History of Land Development in Waltham, Mass.
Surveys of Land Development in the City of Waltham 1630 to Present
Neighborhood Survey
The South Side →
9. Boston Manufacturing Company Area
(Charles River to Taylor Street/Moody to Newton Streets)
Now turning our attention to the central part of the South Side, roughly between Moody and Newton Streets, the development of much of northern part of this area was related to the Boston Manufacturing Company (BMC) and its associated industry, the Newton Chymical [sic] Company (also called the Newton Chemical Company, the Waltham Chemical Works, or the Chemical Works – abbreviated NCC in this document). The BMC's first cotton textile mill was built on the north side of the Charles River just to the east of today's Moody Street, just downstream of the dam site, in 1814. At that time, Moody Street did not exist on the south side of the river, and there was no bridge over the river, yet, at this location. However, in the deed that Patrick Tracy Jackson obtained for the mill site, in 1813, from its former owner, John Boies, about 42 acres of land were included on the south side of the river, adjacent to the river and stretching downstream from the dam (MLR 200/429). Patrick Tracy Jackson was the brother-in-law of the BMC's founder, Francis Cabot Lowell, and helped Lowell develop the technology for the mill and did all the land purchases related to it. He was also the first mill agent, responsible for running the mill. The land on the south side of the river had previously been the farm of Richard Fuller (house shown on Jackson's map near the intersection of today's Gardner and Gorham Streets, and John Fuller's great grandson), but had been acquired by Charles Ward Apthorp before the Revolutionary War. Apthorp was a notorious Loyalist, and his land was confiscated after the war. Boies obtained the property from the sales committee for the confiscated land in 1790 (MLR 102/509). Although it is difficult to determine the exact boundaries of the lot sold to Boies (and then Jackson), it appears to have extended east, down the river, from near Moody Street to Newton Street, and south from the river to around today's Spruce and Taylor Streets. The southern boundary was a series of zigzagging diagonals (see map). Patrick Tracy Jackson then flipped the 42 acre lot on the south bank of the river to the BMC in 1814, along with the mill site on the north bank (MLR 207/3).
In the deed from Boies to Jackson, there appears to be a small lot belonging to Samuel Wellington on the river just west of Newton Street. In later deeds (see MLR 255/420, in 1824), this small lot appears to be owned by Patrick Tracy Jackson, but by the 1870s (from maps) this corner of the river and Newton Street was also owned by the Newton Chymical Company. Although it could not be determined for certain, it is possible that this lot (of 9 acres) had also been acquired by Boies in 1795 from Jonas Dix and Abraham Sanderson (MLR 121/205), but that there may have been some question of its ownership.
In 1814, the BMC sold the eastern half of its lot on the south side of the river to Seth Ross (MLR 208/438, see also 255/419). The dividing line was somewhere around today's Cooper and Hall Streets. Later, in 1824, the eastern half was bought for the Newton Chymical Company (see below). The BMC retained the western half.
In 1818, Patrick Tracy Jackson bought an additional 5 acre lot of land south of the river for the BMC (MLR 226/82). This lot was located adjacent to the BMC's existing lot at its western end, approximately going along the river west from Today's Moody Street. The lot was sold at auction by David Townsend, Jr., as guardian for Abraham Pierce, "spendthrift", to cover Pierce's debts. Jackson, then, transferred the land to the BMC (MLR 227/204).
In 1854, The Boston Manufacturing Company sold Charles Hall, Dexter Patrick, and Eben D. Gordon land bounded by Moody Street on the west (for 354 feet), Pine Street on the north (for 700 feet), the Newton Chymical Company on the east (518 feet), and Stratton, Goodwin, Hall, and Hoar on the South – who's lots were on the north side of Taylor Street (for 650 feet) (MLR 683/378). Nothing was said about buildings. This encompassed today's Gordon and Hall Streets, including the house lots on the south side of Pine Street, both sides of Gordon Street, and the front parts of the lots on the east side of Hall Street. The house lot on the northwest corner of Hall and Taylor Streets can be traced back to the BMC and the Richard Fuller Farm (see MLR 912/472, 785/112, and 695/382), while the house lot on the southwest corner of Hall and Taylor Streets can be traced back to Bradshaw Stearns and the Captain Joseph Fuller Farm (see MLR 554/370, 373, and 375). It appears that one segment of the diagonal boundary between the colonial Richard Fuller and Captain Joseph Fuller farms went approximately through the intersection of today's Hall and Taylor Streets.
In the deed from Boies to Jackson, there appears to be a small lot belonging to Samuel Wellington on the river just west of Newton Street. In later deeds (see MLR 255/420, in 1824), this small lot appears to be owned by Patrick Tracy Jackson, but by the 1870s (from maps) this corner of the river and Newton Street was also owned by the Newton Chymical Company. Although it could not be determined for certain, it is possible that this lot (of 9 acres) had also been acquired by Boies in 1795 from Jonas Dix and Abraham Sanderson (MLR 121/205), but that there may have been some question of its ownership.
