1847 In 1847, Calvin Clark sold Luke Smith a lot of 16¼ acres including what is today the northeast corner of Dale and Bacon Streets (MLR 539/85). It stretched north to south from the small stream that crosses Bacon Street just north of No. 253 Bacon south past today's Dale Street (which appears to have been laid out shortly after this), and west to east from today's Hazel Street (which was the original alignment of Bacon Street from at least the early 1700s, today's Bacon Street apparently also having been laid out shortly after this) to about half way between Bacon and Lexington Streets along today's Dale Street. The deed specified "with buildings", but the lot included today's No. 258 Bacon Street, so it could have been that house or others that have disappeared. It is not clear how Calvin Clark obtained the land. He was the son of John Clark, and the Clark family owned much of the land in the area since colonial times. However, this lot was part of the Chester and Plaine Meadows, according to Sanderson's map of Waltham in 1738, and such meadows were originally considered common land. Interestingly, enough, John Clark had bought a lot called "one half of Chester Meadow" from the future Governor Christopher Gore in 1801, but it was only 1¾ acres in area (MLR 141/137). For more on the Clark family and early maps, See the history of 258 Bacon Street.

1849 Luke Smith sold the northeast part of the lot he had acquired from Clark to Charles Hall in 1849 (MLR 576/144). The deed specified "with buildings". The deed also specified the lot was on the east side of "a new way called Bacon Street". Smith had previously sold the western part of the lot to Oel Farnsworth and the southern part of the lot to E.G. Jefts, leaving about ten acres, but still stretching down to about today's Dale Street. Much of the land appears to have been wet meadow land, and Hall was referred to as living in Weston at the time.

1851 In 1851, Calvin Clark sold directly to Charles Hall either land at the north of the land he had sold Smith in 1847 (who than sold it to Hall) or additional land on the north of that along Bacon Street; or he was just confirming the previous deed (MLR 618/212). The deed specified that the land stretched 190 feet south along Bacon Street from a ditch, and Hall was referred to as living, by now, in Waltham. Hall then immediately sold the northwest corner of this lot to Zeviah Smith (MLR 618/213). This deed specified that the lot stretched 173 feet south from the ditch, and came "with buildings". Hall also immediately sold the rest of the lot he had just bought from Clark to John W. Norris, of Roxbury (MLR 618/214). Norris' wife, the former Mary Smith, was the daughter of Zeviah Smith.

1853 Zeviah Smith sold her lot to her daughter, Mary Smith Norris, in 1853 (MLR 677/21). At this point the Norrises owned the land on the east side of Bacon Street south from the small stream that crosses the street down to just south of where No. 253 Bacon Street stands.

1854 In 1854, Hall sold Norris an additional strip of land on the south of Norris' lot stretching just one rod (16½ feet) along Bacon Street (MLR 747/269). On the 1854 and 1856 maps of Waltham, there was a house shown across the street from No. 258 Bacon Street, where No. 253 Bacon Street is located. The house is labeled "J. Norris". There was also a house on the north side of Dale Street, just east of Bacon, labeled "Charles Hall". The Hall house may have been the earliest parts of the house now numbered 75-77 Dale Street, and the Norris house appears to be what is today No. 253 Bacon Street. Therefore, the house at 253 Bacon Street was probably built in, or before, 1854. Charles Norris was referred to as living in Waltham at this time, and as a carpenter when he lived in Roxbury in 1851, so he may have built his own house between 1851 and 1854. However, a house was mentioned in the 1851 deed from Hall to Zeviah Smith, so the house may have been built prior to 1851.

1860 The Norrises sold their lot along Bacon Street from the stream down to, and including the location of 253 Bacon Street, to Lydia Ruggles in 1860 (MLR 842/74,75). At the same time, the Norrises bought a lot from Charles Hall on the corner of Bacon and Dale Streets, stretching 171 feet north along Bacon from Dale and 231 feet east along Dale from Bacon (MLR 848/530). The 1875 map showed the Norrises living at the corner of Bacon and Dale, and he was listed there as a carpenter in the 1871 town directory. That house has since been replaced.

