company, Dana established the Newton Chymical [sic] Company 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 a much more isolated location. The Newton Chymical Company's plant was located on a large lot the company owned stretching north from High Street to the River and from Lowell Street to Newton Street. Some housing for employees was built along Pine Street, but otherwise the lot was mostly used only for industrial buildings. However, company housing for employees was built on the land east of Newton Street, along with many private houses, which were rented to chemical works employees. This area acquired the name "Chemistry Village".
The land to the east of Newton Street was one of the parcels, which Francis C. Lowell II bought from Nancy Spring's holdings in 1844 and consisted of 60 acres of woodlot and pasture along the Charles River called the "Brush Pasture" (MLR 459/65 and 68). It stretched east from today's Newton Street about 2,000 feet (to about Flood Street) and south from the river about 1,600 feet (to about Clinton Street). Marshall Spring had acquired the lot in 1802 as part of the much larger Captain Joshua Fuller Farm, see below.
In 1845, Lowell sold to the Newton Chymical Company some of his Brush Pasture 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). 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.
In 1846, Lowell sold most of the northeast corner of the "Brush Pasture" to Horatio Moore (MLR 495/98). Moore was the manager of the Newton Chymical Company, associated with the Boston Manufacturing Company, at the time. The lot, containing a bit over 10 acres, stretched from east to west from today's house lots on the east of Flood Street to those on the west of Moore Street, and from north to south from today's house lots on the south side of today's Calvary Street (then called "Spring Street") to those on the south of today's John Street. Lowell maintained possession of the strip of land between Calvary Street and the river. Moore sold the lot for today's No. 6 John Street to Patrick Kenny, who worked for the Newton Chymical Company, in 1855 (MLR 747/251), and the house was built sometime between 1855 and 1860. Lowell sold the lot for today's No. 142 Calvary Street, on the north side of Calvary Street, to James Shaughnessy in 1866 (MLR 992/438 and 1023/88), who sold it to Mary Dolan in 1873 (MLR 1294/304), and the house was built between 1873 and 1875.
In 1849, Lowell sold a one third part interest in another portion of his "Brush Pasture" acquisition also to Horatio Moore (MLR 568/208). This lot stretched south from today's Calvary Street, past Oak Street, to include the lots on both sides of Cedar Street. On the west side of the street, it stretched south for about 900 feet to Clinton Street (including today's No. 53 Cedar Street) and about 180 feet west from Cedar Street. On the east side of the street, it stretched south about 1000 feet to include the lot of today's No. 72 Cedar Street, and about 215 feet east from Cedar Street. In 1855, Lowell and Moore sold the lot for today's No. 60 Cedar Street to Michael McDonald (MLR 718/352), and the house appears to have been built that same year.
There was a small gap separating Marshall Spring's 60-acre Brush Pasture on the north, which was later sold to Francis C. Lowell, and Spring's 115 acre woodlot on the south, which was also later sold to Lowell. This was a 10-acre lot on the northeastern corner of today's Newton and High Streets, from approximately Clinton Street on the north and Cedar Street on the east. In 1838, Deacon Joel Fuller sold the lot to Timothy Davis and Chauncy Newhall (MLR 377/550). Deacon Joel Fuller had acquired the lot as part of a larger 78-acre lot from Marshall Spring in 1823 (MLR 249/31). The larger lot extended east and south of the Brush Pasture. Marshall Spring had acquired the lot from David Fuller in 1802 (MLR 145/35), which also included the Brush Pasture as well as 48 acres of woodland and cranberry bogs, which were not part of the sale to Joel Fuller. This was all part of approximately 160-acre farm of Captain Joshua Fuller, who died in 1777. Captain Joshua was a grandson of John Fuller, and was also David's father. Deacon Joel had married David's daughter, Sarah. According to Jackson's map, Captain Joshua Fuller's house stood on the south side of Waltham Street in Newton (which becomes High Street in Waltham), and a bit east of today's Waltham border. Captain Joshua Fuller, along with Stephen White (see next section), was instrumental in getting the first bridge built across the river on Newton Street about 1761 (The Emergence of Waltham's South Side by Nancy Seymour).
The land to the east of Newton Street was one of the parcels, which Francis C. Lowell II bought from Nancy Spring's holdings in 1844 and consisted of 60 acres of woodlot and pasture along the Charles River called the "Brush Pasture" (MLR 459/65 and 68). It stretched east from today's Newton Street about 2,000 feet (to about Flood Street) and south from the river about 1,600 feet (to about Clinton Street). Marshall Spring had acquired the lot in 1802 as part of the much larger Captain Joshua Fuller Farm, see below.
In 1845, Lowell sold to the Newton Chymical Company some of his Brush Pasture 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). 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.
