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History of Land Development in Waltham, Mass.
Surveys of Land Development in the City of Waltham 1630 to Present
6. Calvary Cemetery Area
Beyond the "Brush Pasture", to the east along the river, in the extreme northeast corner of the South Side, is a bit of Waltham along the east end of today's Calvary Street and Farwell Street (called North Street just over the border in Newton). On the 1900 map of Newton, this area was part of the Breck Farm. Henry Breck, Jr., had acquired the farm from James C. Kent in 1869 (MLR 1095/434), and Kent had owned it by 1850, at which time he signed an agreement with the BMC, related to the Charles River. It appears that Kent had bought his farm in 1822 from David Fuller and Bradshaw Stearns (MLR 242/80, and 1831 Newton map), and that Fuller and Stearns had acquired it as the "White Farm" of 77 acres from Marshall B. Spring, in 1819 (MLR 229/245). Marshall B. Spring had inherited it from his father, Marshall Spring, who had bought it from the executor of Benjamin White's will, in 1801 (MLR 145/205). Benjamin had inherited it from his father, Stephen White, who had bought the core 40 acres of the farm, along with "old dwelling house and barn", in 1754, from Jonas Priest (MLR 60/348). Some smaller additions were made later (MLR 65/293-295). Priest had bought it from Joshua Harrington, in 1749, (MLR 48/510), who had bought it from Caleb Fuller in 1744 (MLR 48/509). Caleb Fuller was the son of John Fuller, Jr. On Jackson's map of colonial Newton, a house was located in this area and labeled "John Fuller, Jr., 1682; Stephen White; Benjamin White". Interestingly, James C. Kent's house still stands at 120 North Street, Newton (from MACRIS), and may be close to the same location where the John Fuller, Jr., house stood.
The western border of the Kent Farm was along the back yard line of the houses along the east side of today's Flood Street. In 1824, the Boston Manufacturing Company bought about 15 acres of the Kent Farm from James C. Kent (MLR 252/290 and 291). It stretched about 600 feet along today's Calvary Street, a little less than the length of the cemetery that borders on the south side of Calvary Street, today. It also stretched 618 feet south from Calvary Street along its west side (the western boundary of the Kent Farm) and 843 feet south from Calvary Street along its east side, and included the land between the river and Calvary Street. This land was opposite the BMC's recently established bleachery complex on the north side of the river. There was a dam across the river at this point, originally established by Governor Christopher Gore for a paper mill, and later used by the Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory. Along with the land for the mill on the north side of the river, there was an approximately one-acre lot on the south side of the river that went with the dam. The BMC had already acquired this small lot when it bought the land of the Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory in 1819 (MLR 226/367). Later, the BMC sold the portion of the 15-acre lot south of Calvary Street to John Joseph Williams, the "Bishop of Boston", in 1866, to form the initial part of Calvary Cemetery (MLR 982/442), under the guidance of Father Bernard Flood. However, the BMC continued to own the strip of land between the river and Calvary Street, just north of the cemetery, and, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were some buildings belonging to the bleachery on it, as well as a bridge across the river connecting it to the bleachery.
This initial part of the cemetery contained an interesting hill formation called "Indian Hollow". It was shown on a map of Waltham as the area stood in 1738, drawn by Edmund L. Sanderson in the 1930s, and mentioned in an article that appeared in the Waltham Sentinel in 1861. At that time it was covered by a grove of imposing Cedar trees, and the 1861 article mentioned that native Americans still camped there at times in the summer. Whether or not there is a connection, there was a village of native Americans a little down river at Nonantum, in Newton, where John Elliot first had success preaching to them, in 1646.
Also in this section of the cemetery are the grave stones and remains from the original Catholic cemetery in Waltham. The original Catholic church in Waltham, a small wooden one, was built in 1830-1831 on Church Street, between the street and today's McDevitt Middle School. A cemetery was established adjacent to the church. However, even though the church burned down in 1848, the cemetery continued to be used. A replacement Catholic church was not built in Waltham until 1863, when St. Mary's first opened on School Street. In 1947, the City of Waltham had the gravestones and remains moved from the Church Street cemetery to this section of Calvary Cemetery in order to make room for a new technical high school on Church Street. The stones were not remounted vertically, but laid on the ground horizontally, and, over the years, had become covered by sod. In 2015, a successful volunteer effort was mounted to reveal the headstones.
The western border of the Kent Farm was along the back yard line of the houses along the east side of today's Flood Street. In 1824, the Boston Manufacturing Company bought about 15 acres of the Kent Farm from James C. Kent (MLR 252/290 and 291). It stretched about 600 feet along today's Calvary Street, a little less than the length of the cemetery that borders on the south side of Calvary Street, today. It also stretched 618 feet south from Calvary Street along its west side (the western boundary of the Kent Farm) and 843 feet south from Calvary Street along its east side, and included the land between the river and Calvary Street. This land was opposite the BMC's recently established bleachery complex on the north side of the river. There was a dam across the river at this point, originally established by Governor Christopher Gore for a paper mill, and later used by the Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory. Along with the land for the mill on the north side of the river, there was an approximately one-acre lot on the south side of the river that went with the dam. The BMC had already acquired this small lot when it bought the land of the Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory in 1819 (MLR 226/367). Later, the BMC sold the portion of the 15-acre lot south of Calvary Street to John Joseph Williams, the "Bishop of Boston", in 1866, to form the initial part of Calvary Cemetery (MLR 982/442), under the guidance of Father Bernard Flood. However, the BMC continued to own the strip of land between the river and Calvary Street, just north of the cemetery, and, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were some buildings belonging to the bleachery on it, as well as a bridge across the river connecting it to the bleachery.
