The Makers of the Mold
by
Kenneth W. Newcomb
4. Old Houses and Buildings
The number and locations of the first homes in Upper Falls are
hard to determine. Aside from the early settlers such as Woodward
(1681), Staples (1688) and one or two others there is little or
no information to indicate how many homes were located here in
the seventeenth century. There is some reason to believe that
there were other houses located here because it was known as the
"Upper Falls" area in the 1680s and also because of the
presence of John Clark's sawmill in 1688. Deeds uncovered in
research have disclosed houses and structures in Upper Falls not
shown on earlier maps. From the few homes that are on record we
learn that Thomas Parker, son of Noah Parker who had acquired
Clark's mill in 1720, sold a dwelling house in 1782 to Simon
Elliot along with the mill buildings. Another record is that of
the Cheney house, found in Sweetser's "KINGS HANDBOOK OF
NEWTON" published in 1889:
| "The Cheney house...near the
southwest corner of Cheney and Mechanic Streets, was of
heavy oaken timbers, wainscoated with oaken planks, as a
protection against hostile bullets, which were to be
feared in that remote day of 1702, when the foundations
were laid. Joseph Cheney, Jr., brought from the woods one
day two little saplings on his shoulder, and they have in
ninety years grown into the noble elms (still)
standing…. Joseph's son, General Ebenezer Cheney,
was a representative to the General Court, a pew-holder
in the First Church, and filled other positions of trust
in the town. He had the orthodox number of twelve
children, and died in 1853, at the age of ninety four.
The Cheney house has long since vanished; but the great
elms, its old-time companions, remain to mark the
site." |
Alas, today, even the great elms are gone.
It is known that the Cheney family and their descendants built
other homes in the village. James Cheney Sr. built a home in 1732
on an extension of Mechanic Street which then ran to the river.
The house was located between that road and South Meadow Brook.
James's son, Aaron, inherited the homestead which he in turn left
to his nephew, Asa Williams, whose surname now identifies one of
the streets in the area. Also, Joseph and Mary Cheney sold
"a Dwelling House and Shop with about Eight Acres of
Land" to Thomas Tolman, a cordwainer (shoemaker) from
Milton.
This was in 1763 "in the third year of his Majesty's
Reign," and the land involved is now occupied by the Stone
Institute. It passed from Thomas Tolman to Simon Elliot to Otis
Pettee who acquired the property in 1826 and built his mansion
(now part of the Stone Institute) on the land in 1828.
Incidentally, Tolman took part in the Revolutionary War,
participating in the confrontation with the British at Lexington.
Other than the need for a strongly built house "as a
protection against hostile bullets" there were other hazards
and hardships that tested the stamina of early homesteaders. One
historian, writing in about 1880, gives us a vivid picture of
village life a century earlier, at the time of the Revolutionary
War:
| "Not a pound of coal, nor a
cubic foot of illuminating gas had been burned in this
country. No iron stoves were used, and no contrivance
employed to economize heat, until Dr. Franklin invented
the iron-framed fireplace, which still bears his name.
All the cooking and warming, in town and country, was
done with the aid of fire kindled in a brick oven or on
the hearth. Pine knots or tallow candles furnished the
light for the long winter nights, and sanded floors
supplied the place of rugs and carpets. The water used
for household purposes was drawn from deep wells by the
creaking sweep. No form of pump was used, generally, if
at all, until after the commencement of the present
century. There were no friction matches in those early
days, by the aid of which a fire could be easily kindled;
and if a fire went out upon the hearth over night, and
the tinder were damp, so that the sparks would not catch,
the alternative was presented of sitting in the cold, or
of wading through the snow a mile or so, to borrow of a
neighbor. Only one room in any house was warm, unless
some member of the family was ill. In all the rest, the
temperature was at zero many nights in the winter." |
It was during this time that many of our present
houses were built. The Elliot mills of 1782 and the Newton Iron
Works of 1799 triggered a mild building boom. Boarding houses,
mill tenements and private homes began to spring up along the few
public roads and lanes. The Woodward and Staples homesteads, now
in the village of Waban, still stand although the latter has been
considerably altered. The Jackson Homestead has published, as
part of a series, two excellent pictorial booklets of special
interest to Upper Falls residents. Entitled "Newton's Older
Houses", one deals with the older homes in the village
proper and the other with similar houses in the old village's
northern limits, now known as Waban. There is some information
contained in these booklets which we have found to be in error,
but as the early history of these buildings is difficult to
obtain, some misinformation is inevitable. It is hoped that
eventually a more accurate edition will be issued. There are so
many homes 150 years of age or older in Upper Falls that it would
be impossible to describe them all here. Again, we recommend the
Jackson booklet on Upper Falls for more information.