In 1814, the BMC sold the eastern half of its lot on the south side of the river to Seth Ross (MLR 208/438, see also 255/419). The dividing line was somewhere around today's Cooper and Hall Streets. Later, in 1824, the eastern half was bought for the Newton Chymical Company (see below). The BMC retained the western half.
In 1818, Patrick Tracy Jackson bought an additional 5 acre lot of land south of the river for the BMC (MLR 226/82). This lot was located adjacent to the BMC's existing lot at its western end, approximately going along the river west from Today's Moody Street. The lot was sold at auction by David Townsend, Jr., as guardian for Abraham Pierce, "spendthrift", to cover Pierce's debts. Jackson, then, transferred the land to the BMC (MLR 227/204).
In 1854, The Boston Manufacturing Company sold Charles Hall, Dexter Patrick, and Eben D. Gordon land bounded by Moody Street on the west (for 354 feet), Pine Street on the north (for 700 feet), the Newton Chymical Company on the east (518 feet), and Stratton, Goodwin, Hall, and Hoar on the South – who's lots were on the north side of Taylor Street (for 650 feet) (MLR 683/378). Nothing was said about buildings. This encompassed today's Gordon and Hall Streets, including the house lots on the south side of Pine Street, both sides of Gordon Street, and the front parts of the lots on the east side of Hall Street. The house lot on the northwest corner of Hall and Taylor Streets can be traced back to the BMC and the Richard Fuller Farm (see MLR 912/472, 785/112, and 695/382), while the house lot on the southwest corner of Hall and Taylor Streets can be traced back to Bradshaw Stearns and the Captain Joseph Fuller Farm (see MLR 554/370, 373, and 375). It appears that one segment of the diagonal boundary between the colonial Richard Fuller and Captain Joseph Fuller farms went approximately through the intersection of today's Hall and Taylor Streets.
Later in 1854, Dexter and Gordon sold their interest in three different lots to Charles Hall, including all the land they just acquired from the BMC east of today's Hall Street between Taylor and Pine Streets (MLR 691/352). Hall then sold the lot right on the corner of Pine and today's Hall Street to Joseph Kingsbury (MLR 712/508). The Kingsbury house is shown there on the 1856 map, and is probably the same house that still stands, today, as No. 51-53 Pine Street. Charles Hall's own house was built about the same time on the eastern side of Hall Street, and also appeared on the 1856 map. It still stands, today, as No. 18 Hall Street.
Note that the 700-foot measurement along Pine Street may accurately mark the boundary line between land originally owned by the Boston Manufacturing Company and the Newton Chymical Company at this point. This is just about today's Cooper Street, with the Boston Manufacturing Company to the west and the Newton Chymical Company to the east. The BMC kept most of it's remaining land on the north side of Pine Street between Moody Street and Cooper Street (i.e., opposite the mill) undeveloped through most of the 1800s.
In 1872, when the Newton Chymical Company left the chemical manufacturing business, it sold a lot on the northeast corner of Pine and Cooper Streets to the Boston Manufacturing Company (MLR 1241/1). The lot measured about 460 feet east from Cooper Street and about 180 feet north from Pine Street, and included a large tenement house, which the Newton Chymical Company had built on Pine street just east of Cooper Street for its employees, and which was shown on the 1854 map and labeled as the "Chemistry Block". The building was later owned and used by the Boston Manufacturing Company and then the Edison Electric Illuminating Company through the 1920s, but was demolished sometime before 1956.
In 1873, the chemical company also sold the Boston Manufacturing Company the entire block encompassed by Hall, Taylor, Lowell, and Cushing Streets, without any buildings mentioned in the deed (MLR 1259/413).
Note that the 700-foot measurement along Pine Street may accurately mark the boundary line between land originally owned by the Boston Manufacturing Company and the Newton Chymical Company at this point. This is just about today's Cooper Street, with the Boston Manufacturing Company to the west and the Newton Chymical Company to the east. The BMC kept most of it's remaining land on the north side of Pine Street between Moody Street and Cooper Street (i.e., opposite the mill) undeveloped through most of the 1800s.
In 1872, when the Newton Chymical Company left the chemical manufacturing business, it sold a lot on the northeast corner of Pine and Cooper Streets to the Boston Manufacturing Company (MLR 1241/1). The lot measured about 460 feet east from Cooper Street and about 180 feet north from Pine Street, and included a large tenement house, which the Newton Chymical Company had built on Pine street just east of Cooper Street for its employees, and which was shown on the 1854 map and labeled as the "Chemistry Block". The building was later owned and used by the Boston Manufacturing Company and then the Edison Electric Illuminating Company through the 1920s, but was demolished sometime before 1956.
In 1873, the chemical company also sold the Boston Manufacturing Company the entire block encompassed by Hall, Taylor, Lowell, and Cushing Streets, without any buildings mentioned in the deed (MLR 1259/413).