MSI 1/16/22

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 Mary Spring (a minor) and 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 (BMC). Francis Cabot Lowell, Jr., was the manager of the Bleachery (part of the BMC, located near today's Farwell Street) early in his professional career, was involved with the establishment and management of the Newton Chymical Company (also associated with the BMC, and located south of the river just west of today's Newton Street – obituary Boston Daily Advertiser, 1/12/1874), and then became the treasurer of the Merrimack Company in Lowell around 1837. He went on to manage and be on the boards of many other companies (Rosenberg). He owned a large summer, family estate on the north side of the river just east of Newton 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.

One of the parcels of Spring land, which Lowell received from Monot, et al., a woodlot of 115 acres, was a reversed "L" shaped lot stretching from High Street, near its junction with Newton Street, south to Derby Street in Newton and then west to Moody Street, near the Newton border. 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 just east of today's Flood Street) and south from the river about 1,600 feet (to about Clinton Street).

1849 In 1849, Lowell sold a one third part interest in a portion of his "Brush Pasture" acquisition to Horatio Moore (MLR 568/208). Horatio Moore was the manager of the Newton Chymical (Chemical) Company (which was part of the Boston Manufacturing Company). This lot stretched south from today's Calvary Street (then called "Spring Street"), past Oak Street, to include the lots on both sides of Cedar Street. On the west side of the street, it stretched south for about 900 feet to Clinton Street (including today's No. 53 Cedar Street) and about 180 feet west from Cedar Street. On the east side of the street, it stretched south about 1000 feet to include the lot of today's No. 72 Cedar Street, and about 215 feet east from Cedar Street.

1854 Lowell and Moore sold a lot of land on the southeast corner of Oak and Cedar Streets to Patrick Rogers in 1854 (MLR 693/134). The land stretched 192 feet south from Oak along the east side of Cedar and 202 feet east from Cedar along the south side of Oak. The land cost $400 and there was no mention of buildings in the deed. The deed did state that this was part of the Spring estate.

1862 In 1862, Ellen M. Rogers, wife of Patrick Rogers, sold the portion of their lot right on the corner of Oak and Cedar (containing the future house lots of 30 and 34-44 Cedar Street and 77-81 Oak Street) to Daniel E. Pope and Samuel Perry for $410.16 (MLR 889/431). It appears that Patrick had transferred the land to Ellen in 1860 (MLR 853/177).

1863 Pope and Perry then sold the lot to Michael Miley in 1863 for $375 (MLR 905/97).

1867 In 1867, Miley sold the lot to William O'Brien for $900 (MLR 1012/144). In none of the preceding deeds, or in this one, was it specified that the land came "with buildings", but given the jump in price, it is possible that Miley built the building on the corner of Oak and Cedar, No. 30 Cedar Street, around this time. However, also in 1876, O'Brien took out two separate mortgages based on this lot, one for $1,600 with the Waltham Savings Bank (MLR 1023/192), and one with Bridget McCusker for $1,000 (MLR 1027/360). In the deed to McCusker, it was specified that the lot came "with buildings". Therefore, No. 30 Cedar Street was most probably built by William O'Brien in 1867. The 1875 map showed the building labeled "W. O'Brien", while the 1886 map labeled it "J. O'Brien". It is also shown on the 1873/1877 panoramic view. In the 1869 town directory, O'Brien was listed as a plumber working at the chemical works and living at No. 10 Oak Street, and in the 1871 directory as living on Oak near Newton. William O'Brien owned many properties in the area, and it appears that he used the one at 30 Cedar Street as rental property. The other two buildings now also occupying the original O'Brien lot, No. 34-44 Cedar Street and No. 77-81 Oak Street, only appeared on maps between 1886 and 1900.