The Bixby Homestead
One
of the eighteenth century houses worthy of mention is the Bixby
homestead which was built about 1750 and is now located at 744
Quinobequin Road. It formerly stood around the corner on Boylston
Street but had to be moved as a result of the widening of that
thoroughfare. In the moving it was shorn of more than half of its
original ells and wings. Although the property became known as
the Dresser farm, after Robert Dresser who purchased it in 1872,
it had many earlier tenants after it passed from the hands of the
Bixbys. As indicated earlier, Benjamin Newell, a local paper
manufacturer, resided here for some time as did a family by the
name of Nash. Just prior to its occupation by the Dresser family
it was owned and occupied by Francis Jones, a prominent Upper
Falls business man.
There is one interesting note regarding a subsequent tenant to
the Dressers, a family named Grilley. Mr. Grilley was an aviation
enthusiast and, as such, was a good friend of Amelia Earhart, the
noted aviatrix. His flying togs were borrowed and worn by Ms.
Earhart on her fateful flight over the Pacific in 1937.
The Clark House
The same pattern in the development of other early New England
textile villages is found in Upper Falls where many of its first
homes were built for their workers by the first industries
including the Elliot mills (1782), the Newton Iron Works (1799)
and the Pettee Machine Works (1831). Surprisingly, many of these
earlier homes were built and owned by the workers themselves,
especially in the period 1830 to 1850. For example, many homes
built on High Street in the late 1840s were all privately owned.
Doctors, storekeepers and mill officers all built substantial
homes here in the early nineteenth century. Unfortunately, some
of our earliest dwellings have been demolished while others have
succumbed to time and neglect.
Among these
would be the William Clark House formerly at 1185 Boylston
Street. While older residents will remember this house as the
address of the Brittain family, it was supposedly built about
1800 by William Clark. Clark operated a machine shop at the rear
of the house, a building that was later moved across the street
and down the hill where it became a residence. The house at 1185
was originally two stories high with a third story added later.
An 1831 map shows this home to have been owned by a Wiswall
(believed to be Elisha Wiswall, owner of the Wiswall Tavern on
Boylston Street).
The Cheney House
Another substantial home that once stood next door to the
Clark house was that of General Ebenezer Cheney at 1195 Boylston
Street. Again, older residents may remember this home when
occupied by the Hemphill family prior to its demolition. It was
believed to have been built by General Cheney in 1782 at the time
of his marriage. General Cheney served during the Revolution and
was Brigadier General of the Massachusetts Militia. He was a
member of the General Court for nine years and also a member of
the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. An early Jackson
Homestead publication estimated that this house was erected in
1782. This would indicate that some sort of public way led to
these houses prior to the construction of the Worcester Turnpike
which passed their doors about 1808. An 1831 map shows that the
owner of the old Cheney House on Boylston Hill was named Rice. He
is believed to be Dr. Nathan Rice, a former practicing physician
in East Sudbury (Wayland). Both he and his wife, Mary, were
members of a group of Methodists in this village in 1826. Their
sons, Gardner and Marshall, were also members. Gardner was a
teacher in the Holliston Academy and was later ordained a
minister. Marshall S. Rice was the founder and a member of the
Upper Falls Methodist Episcopal Church from 1832 until his death
in 1879 (See Marshall S. Rice biography). The 1855 map indicates
that the owner of the Cheney House at that time was A. H.
Randall.
Boarding Houses
There are other ancient structures which have followed the
Clark and Cheney houses into oblivion, or which have been so
severely altered as to hide their original identities. Among the
more picturesque we include those necessary structures in a mill
village, the boarding houses. These large, rather plain buildings
were" second cousins" to the mills and were usually
located close to the industries. We shall never know the total
number that served as rooming houses for the workers since some
are still standing while others are long gone. They held an
important place in the early nineteenth century when the village
was still young, before the churches and schools appeared and
before families came to build their homes in the community. To
many workers their world consisted of three places - the mill,
the boarding house and the tavern. Some of the old boarding
houses persisted even after families came and established more
permanent residences. In the mid-nineteenth century there was
Mary Worth's on Elliot Street, Jane Daly's on Chestnut, Keefe's
on Elliot and the notorious "beehive" on Mechanic
Street. In the early days, board and room could be obtained for
$2.00 a week for men and $1.50 per week for boys. By 1860 the
rates were slightly higher. At Jane Daly's the charges were: room
and board (two to a room) $3.50 per week; single room $4.50;
laundry, including overalls and jumpers, $.50. The food (three
meals a day) had to be plentiful and well cooked or the lodgers
would move to another boarding house.
