MSI 3/1/22

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".

1869 In 1869, Horatio Moore sold a lot on the east side of Flood Street to Mary A. Boyle, denoted as a widow, for $170 (MLR 1086/345). The lot measured 75 feet along Flood Street, with its southern boundary 90 feet north of John Street, and 124 feet east from Flood Street to the boundary with Calvary Cemetery. Flood Street was not named on the 1875 map, but was named in this deed and on the 1886 map, so Moore may have named it as a private road, and the city may have accepted it by 1886. Also in 1869, Mary Boyle took out a mortgage with the Waltham Savings Bank for $600 (MLR 1086/346). It is probable that the original part of the house at today's 26 Flood Street was built at this time for Mary Boyle. Mary Boyle was listed as a widow in the 1871 town directory with house at "foot of John". She was listed in the 1877 directory, along with John N. Boyle, presumably a son, at "Flood, near John". However, both of them were listed on Moore Street in 1886.

1880 Mary Boyle sold the house to Thomas Walsh in 1880 (MLR 1553/181). The 1884 directory had Thomas Walsh living on Friends Street, but his son, John Walsh, was listed as a machinist with John Stark, and boarding at the Thomas Walsh house on Flood. By 1886, Thomas Walsh, along with two sons: John F Walsh, a machinist, and Thomas J. Walsh, working for the watch company, were living on Flood Street.

1886 In 1886, Thomas Walsh took out a mortgage on two properties: the Flood Street lot, and also a lot on the north side of Calvary Street, stretching to the river (MLR 1757/309 and 312). The deed was also signed by Thomas' wife, Ellen. From voting lists and directories, it appears that the Walshes moved to a house on the Calvary Street lot (No. 118 Calvary Street at the time) shortly thereafter and rented out the Flood Street house.

1889 In 1889, Thomas Walsh, along with all the other land owners on Flood Street, gave permission to the city to lay water pipes in the street (MLR 1891/165). This appears to have been the time when the city was installing water pipes in this area of the Southside, and the old remains of a water stand pipe, used to fill water wagons for street dust control at the time, is still standing at the corner of Oak and Acorn Streets.

1900 Thomas Walsh sold the house on Flood Street to Louis Kniznik in 1900 (MLR 2815/583), who resold it, shortly after, to Dominick Lawless (MLR 2827/249). By 1904, Thomas H. Lawless, a son of Dominick Lawless, was living in the house. In the 1929 listing of voters, Thomas H. Lawless, working for the gas company; his wife, Annie T. Lawless, and two children: Francis T. Lawless and Helen R. Lawless, were living at No. 2 Flood Street. In the 1930 annual listing, the same people were living at No. 26 Flood Street, so the house numbering must have been changed at that time. The Lawless family continued to own and live in the house into the 1960s.

1965 In 1965, Louise C. Smith sold the house to Henry J. and Edith A. Maillet (MLR 10952/375). In the deed it was mentioned that Louise C. Smith was formerly Louise C. Lawless. In the 1966 directory, Henry Maillet was listed as a painter. The Maillet family lived here, at least, into the 1990s.