MSI 9/21/22

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 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.

1845 In the following year, 1845, Lowell sold a large portion of his "Brush Pasture" lot to the Newton Chymical Company (MLR 478/80 and 81). Lowell had previously been the manager of the Newton Chymical Company (Waltham Industries by Sanderson). 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. The cost of the combined lot was $1,310 for well over 10 acres of land, and the deed mentioned that Oak Street had just been laid out as a private way. Given the cost and size of the lot, there were probably no houses yet on it. Probably because of fumes produced by the chemical plant, the plant, itself, was originally located centrally in its large lot, while housing for the workers grew up along the western end of Pine Street, Newton Street (north of Oak Street), Oak Street, and Cedar Street. This was the original area of what became known as 'The Chemistry". Since the subject house appeared on the 1854 map of Waltham, labeled as belonging to the Newton Chymical Company, it was probably built by the company sometime between 1845, when the company, acquired the land and 1854, when the house appeared on the map. Unfortunately, since the land was continuously owned by the company through this period, it is not possible to narrow down the date more precisely from public records.

1871 In 1871, the company sold the subject building to Patrick Costello for $2650 (MLR 1143/608). In the early 1870s, the Newton Chymical Company left the chemical business, sold off its resources, leveled its buildings, and went into the real estate business, selling off its land. Costello, born in Ireland, had been employed by the company at the time of the 1870 census. Most of his neighbors that year were also company employees. The 1869 Waltham directory listed Costello's address as "rear bleachery, between Calvary and John", which was his original house, built in 1856, and which is today's No. 21 Friend Street.

1874 By 1874 Costello's address had shifted from behind the bleachery to "Oak, near Newton," presumably in this building. He listed no occupation in the directory of that year. On the 1875 map, the house was labeled "P. Costello".

1881 Patrick Costello died in November of 1874, and the property was sold by his son Thomas to Terrance Connors in 1881 (MLR 1581/474). Connors was born in County Galway, Ireland. The 1895 Waltham directory lists his address as 12 Oak Street and his occupation as a laborer. Patrick Connors, also a laborer, was listed as a boarder in the houses.

1900 In 1900, Connors sold the building to Christina Fulton, wife of Pryor Fulton (MLR 2824/137). Fulton, a coal dealer, lived at 354 Newton Street (near the corner of Ash Street) in this period and seems to have used the Oak Street building as an income property.

1930 The Fulton family owned the building until 1930, when Christina Fuller sold it to Paul F.G. Franchina (MLR 5489/389).

1938 In 1938, the building was sold to Jennie Firone (MLR 6212/598), who owned it until 1994.