MSI 2/17/22

1658 John Fuller bought 750 acres of land in Newton from Joseph Cook in 1658, including this lot, along with most of what later became the part of Newton annexed to Waltham in 1849 known as the Southside (MLR 2/180). According to Francis Jackson's 1854 history of Newton, John Fuller came to Cambridge (and Newton, which was part of Cambridge at the time) from England in 1644. For about the next 150 years, this area was farmed by the descendents of John Fuller, and known as the "Fuller Farm".

The origin of the name "Newton" is rather interesting. Today's Newton was originally part of colonial Cambridge in the 1630s, but by 1654 it was being referred to as "Cambridge Village". In 1679, Cambridge Village became a separate town from Cambridge, and between 1679 and 1691, it was referred to as either "Cambridge Village" or "New Cambridge". In 1691, the colony's General Court officially renamed it "New Town". Then, in 1766 it was arbitrarily changed to "Newton" by the current town clerk, Judge Fuller (according to Jackson's 1854 history of Newton, p. 6).

c1800 In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Dr. Marshall Spring purchased much of the land in this part of what used to be Newton (see MLR 145/35, 152/133, 176/183 and 181/505). These were farm lands, pasture lands, and woodlots on the original Fuller Farm of 1658. Doctor Marshall Spring, who lived in Watertown, was a loyalist before the Revolutionary War, but rushed to Lexington during the Battle of Lexington and Concord to treat the wounded patriots. He was so much respected that his loyalist leanings were later forgiven (from Bond and Nelson). The Spring family goes back to the beginning of Newton as a colonial town, but the connection of Dr. Spring with this branch of the family is not clear.

1844 In 1844, William Minot and the other trustees of the assets of Nancy Wharton sold two large lots in the part of Newton that would become Waltham to Frances C. Lowell (MLR 459/65 and 68). This Francis C. Lowell was the son of the Francis Cabot Lowell, who had founded the Boston Manufacturing Company. One parcel, a woodlot of 115 acres, appears to have been near the Newton Chymical (Chemical) Company, but south of today's High Street. The other parcel, consisting of 60 acres of woodlot and pasture called the "Brush Pasture", 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). Nancy Wharton was the daughter of Marshall B. Spring, who was the son of Dr. Marshall Spring. Before her wedding to William Wharton, Nancy W. Spring owned a large amount of land, which was described in their prenuptial agreement (MLR 444/7 and 13). Nancy Spring later became the mother-in-law of Edith Wharton, the author.

1846 In 1846, Lowell sold most of the north east 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 to those on the south of today's John Street.

1849 In 1849, Waltham annexed the Southside from Newton, including all of what formerly had been the "Brush Pasture".

1856 In 1856, Horatio Moore sold a lot on the south side of today's John Street (originally called High Street, then Friend Street, and finally John Street) at the southwest corner of today's Friend and John Streets to Patrick McCusker for $200 (MLR 848/271). The lot measured 99 feet along today's John Street, and, apparently, the deed was not registered, nor was the house built, until 1860.

1860 Patrick McCusker took out two separate mortgages on the property in 1860. One from the Waltham Savings Bank on October 3, 1860 for $200 (MLR 848/274), and one from Horatio Moore on October 8, 1860 for $350 (MLR 848/273). Therefore, it appears that one of the houses on the lot was built in 1860 for Patrick McCusker. Given the amount of money, it seems likely that it was the smaller house, No. 13 John Street. It has been difficult to find information on Patrick McCusker, but he appears to have been a laborer who came from Ireland and died in 1872. In 1860, he signed his deeds as "unmarried". However, a mortgage deed of 1867, was also signed by his wife, Bridget, and in 1868, he, and his wife Bridget Rooney McCusker (who died in 1915), had a son named John Patrick McCusker. There also appear to have been three other children: James Francis McCusker, Alice Lily McCusker Daniels, and Sarah E. (McCusker) Broe. He may also have had a brother named Bernard McCusker, who later became a major contractor in the city.

1867 Patrick McCusker took out a mortgage with the Waltham savings Bank for $300 (MLR 1026/536). At the same time, Horatio Moore registered a duplicate deed to MLR 848/271 of 1856 (MLR 1026/536).

1869 The mortgage from 1867 was discharged in February, 1869, and McCusker then took out another mortgage with the Waltham Savings Bank for $1000 in July, 1869 (MLR 1092/216). It seems likely that this is when the second house on the lot was completed. This was probably today's No. 17 John Street (although for many years it was identified as No. 45 Friend Street). It may be that with a growing family, more space was needed than the small house at No. 13 John Street.

It appears that the McCusker family occupied No. 17 John Street into the 1920s. The 1871 directory listed Patrick and Hugh McCusker working in the Chemistry yard and boarding on John Street. The 1877 directory listed Bridget McCusker, widow of Patrick, with a house on Friend, corner John. The 1882 directory listed Bridget there, with James F. McCusker boarding with her. The 1900 census listed Bridget at 45 Friend Street with James and Alice living with her. And James F. McCusker was listed in voting lists as a letter carrier living at 45 Friend Street as late as 1922. He was also listed there as early as 1891. However, no McCusker appeared in the voting record at No. 13 John Street, from 1891 on, but a series of unrelated renters. The lot with both houses was noted as "Bridget McCusker heirs" on the 1928 Waltham engineer's map. Therefore, it appears likely that today's No. 13 John Street was built for Patrick McCusker about 1860, and today's No. 17 John Street for Patrick and Bridget McCusker about 1869. In 1937, the Waltham Savings Bank foreclosed on the 1869 mortgage and the property passed out of the hands of the McCusker family.