This initial part of the cemetery contained an interesting hill formation called "Indian Hollow". It was shown on a map of Waltham as the area stood in 1738, drawn by Edmund L. Sanderson in the 1930s, and mentioned in an article that appeared in the Waltham Sentinel in 1861. At that time it was covered by a grove of imposing Cedar trees, and the 1861 article mentioned that native Americans still camped there at times in the summer. Whether or not there is a connection, there was a village of native Americans a little down river at Nonantum, in Newton, where John Elliot first had success preaching to them, in 1646.
Also in this section of the cemetery are the grave stones and remains from the original Catholic cemetery in Waltham. The original Catholic church in Waltham, a small wooden one, was built in 1830-1831 on Church Street, between the street and today's McDevitt Middle School. A cemetery was established adjacent to the church. However, even though the church burned down in 1848, the cemetery continued to be used. A replacement Catholic church was not built in Waltham until 1863, when St. Mary's first opened on School Street. In 1947, the City of Waltham had the gravestones and remains moved from the Church Street cemetery to this section of Calvary Cemetery in order to make room for a new technical high school on Church Street. The stones were not remounted vertically, but laid on the ground horizontally, and, over the years, had become covered by sod. In 2015, a successful volunteer effort was mounted to reveal the headstones.
Subdivision of Calvary Cemetery and adjacent land: Lot No. 1 Brush Pasture; Lot No. 2 Deacon Joel Fuller land later to George Lawton; Lot No. 3 Deacon Joel Fuller land later to Seth Davis; Lot No 4a & 4b from James Kent to Boston Manufacturing Company, 1824; Lot 4a from Boston Manufacturing Company to Bishop Williams, 1866; Lot 5 from Joel H. Fuller to Elliot to Lamb to Bishop Williams, 1879; Lot No. 6 from Henry Breck to Archbishop of Boston, 1903; Lot No. 7 subdivided by Henry Breck (base map from OpenStreetMap).
During the period from 1848-1863, in which there was no Catholic church in Waltham, Waltham Catholics had to go to St. Patrick's Church in Watertown for mass. The closeness of this part of the South Side to Watertown may have been one of the reasons that it was so attractive for Irish settlement. It was also centrally located for work in the bleachery and the chemical works, large employers of recent Irish immigrants.
According to Waltham Rediscovered, the next addition to the cemetery was made in 1879, under the guidance of Father Timothy J. Brosnahan, when 17 acres were added. This was the section south and west of the initial part, and bounded by the Newton line, High Street, Cedar Street, and John Street. In 1876, this land had been sold by Joel H. Fuller to Charles D. Elliott (MLR 1384/14). Joel H. Fuller was Deacon Joel Fuller's grandson. The land had previously been undeveloped, but, in 1873, Fuller had submitted a subdivision plan for streets and house lots (Plan Book 23, Plan 33). At the time the land was sold to Elliott, there was a mortgage on it by Eliza J. Fuller with the Newton Savings Bank (MLR 1272/417). Eliza Fuller was Deacon Joel Fuller's daughter-in-law, and Joel H. Fuller's mother. The land was probably part of the Captain Joshua Fuller Farm in the 1700s. Charles Elliott died soon after the sale, and the bank foreclosed on the property. The bank then sold the property to John Lamb in 1879 (MLR 1515/296), who quickly resold it to John Joseph Williams, the Archbishop of Boston (MLR 1521/95).
The final 25 acres were added to the cemetery in 1903. In that year, Henry Breck, Jr., sold a portion of his farm to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston (MLR 3020/212). This enlarged the cemetery east along Calvary Street to North Street (in Newton), and south into Newton.
Henry Breck, Jr., had already subdivided the land along the part of Calvary Street east of the BMC lot, and along Farwell Street, and had sold off house lots. See, for example, Lot No. 10 in his plan in Plan Book No. 16, sold to Mary and Patrick Munster in 1870 (MLR 1105/484), which is also shown on the 1875 map, but mislabeled as "Munson".
According to Waltham Rediscovered, the next addition to the cemetery was made in 1879, under the guidance of Father Timothy J. Brosnahan, when 17 acres were added. This was the section south and west of the initial part, and bounded by the Newton line, High Street, Cedar Street, and John Street. In 1876, this land had been sold by Joel H. Fuller to Charles D. Elliott (MLR 1384/14). Joel H. Fuller was Deacon Joel Fuller's grandson. The land had previously been undeveloped, but, in 1873, Fuller had submitted a subdivision plan for streets and house lots (Plan Book 23, Plan 33). At the time the land was sold to Elliott, there was a mortgage on it by Eliza J. Fuller with the Newton Savings Bank (MLR 1272/417). Eliza Fuller was Deacon Joel Fuller's daughter-in-law, and Joel H. Fuller's mother. The land was probably part of the Captain Joshua Fuller Farm in the 1700s. Charles Elliott died soon after the sale, and the bank foreclosed on the property. The bank then sold the property to John Lamb in 1879 (MLR 1515/296), who quickly resold it to John Joseph Williams, the Archbishop of Boston (MLR 1521/95).
The final 25 acres were added to the cemetery in 1903. In that year, Henry Breck, Jr., sold a portion of his farm to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston (MLR 3020/212). This enlarged the cemetery east along Calvary Street to North Street (in Newton), and south into Newton.
Henry Breck, Jr., had already subdivided the land along the part of Calvary Street east of the BMC lot, and along Farwell Street, and had sold off house lots. See, for example, Lot No. 10 in his plan in Plan Book No. 16, sold to Mary and Patrick Munster in 1870 (MLR 1105/484), which is also shown on the 1875 map, but mislabeled as "Munson".