The old
boarding house on Mechanic Street, previously referred to as the
"beehive", was built by Otis Pettee in 1839 on the
easterly side of the street, next to the railroad, on the site
now occupied by the Newton Electrical Company. This huge,
sprawling structure survived to be remembered by some of our
older citizens of the village. Built for the workers of the
Pettee Machine Works (1831) it became a haven for newly arrived
immigrants who came to work in the mills in later years. At one
time Mr. Pettee operated a bakery located in one of the ells of
the building. The Pettee Company later built a rooming house for
its workers called the Mechanic's Hotel, also located on Mechanic
Street. This building is still standing and is now known as
Elliot Manor, serving a very useful service as a nursing home.
Some Mill Buildings became Homes
The actual
age of many of our village homes is hard to determine due to the
fact that when our mills expanded and larger buildings were
required, the smaller mill buildings were either sold to the mill
workers for private dwellings or were converted by the mill
owners into tenements for their workers. As they were often moved
into vacant lots adjacent to the mills, they are difficult to
trace. For example, in 1823 the Elliot Mfg. Company stripped its
mill site on Elliot Street of four snuff mills, a screw factory,
grist mill, blacksmith shop and an annealing house. It is now
believed that they were moved to nearby Elliot Street lots east
of the Chestnut Street crossing. The four small tenement houses
numbered 331, 335-337, 339 (recently burned down, see picture)
and 351-353 are believed to have originally been mill buildings.
Pegged timbers and hand wrought nails from the burned building at
339 Elliot would seem to bear out this assumption. The building
at 335-337 arrived on its site in 1882 after a move from 308
Elliot where an 1855 map (presently on file at the Jackson
Homestead Historical Museum) shows it as owned by Charles
Winslow. If these houses were the original mill buildings their
date of construction would be about 1785, shortly after Simon
Elliot purchased the old mill site for his snuff mill operation.
Other examples of factory buildings rebuilt into homes may be
found at 12, 16, and 20 Shawmut Park, 50 Hale Street and at
nearby 50 Oak Street. They were formerly part of the old Pettee
Machine Works plant and are believed to have been moved to their
new sites about 1895 when the Pettee shops were rebuilt.
347-349 Elliot Street
In the midst of the Elliot Street houses mentioned above (at
347-349 Elliot) is believed to be an old surviving boarding or
tenement house of the Elliot concern. Although it has since been
enlarged, the original building could be one of the tenements
referred to in the deed covering the sale of the mill property in
1814 by General Simon Elliot to the Perkins brothers of the
subsequent Elliot Mfg. Co. Other modest tenements and homes on
Elliot and Chestnut streets in the vicinity of the old mill are
thought to have been built by the Elliot Mfg. Co. following its
organization in 1823.
One
exception might be the "half" house at 1034 Chestnut
Street. The style of architecture of this home built in the 1790s
is not in keeping with the simple style of its neighbors, and is
believed to have once been a part of a large prepossessing home
built as a summer country home by General Simon Elliot. He was
known to have such a home in this area. When all of the buildings
were cleared from the site of the new mill in 1823, it is
possible that this house was separated into two sections and sold
or rented to mill workers. If so, we create a small mystery -
what happened to the other half? In any event, if this was
General Simon Elliot's home, did his son leave here one fateful
day to engage in one of the most exciting adventures of his life?
We include here this story found in the book "COACHING
ROADS OF OLD NEW ENGLAND" by George Francis Marlowe -
published by the Macmillan Company, New York - 1945:
| "On the Providence road, we are
at last able to record a real duel, at sunrise, with
seconds and all in due form and in the approved manner of
the eighteenth century, though it took place in the first
years of the nineteenth. |
| It was just outside Providence that
the irascible William Austin fought a duel with the son
of General Elliot, a brother-in-law of the Boston
merchant Thomas Handasyd Perkins. Young Austin, who was a
nephew of Benjamin Austin, editor of the Boston
Independent Chronicle, had written a political article of
a damaging nature against Elliot's father. The two
meeting one day, they came to blows, when Austin is said
to have had the better of the scrimmage, with the result
that the younger Elliot, a young man of twenty-two or
three, sent a challenge to the editor's nephew. Seconds
were duly chosen, Henry Sergeant acting for Elliot and
Charles P. Summer for Austin; Dr. John C. Warren acting
as surgeon. |
| The party reached Providence in the
evening, 'had a pleasant supper,' and at four the next
morning proceeded to a piece of woods near the
Massachusetts boundary. Taking places at twelve paces
apart, they fired together and Austin was wounded in the
lower jaw. He insisted upon another shot, however, and
Austin was again hit, this time in the thigh. Neither of
the balls had penetrated very deep, however, Sargent
purposely having taken the precaution to make the charges
rather light. 'After the affair was over,' wrote Dr.
