23 Lawrence Street

1886 In 1886, the Lawrence heirs sold Lots No. 31 and 32 in the Lawrence Estates to August Munster (MLR 1747/567). Lot No. 31 is where No. 31 Lawrence Street now stands, and Lot No. 32 is where No. 23 Lawrence Street now stands.

August Munster was part of the Munster family that ran a large bakery business at 769 Main Street, near the corner of Grant and Main Streets, at the time. According to the 1888 city directory, August had died by then, and his widow, Mary, was living at 771 Main Street. The Munsters bought up most of the Lawrence land between Hammond Street and Lawrence Street, south of Plympton Street. The 1890 city directory listed no Munsters living on Lawrence Street, and the 1891 through 1905 annual listing of voters listed no one at No. 23 Lawrence Street.

1904 In 1904, the heirs of August Munster sold Lot No. 32 to William W. Powden (MLR 3105/48). Nothing was said in the deed about buildings.

1905 Powden took out a mortgage on the lot with the Waltham Cooperative Bank in 1905 for $1,500 (MLR 3156/355). The deed specified "with buildings". In the 1905, and earlier, annual listings of voters, no one was listed for 23 Lawrence Street, but William Powden was listed there in the 1906 listing. Also, in the 1905 city directory, Powden was listed on South Street. Therefore, the house at 23 Lawrence Street was probably built in 1904-1905 for William Powden. He was a Watch Factory employee. According to the voting lists, William's wife, Jean, appears to have died sometime in the 1930s, and William sometime in the 1940s; but their son, Russell, and his wife, Mary, were living there in 1950. Russell Powden worked for Raytheon.