Lydia Ruggles was the mother of Mary (Ruggles) Worcester, the wife of Benjamin Worcester, and Lydia lived with the Worcesters in the 1850s and 1860s. The Worcesters were the driving force behind the New Jerusalem Church in Piety Corner, and Benjamin Worcester's Italianate house still stands at 28 Worcester Lane, behind the Piety Corner Club. The church had been founded by Benjamin's father, Thomas Worcester, who had married one of John Clark's sisters. In 1860, the church's new chapel was built at the intersection of Bacon and Lexington Streets (still standing), and it appears that Lydia Ruggles may have been expecting more expansion of the congregation in the area.

1864 In 1864, a group of people, including the Norrises, sold land along Bacon Street to the New Jerusalem Church (MLR 932/175-181). Included in the deed is a surveyor's drawing of the land in the area. The entire lot stretched 397 feet south from probably where the stream crosses Bacon Street to the northern boundary of the lot the Norrises bought from Hall in 1860. It included the land of the houses now at 253 and 247 Bacon Street and 37 Varnum Park, but did not show any houses on, whether or not they were there (see map below).

1870 The church subdivided this lot in 1870 (Plan of lands and buildings now or formerly belonging to the Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church, drawn by Shedd and Sawyer, September 22, 1870, Book 17, Plan 101) and sold "Lot B" to Benjamin Worcester the same year (MLR 1145/587). Lot B included, almost precisely, the lots of today's 251, 253, and 267 Bacon Street. The deed also included a one-third undivided share in "Lot A", which was, and still is, the open space, 100 feet on a side, sitting on Bacon Street between 233 and 253 Bacon Street, and in front of 37 Varnum Park. This configuration of the three houses was also clearly shown on the 1867 map, although not labeled with owners' names, but only the house at the location of 253 Bacon Street was shown on the 1856 map.

1871 Worcester, almost immediately, sold "Lot B" and his share of "Lot A" to William A. Greenwood in 1871 (MLR 1145/586). According to Waltham Rediscovered, Greenwood was an active member of the New Jerusalem Church. On the 1873 birdseye view of Waltham there was a house at the location of today's No. 253 Bacon Street, which very closely resembled the house there today, and on the 1874 and 1875 maps of Waltham there was a house there with a footprint similar to today's house and labeled "W.A. Greenwood" (see map below). Greenwood is also listed in the 1871 and 1874 town directories as a farmer living on "Bacon above Dale", but not listed in the 1869 directory.

In 1871, William A. Greenwood also bought from Benjamin Worcester a large tract of land on the west side of Bacon Street just a bit north of the lot he bought on the east side of the street (MLR 1145/576). He may have originally used this land for farming, since no house was shown in this area on the 1875 map or 1877 birdseye view, but a house labeled "W.A. Greenwood" was shown in the area at the end of a very long driveway on the 1886 map. Also, in the 1877/8 town directory he was noted as living on "Bacon above Dale", but in the 1880 and 1884 directories he is noted as living "off Bacon above Dale". Therefore, it appears that around 1880 he had a house built for himself on what later became Greenwood Lane (probably today's No. 44-46 Greenwood Lane, also called Greenwood Avenue at times), and moved there.

1882 In 1882, William Greenwood sold the house now numbered 253 Bacon Street to Charles Whiting (MLR 1612/256). Charles Whiting was a farmer living on Winter Street near West Street, but in 1893, according to town directories, his son, Phineas, a produce dealer, and widow, Adeline, were living at 253 Bacon Street. According to voting records and city directories, Phineas was not living there at the end of the 1890s, but Adeline continued to live there until at least 1905.

1910 Although itis not clear how they obtained the property, in 1910, it was sold by Mary and Mary Eunice Roberts of New York to Robert H. Dermott (MLR 3560/530). In the 1912 city directory he was listed as a wheelwright, but on the 1912 annual listing as a farmer. Robert, along with his wife, Adelaide G. Dermott, continued to be listed at 253 Bacon on the annual listings through 1928, when he apparently died.

1934 In 1934, Robert Dermott's widow, now remarried and named Adelaide G. Fisher, sold the house to Doris and John T. Johansen. In the 1936 annual listing, Thomas J. Johansen is listed as a milkman living at 253 Bacon Street, so the house continued to be associated with the milk business into the mid 1900s.