Warren, 'We got into carriages and drove to the first
tavern in the State of Massachusetts, on the way
homeward,' probably on the road between Providence and
Attleboro. Here Dr. Warren dressed Austin's wounds, 'and
he recovered without any subsequent inconvenience.' |
| The Austin family seem to have been
more or less constantly in hot water. About the time of
the duel the editor's son was shot in State Street by
Thomas Selfridges, a lawyer. Selfridges, indignant at
attacks made upon him in the paper, had retaliated in
kind and had been threatened with violence by Austin's
son, who, meeting him in State Street about noon one day,
struck him on the head with a heavy stick. Selfridges,
who had been warned of the threat against him, drew a
pistol and shot the young man dead. He was ultimately
acquitted." |
Cottages
Two of the original four cottages located on
Richardson Road remain there and the other two still exist, one
on Anita Circle in Waban and the other at 1144 Chestnut Street.
These four were also workmen's homes and were built by the Newton
Iron Works or the Newton Factories early in the nineteenth
century. Similarly, Otis Pettee built housing for his employees
in the 1840s and a fine example of this type of building is found
at 238-240 Elliot Street. Most of the cottages or tenements of
the New England Spun Silk Company which were built by the Elliot
Mfg. Co. were occupied by the mill workers on a low rental basis
until more recent times when they were offered for sale to the
tenants.
We might add that other older homes located on
Saco, Butts, Williams and Abbott Streets were built as a
development by the Pettee Machine Shop Company around 1900. This
was followed by another development by the same concern about 25
years later. These were better type houses with central heating,
electricity, plumbing and other amenities which were sold to
employees of the shop.
As we move into the nineteenth century, we find that the
development of the village of Upper Falls closely followed that
of other early New England industrial villages. This is evident
as the topography of its site was similar to other mill villages.
The mills clustered along the river with the mill workers homes
and tenements close by. On the higher ground we find the more
substantial homes of the doctors, lawyers, shop keepers and mill
supervisors.
On the uppermost heights were located the mansions of the mill
owners. Included in this latter category would be the imposing
home of Otis Pettee
which he erected on Prospect Hill in 1828, perhaps one of the
finest of Newton's homes at that time. Much of the house remains
today as part of the Stone Institute and Newton Home for Aged
People which it acquired in 1899.
Its former grandeur perhaps is best described by Sweeter in
his KINGS HANDBOOK of NEWTON of 1889:
| "Near the crest of the Quebec-like ridge
stands Sunnyside the antique yellow mansion of Otis
Pettee, rambling over its high terraces in luxuriant
amplitude, and crowned by a little spire that recalls the
colonial dignity of Mount Vernon. This house dates from
the year 1828, when its farmlands extended southward
beyond the present railroad." |
The Billings Home
A similar mansion once graced the same slopes
east of Pettee's home which was owned by Henry K. Billings who
had married one of Pettee's daughters. It was later, in 1880,
after the death of Pettee that Billings became the sole owner of
the Pettee Machine Works. The lane off Elliot Street opposite
Linden Street, known as Hillside Lane, still has the original
stone posts at its entrance marking the main drive into the old
estate. Since it was subdivided into several house lots, only
portions of the old building remain, including a barn and two
ells which were converted into residences and are now located on
Champa Street.
The Ellis House
A fine
example of a mill owner's home survives on its lofty site at 1235
Boylston Street. It is known as the Ellis House, after its
original owner. An ell on the rear of the house is built of
stone, using boulders of considerable size. This section is said
to have been built in 1790, although no building is shown on the
site on an 1831 map. The Greek Revival portion was built about
1838 by Rufus Ellis, one of the founders of the Newton Iron Works
in 1799. Another large home built at a later period was once
located on an expansive site across the street at the corner of
High and Boylston streets. As indicated earlier it is thought to
have been built by Benjamin Newell, a paper manufacturer who
operated mills on the river at the foot of Boylston hill. Later
owners of the property were the Tucker, O'Malley and Mazzone
families. Badly damaged by fire some years later, the remains
were torn down, a new street (Lucille Place) was built across the
property and the estate broken up into house lots.
260 Elliot Street
Another
member of the Greek Revival family of fine homes is found at 260
Elliot Street. This beautiful building was built on its original
site on Elliot Street near Oak Street about the year 1838 by Dr.
Samuel S. Whitney. Dr. Whitney had taken over the practice of Dr.
Alfred Hosmer who had died November 27, 1837 after having served
Upper Falls from 1829 until his death. Dr. Whitney lived in his
new home for six years before moving to Dedham in 1844. Dr.
