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 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.

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.

1855 Lowell and Moore sold a lot measuring 191 feet along Cedar Street and about 180 feet east away from the street to Michael McDonald (MRL 718/352) for $300 on July 24, 1855. Nothing was specified in the deed about buildings.

On August 11, 1855, Michael McDonald deeded the property to Peter McDonald for $1,500 (MLR 718/354). Peter was probably Michael's brother, and this appears to have been a mortgage deed. The deed specified the lot was "with buildings". The deed also said that the northern 28 feet of the lot had been already sold to Martin Hosely (MLR 723/386). It appears that the house was built for Michael McDonald about 1855, although its footprint did appear on the 1854 map in its current location.

1856 In 1856, Peter McDonald took out a mortgage with the Waltham Savings Bank (MLR 752/114) for $600 based on the same lot as MLR 718/354.

1863 In 1863, the Waltham Savings Bank transferred the mortgage from Peter McDonald to Dominic Doherty (MLR 905/82).

1864 On May 17, 1864, Mary Doherty sold the lot to Unis Doherty for $1, and Unis then sold it to Dominic Doherty for $800 (MLR 927/87 and 88). In the documents it is noted that Mary Doherty had been Mary "McDonnell". It appears that after Michael McDonald died in 1860, his wife, Mary, remarried Dominic Doherty, and they continued to live in the house. The 1869 town directory listed Dominic Doherty as a laborer living "rear Cedar near Oak".