In 1846, Lowell sold most of the northeast corner of the "Brush Pasture" to Horatio Moore (MLR 495/98). Moore was the manager of the Newton Chymical Company, associated with the Boston Manufacturing Company, at the time. The lot, containing a bit over 10 acres, stretched from east to west from today's house lots on the east of Flood Street to those on the west of Moore Street, and from north to south from today's house lots on the south side of today's Calvary Street (then called "Spring Street") to those on the south of today's John Street. Lowell maintained possession of the strip of land between Calvary Street and the river. Moore sold the lot for today's No. 6 John Street to Patrick Kenny, who worked for the Newton Chymical Company, in 1855 (MLR 747/251), and the house was built sometime between 1855 and 1860. Lowell sold the lot for today's No. 142 Calvary Street, on the north side of Calvary Street, to James Shaughnessy in 1866 (MLR 992/438 and 1023/88), who sold it to Mary Dolan in 1873 (MLR 1294/304), and the house was built between 1873 and 1875.
In 1849, Lowell sold a one third part interest in another portion of his "Brush Pasture" acquisition also to Horatio Moore (MLR 568/208). This lot stretched south from today's Calvary Street, past Oak Street, to include the lots on both sides of Cedar Street. On the west side of the street, it stretched south for about 900 feet to Clinton Street (including today's No. 53 Cedar Street) and about 180 feet west from Cedar Street. On the east side of the street, it stretched south about 1000 feet to include the lot of today's No. 72 Cedar Street, and about 215 feet east from Cedar Street. In 1855, Lowell and Moore sold the lot for today's No. 60 Cedar Street to Michael McDonald (MLR 718/352), and the house appears to have been built that same year.
There was a small gap separating Marshall Spring's 60-acre Brush Pasture on the north, which was later sold to Francis C. Lowell, and Spring's 115 acre woodlot on the south, which was also later sold to Lowell. This was a 10-acre lot on the northeastern corner of today's Newton and High Streets, from approximately Clinton Street on the north and Cedar Street on the east. In 1838, Deacon Joel Fuller sold the lot to Timothy Davis and Chauncy Newhall (MLR 377/550). Deacon Joel Fuller had acquired the lot as part of a larger 78-acre lot from Marshall Spring in 1823 (MLR 249/31). The larger lot extended east and south of the Brush Pasture. Marshall Spring had acquired the lot from David Fuller in 1802 (MLR 145/35), which also included the Brush Pasture as well as 48 acres of woodland and cranberry bogs, which were not part of the sale to Joel Fuller. This was all part of approximately 160-acre farm of Captain Joshua Fuller, who died in 1777. Captain Joshua was a grandson of John Fuller, and was also David's father. Deacon Joel had married David's daughter, Sarah. According to Jackson's map, Captain Joshua Fuller's house stood on the south side of Waltham Street in Newton (which becomes High Street in Waltham), and a bit east of today's Waltham border. Captain Joshua Fuller, along with Stephen White (see next section), was instrumental in getting the first bridge built across the river on Newton Street about 1761 (The Emergence of Waltham's South Side by Nancy Seymour).
Subdivision of Brush Pasture and adjacent land: Lot No. 1 from Lowell to Newton Chymical Company, 1845; Lot No. 2 from Lowell to Horatio Moore, 1846; Lot No. 3 one-third portion from Lowell to Horatio Moore, 1849; Lot No. 4 part of Brush Pasture retained by Lowell and later subdivided; Lot No. 5 from Joel Fuller to Davis and Newhall, 1838, to George Lawton, 1839 and 1840; Lot No. 6 from Sarah Fuller to Seth Davis, 1854 (base map from OpenStreetMap).
In 1839 and 1840, Davis and Newhall sold the lot on the northeast corner of today's Newton and High Streets, to George Lawton (MLR 384/489 and 391/406). Interestingly, in the deed, Davis also sold Lawton the northern part of the old Patrick Tracy Jackson estate, which had been sold to Miller and Maynard in 1833, and which formed the start of Lawton's acquisition of almost the entire old Patrick Tracy Jackson estate. Lawton was noted as living in Watertown at the time and being a reed maker, so he must have been a skilled mill worker before he became senior management at the Boston Manufacturing Company. Lawton was still shown as the owner of the land on the 1875 map. However, in 1871 he had sold the land to Dexter J. Cutter, who was the paymaster of the Boston Manufacturing Company (MLR 1177/198). Cutter then sold off the house lots along the north side of High Street and both sides of Cutter Street.
The land south of High Street, west of Cherry Street, and east of Marshall Springs' 115-acre woodlot (i.e. east of and opposite Cedar Street) was also part of Deacon Joel Fuller's 78 acre lot. In 1854, Sarah Fuller, Deacon Joel Fuller's widow, sold 12 acres of this area to Seth Davis (MLR 695/283), who then subdivided it.
The land south of High Street, west of Cherry Street, and east of Marshall Springs' 115-acre woodlot (i.e. east of and opposite Cedar Street) was also part of Deacon Joel Fuller's 78 acre lot. In 1854, Sarah Fuller, Deacon Joel Fuller's widow, sold 12 acres of this area to Seth Davis (MLR 695/283), who then subdivided it.