Abraham D. Dearborn(e) bought his practice and his home and
remained here for ten years, until 1854. Frank Barden, proprietor
of a rolling mill and paper mill in the village, purchased the
home in 1855 and lived here until he died on September 25, 1877
at the age of 71. Josiah B. Newell purchased the property at
auction in May, 1885 for $6,300, and it remained in his family
until Dr. William H. McOwen bought it in May, 1897. Dr. McOwen
moved to Upper Falls in July, 1885 and was married there June 30,
1888. The property was purchased by the Mary Immaculate of
Lourdes parish in 1909 and the house moved to its present
location. The house had long been a showplace with its fine
gardens, fish pond and stable. The building continues to serve
the community in a very useful way as a parish hall and community
center for the church, and is known today as St. Elizabeth's
Center.
The Cunningham House
A fine example of Victorian style architecture in this area is
the old Cunningham house at 28 Richardson Road. It was built in
the early 1800s, possibly by C. Cunningham who was the owner in
1848. John Richardson was the owner in 1874 and it appears that
his surname was applied to the road leading to the home. Ernest
Cobb (son of Cyrus Cobb, noted painter and sculptor) and wife
Bertha purchased the property in 1918. They were authors of
children's books and they established the Arlo Publishing Company
here for the publishing of their books.
Very popular gathering places in old Upper Falls village were
the taverns. The great influx of mill workers combined with the
many turnpike and other highway travelers spawned an unusual
number of these enterprises in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. Among the oldest was Colonel Nathan Fuller's Tavern
known to be operating in 1763 on the old Sherburne Road (Woodward
Street). Colonel Fuller participated in the Revolutionary War,
and later gave the West Parish (West Newton) Second Church an
acre and a half of land on Cherry Street for a cemetery. At a
location approximately where Centre Street passes under Boylston
was a tavern believed to have been established in 1763 by
Lieutenant John Marean who was a Revolutionary War veteran. After
he died in 1788, Edward Mitchell, a carpenter from Brookline,
continued the operation until his death in 1807. During his
ownership the tavern was known by his name but following his
death the building became the residence of Nancy Thornton.
Mitchell was an original proprietor of the South Burial Ground on
Winchester Street and he shares a tomb there with Deacon Jonas
Stone.
Cook's Tavern
Further to the west, on the west side of the junction of
Elliot and Woodward streets, stood the old Cook's Tavern built
for the trade passing on the Worcester Turnpike.
When it was demolished in 1915 it was said to be over a
century old, so the date of its construction coincides with that
of the construction of the turnpike in 1808. The TOWN CRIER
of December 3, 1915 noted the following during its demolition:
| "It is a very interesting sight to look
through the old building at this time. You will find
hand-forged locks, hinges, screws and nails. The oak
planks used for the floor boards are eighteen to twenty
inches in width and in excellent state of preservation.
The beams are all hand hewn and the old fireplaces are
remarkable examples of solid masonry. |
| The tavern and land has been sold to Edward J.
Ball of Newton Highlands...Mr. Ball will immediately
erect three modern stucco semi-detached houses, colonial
type, on the old site, which will be ready for occupancy
about March 1st." |
Some rare antiques and old coins were found in
the ancient building when the timbers were torn away.
As we proceed still further west to discuss the old tavern or
taverns on Boylston Street in Upper Falls, we pause to describe
the old tollgate that was located between these inns. From THE
TURNPIKES of NEW ENGLAND by Frederic J. Wood (published by
Marshall Jones Company - 1919) we read:
| One tollgate was located in the rear of the
Richards Tavern near the Brookline-Newton line, and
another was in Newton Upper Falls, situated in a hollow
between the two taverns which were about three quarters
of a mile apart. A marsh and quicksand two hundred feet
east of the gate obliged travelers to stay on the road,
and prevented the much-practiced art of 'shunpiking.' The
old tollhouse at this gate stood for many years on the
bank above the street, where it was left by the grading
incident to the trolley construction. |
Since trolley service on the turnpike did not
commence until after 1900 some of our readers might recall this
building and hopefully have a photograph of it.
Manufacturer's Tavern
Much
controversy exists concerning the date of construction of the
tavern located on the Worcester Turnpike in the village proper,
now serving as a private two family dwelling at 1267-69 Boylston
Street. The building, once called the "Manufacturer's
Hotel" is considered by historians, because of its Greek
Revival style, to have been built no earlier than 1829. However,
various historical references to a tavern existing in the same
area earlier than this, possibly as far back as 1808 when the
turnpike was constructed, suggests the conclusion that there were
two buildings serving as taverns, one from 1808 to 1829 and the
other from 1829 to the time it was converted to a private
dwelling. The Upper Falls section of Hurd's HISTORY of
MIDDLESEX COUNTY contains information which tends only to
confuse the issue still further. In the left column of Page 16 we
read, "About 1829 a hotel was built at the Falls, and kept
as a house of entertainment twenty years. It became afterwards a
private dwelling." In the right column of the same page we
find this, "At the northeast corner of Boylston and Chestnut
streets, Upper Falls, is a large wooden house, which from 1808 to
1850 bore the name of "Manufacturer's Hotel", a place
of considerable business, where merchants from Boston and the
manufacturers of the village held frequent sessions to discuss
their mutual interests." If our correspondent had written
"northwest" instead of northeast the conflict about
dates might have been definitely resolved.
Other Taverns
Frederic
Wood's book also contains pictures of old taverns along the
Worcester Turnpike. Following the photo of Cook's Tavern, the
Upper Falls tavern on the turnpike near the junction of Elliot
and Woodward streets, is a picture of "the old house at
Newton Upper Falls" which we find to be an old house (since
demolished) on the northwest corner of Boylston and Chestnut
streets which was owned at a later date by James Cahill, a
prominent contractor. A copy of the picture in Mr. Wood's book
has been located and verifies the above. A large barn and
outbuildings give credence to the story that it was the older inn
in the village. A store was also located in an outbuilding in the
1820s. No doubt when the first village fire company (that of the
Newton Iron Works on Boylston Street) was organized, their
organizational meeting at Wiswall's Tavern on November 8, 1820
was held here, a few steps from the Ellis iron works concern
which, for the record, would give a name to this earlier tavern
and a date preceding that of the Manufacturer's Hotel.
Another tavern is known to have existed in the village proper
at 981 Chestnut Street, operating in the early nineteenth century
as Captain Harding's Tavern. Not much is known of the old captain
except that early in the century a Mr. Harding taught in one of
the old village schools, and that when two neighboring houses to
the north of his burned in 1843, a young boy's unauthorized fire
brigade saved his home from destruction (see Chapter 12 FIRE
& POLICE).
As taverns took on the more dignified name of
"hotel" we find that two such establishments were
constructed within the village. One has already been described -
the old Mechanic's Hotel on Mechanic Street. While the date of
its construction is unknown, it is of more recent origin than our
previously mentioned taverns and Mechanic's Hotel, now the Elliot
Manor Nursing Home, was probably built early in this century.
Echo Bridge Hotel
Not generally known is the fact that another hotel called the
Echo Bridge Hotel made its appearance in the village, occupying
the upper floors of the newly opened Prospect Block situated on
the northerly side of High, Oak and Elliot Streets. This imposing
three story brick structure on Pettee property was built by the
Pettees. A number of stores occupied the first floor below the
hotel. Information contained in Otis Pettee, Jr.'s diary
indicates that houses previously occupying the site of the hotel
were demolished rather than moved. We read that on April 24, 1901
Otis T. Pettee and a hired hand "commenced job of building
block on High Street by starting on old house 'to pull it down'.
" All the homes were removed by April 30 and the diary
indicates that "they gave away some of the material."
On December 6 "Thomas W. White moved into block and opens
tomorrow; he is first tenant to occupy Drug Store." On
October 26th the government accepted the location for the post
office in the new block and on December 31, 1901, "Post
office moved to its new quarters this evening - ready for
business tomorrow" (January 1,1902). On Saturday, January
25, 1902 the "first load of furniture came for hotel - Echo
Bridge Hotel. A.L. Harris, Proprietor, W.H. Colburn (Dry Goods)
opens store in new block this evening." The hotel opened for
business to the public on March 2, 1902. On March 5 its first
public affair was held, "Grand banquet at Hotel this eve -
Methodist bible class - about 70 tickets sold." Later, other
public affairs - Women's Club as well as others were noted. When
the use of the building as a hotel was discontinued is unknown.
Its later use was for apartments as well as offices for doctors,
dentists and other professional tenants. Other ground floor
stores recalled are Aiken's Drugs (replacing White's), MacBrides,
(dry goods), Hayden's Grocery, Kennedy's Butter & Eggs, A
& P Stores, Bosworth's Bakery, Valente's Fruit Store and in
more recent days too many to list here. (See Chapter 7, Merchants).
The Pettee Inn
The final structure listed in our record of taverns and hotels
would be the Pettee Inn. Demolished over fifty years ago, it once
occupied the site which now houses our post office and adjacent
office building.
An article appearing in the TOWN CRIER
of October 10, 1913 heralds its opening:
| "Hundreds of people visited the Pettee Inn
on Oak St. last Saturday afternoon and (Oct 4) it being
thrown open for public inspection prior to business. The
premises drew forth words of praise and admiration, the
appointments being of a most complete nature, the main
living room presaged comfort and enjoyment for the
occupants while the equipment of the kitchen, laundry and
other parts of the inn showed that the Saco-Lowell Co had
spared little to assure of the institution's being
provided with the latest features for these departments.
The Inn accommodates 60 roomers and 150 people can be
served in the dining room." |
It was a large two-storied stucco building with a
wide verandah running along its entire front. Built by the
Saco-Lowell shops, it was used mainly for their sales meetings
and as a hotel for visiting foreign and domestic customers.
Unfortunately, it had no heating plant, utilizing steam heat
supplied underground from Saco-Lowell's heating plant. This
feature probably condemned the building when the Saco-Lowell
plant moved to Maine in 1932, since the Great Depression was on.
There was no purchaser available to assume the cost of a heating
plant along with the building, and it was torn down soon after
the company moved. The leased building occupied by the Post
Office came much later. We might add that prior to the
construction of the Pettee Inn, the site was occupied by the
imposing William F. Clarke residence which was moved and turned
to occupy its present site at 16-18 Indiana Terrace. It shared
the same fate as that of its one-time neighbor which once
occupied the northwest corner of Indiana Terrace and Oak Street.
It was moved from its site about 1890 to a new location on
Ossipee Road where it sat until 1924 when it was moved again to
its present resting place at 49 Indiana Terrace. Its original
site on Oak Street was occupied by the new home of Oliver
Billings, owner of a nearby store.
Since its early days residents of the village have sought
entertainment within the village limits, with the result that a
number of halls were constructed for that purpose and to house
various fraternal organizations, clubs and similar organizations.
(See Chapter 10 The Social Scene).
The first halls and places of assembly were in the taverns, and
all functions from those of a civic nature to the conducting of
singing schools were held there. Later, in the 1820s and 1830s,
the churches provided a place for many of these activities
including lectures and lyceums. The 1840s and 1850s saw the
establishment of at least four public halls.
Quinobequin and Nahaton Halls
After the school at 1028 Chestnut Street, now serving as
stores and apartments, was abandoned in 1846, the upper floor was
converted into a hall called Quinobequin Hall. A previous site of
a school which was a predecessor to the one just mentioned became
the location for the business block now located at 1003-1009
Chestnut Street. When this building was erected about 1846, it
contained a second floor hall known as Nahaton Hall. Both
Quinobequin and Nahaton halls were later converted into
apartments.
Arcanum Hall
The residence at 51-53 High Street was originally a church
(see Chapter 8, Churches) built
in 1842. However, the first Universalist Society in Newton, the
builder of the church, was disbanded seven years later and the
building was converted into a public hall known as Elliot Hall.
In 1879 it was turned a quarter turn and made into a private
dwelling by John Howe. This prompted Home Lodge I.O.O.F. #162, a
fraternal order and a previous tenant, to build a new hall on the
second floor of the building across the street at 48-50 High. The
lower floor of this building was originally occupied by
Trowbridge (later Trowbridge & Easterbrook) Tin Shop. For
some time now, however, both floors have been occupied by
apartments. The old hall was named Arcanum Hall.
Forester's Hall
When the old Prospect #1 school on Pettee Street was abandoned
about 1904, it was moved across the street and made into a public
hall known as Forester's Hall after the fraternal organization
which was its principal occupant. The building was demolished in
1953. Prospect #2, or Wade School as it was later called, was
moved in 1904 to the site previously occupied by its predecessor,
Prospect #1, and made into a public building for entertainments
and other functions. For a number of years it served as a public
hall and also as a motion picture theater. The building was
finally razed to provide more play area for Emerson School which
had been built in 1904. Although closed by the city in 1979 and
later converted to condominiums, the gym and other rooms of the
school were retained for community use, providing space for the
library and all types of public meetings.
The Oak Street Stone Barn
One of the village's more historical attractions is the old
stone barn on Oak Street which is one of the most unusual
structures of its kind in the country. It was featured nationally
in a syndicated news cartoon, "Believe It or Not, by
Ripley" because the building is so located as to have
outside entrances to all of its four floors: sub-basement on the
east, basement on the south, first floor on the west (Oak Street)
and second floor on the north (Cliff Road).
Otis Pettee, Jr. makes these comments regarding the barn in
Hurd's HISTORY of MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS,
published by J.N. Lewis & Company - 1890:
| "The large 'stone barn,' so-called, on Oak
St., a conspicuous feature of the Upper Falls, was built
by Mr. Otis Pettee, Sr., in the period of the silk
excitement in eastern Massachusetts... It was generally
conjectured among the villagers that the 'stone barn' was
designed for the nursery of silk worms and a depot for
the manufacture of silk. But Mr. Pettee would newer
reveal to any one his purpose in rearing the
structure...It stood unused for years, and then part of
it was utilized for a common stable..." |
In pages 107-108 of the same publication, Otis
Pettee, Jr. gives a more complete picture regarding the silk
culture and manufacturing in the area during the above period
(See Chapter 2 on Industry).
Fortunately there is a detailed description by an unknown writer
of the building of the barn which we are including here:
| "The old 'Stone Barn' on Oak Street, Newton
Upper Falls was built in the year 1839. For a year or
more previous to that date excavations in the hill were
made at odd jobs for the foundation, the material being
used for improving waste lands in the vicinity. Nearly
every foot of the massive basement walls stand upon solid
ledge rock. The building is 100 ft. long by 50 ft. wide
(inside measurement) built of native ledge and field
stone collected from the pastures and arable lands near
by. The stone masonry was commenced early in the Spring
of 1839 under the direction of Mr. Joseph E. Burpee as
Master Builder. By the side hill location a ground
entrance was given to the first, second and third
stories. By an embankment on the north end teams could be
driven upon the fourth story floor. |
| The carpenter work was done by Mr. William G. R.
Mowry of Providence, who was building the boarding house
block at the same time. It was covered with a plain
pitched roof sloping at an angle of 45o, which has since
been cut down to its present type - the 2nd and 3rd
floors were laid with boards, covered 5/8
ths inch thick with good mortar, then the
surface floor laid with two inch plank - this combination
was to serve the double purpose of checking the spread of
fire and to prevent dust or odors from filtering through
from above or below. |
| When in the process of construction in November,
a portion of the roof was blown off by a heavy
southeasterly gale and had to be rebuilt. The lateness of
the season prevented the completion of the stone work at
the ends of the building so they were temporarily boarded
in for the winter and remained in an unfinished condition
for quite a number of years, until the change was made in
the roof to its present shape. |
| There was a rumor afloat in the neighborhood at
the time of the building of the barn that it was intended
for a silk factory but no such idea ever was entertained
by the owner. |
| The livestock kept in the building for ten or
twelve years consisted of about 20 horses, four yoke of
oxen, three or four cows and a number of swine. Two six
horse-teams were daily on the road to Boston and
occasionally a third one in times of increased demands
for merchandise. After the opening of the Charles River
Railroad to the village the teaming business was
transferred to that line and a number of horses disposed
of. The first year of its occupancy (1840) over 125 tons
of hay were weighed and stored in the hay loft, nearly
all of which was cut upon the adjoining farm lands."
|
It is known that from 1837 to 1847 Otis Pettee
Sr. was exporting considerable amounts of cotton machinery to
Mexico and other foreign markets and so during the latter part of
this period it is reasonable to assume that the barn was used not
only as a stable for horses and oxen and for vehicles necessary
to haul material to and from ships in Boston, but also as a
storehouse for finished goods awaiting shipment. It is also said
that in November, 1839 when Mr. Pettee's cotton machinery plant
was completely destroyed by fire, the barn (although but half
built), was used temporarily to store some of the salvaged
machinery while a new factory was being constructed. In these
later years the building has been used for many purposes, one
record indicating that it served as the shipping department of
the nearby Gamewell Company. Also, for a considerable length of
time, it was used as a storehouse by the now defunct New England
Spun Silk Company, and in more recent years as a furniture
warehouse. Recently renovated inside and restored to its original
appearance outside, it now houses some modern offices as well as
serving as a warehouse.
The old stone house on Cliff Road next to the stone barn is
presumed to have been built about the same time as the barn and
at times served as a caretaker's house. Later it was a storage
building, and in more recent years has been converted to a
residence. Being in a historic district, it has commanded rather
a high price.
Another stone building located on the south side of the
turnpike, on the Wellesley side has been described in detail in Chapter 2, Industry.
Copyright 1997, 1998 Kenneth W. Newcomb and The Friends of
Hemlock Gorge. All rights reserved. This page last modified
October 8, 1998.
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One
of the eighteenth century houses worthy of mention is the Bixby
homestead which was built about 1750 and is now located at 744
Quinobequin Road. It formerly stood around the corner on Boylston
Street but had to be moved as a result of the widening of that
thoroughfare. In the moving it was shorn of more than half of its
original ells and wings. Although the property became known as
the Dresser farm, after Robert Dresser who purchased it in 1872,
it had many earlier tenants after it passed from the hands of the
Bixbys. As indicated earlier, Benjamin Newell, a local paper
manufacturer, resided here for some time as did a family by the
name of Nash. Just prior to its occupation by the Dresser family
it was owned and occupied by Francis Jones, a prominent Upper
Falls business man. 