1870 The Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church subdivided its large lot on the east side of Bacon Street in 1870 (Plan of lands and buildings now or formerly belonging to the Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church, drawn by Shedd and Sawyer, September 22, 1870, Book 17, Plan 101) and sold "Lot C" to John McGregor the same year (MLR 1137/637). The deed specified "with buildings". Also included was a one-third undivided share of Lot A, the open space along Bacon Street between No. 247 and No. 253 Bacon and in front of No. 37 Varnum Park. The 1874 map of Waltham showed a house with a footprint similar to the present house at No. 247 Bacon Street and labeled "J. McGregor". The house was also shown looking much as it does today on the 1873 birdseye view. Since it did not appear on the 1856 map, but did appear on the 1867 map (with its neighbors in the same configuration around the open square), the house was probably built around 1864 to 1867 for the New Jerusalem Church. This was a time when the church and its school were expanding, and the house may have been intended to house people related to the church or school. The house was still shown as belonging to J. McGregor on the 1886 map, but according to the 1871-1884 directories, he was a farmer living on Lexington Street, not Bacon Street. Therefore, he must have rented out the house on Bacon Street. He had not been listed in the 1869 directory.

1894 In 1894, the house at 247 Bacon Street was sold to Melvin L. Childs by Kirk D. Burt (MLR 2311/478). Burt had inherited the house from his wife, Elizabeth, who had been the McGregors' daughter. Melvin Childs was a member of a family of dairy farmers with large holdings in the Lexington Street area. He lived at 369 Lexington Street, the large Second Empire house still on the northwest corner of Lexington Street and Totten Pond Road, which had been built by his father. From voting records, it appears that he rented out the house at 247 Bacon Street to others working in the dairy business. One of the renters was Henry Hardy, who later established his own small dairy farm far up on Dale Street (see the history of 277 Dale Street). Childs continued to own the house into the 1920s.

37 Varnum Park

1871 The Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church subdivided its large lot on the east side of Bacon Street in 1870 (Plan of lands and buildings now or formerly belonging to the Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church, drawn by Shedd and Sawyer, September 22, 1870, Book 17, Plan 101) and sold Lots D, E, and one-third interest in A to Benjamin Worcester in 1871 (MLR 1358/604). Nothing was said in the deed about buildings, but a house was shown on the location of Lot D on the 1867 map and labeled "B. Worcester" on the 1874 and 1875 maps. The house was also shown on the 1877 birdseye view looking much as parts of it still do today (and a similar footprint on the 1886 map). Since it did not appear on the 1856 map, but did appear on the 1867 map (with its neighbors in the same configuration around the open square), the house was probably originally built around 1864 to 1867 for the New Jerusalem Church. Benjamin Worcester continued to live at 28 Worcester Lane, which he had built in the 1850s.

1875 In 1875, Benjamin Worcester sold Lot E (with no building on it) back to the New Jerusalem Church (MLR 1358/606).

1891 It is not clear who lived in the house before 1891, but by that year, it was occupied by Lewis T. Burnham, and his wife, Alice Worcester Burnham. Alice Burnham was the daughter of Benjamin Worcester. The Burnhams were married in 1870, and they appear to have lived on Bacon Street near Lexington Street in 1874, but do not appear in directories or voters lists in the area otherwise before 1891. Lewis Burnham was originally listed as a cotton manufacturer, but by 1905 as a builder. In the 1900 census he is noted as a "mobile carriage maker". It appears that they continued to live at 37 Varnum Park (sometimes also listed as 249 Bacon Street or 249 Varnum Park) until around 1912. Benjamin Worcester died around this time, and the Burnhams moved into the Worcester house at 28 Worcester Lane.

Also in 1891, the city took the private way called "Varnum Park" to lay water pipes in it (MLR 2073/495). An unnamed private way following the route of Varnum Park had existed since the 1870 plan to subdivide the Church's property. In 1874, the New Jerusalem Church sold George W. Winkley Lot G in the subdivision (MLR 1298/112). This was the lot south of the curved portion of what would become Varnum Park, and it appears there were no buildings on it. In 1883, the Winkleys sold the lot to Edward P. Varnum, apparently still without buildings. According to the 1886 map, Varnum had built a house on the lot by that time. That house no longer exists, but, apparently, Varnum's name became attached to the private way originally laid out by the Church.

1920 In 1920, the heirs of Alice W. Burnham sold the house to Alger M. and Myrtle P. Lewis, and the property passed out of the hands of the Worcester family.

233 Bacon Street

1870 Mary Norris sold the northern portion of the lot, which she had bought from Charles Hall in 1860, to William Wyman (MLR 1125/428). This was the lot for today's No. 233 Bacon Street. There was nothing in this deed, or in the mortgage Wyman took out with the Waltham Savings Bank (MLR 1125/429) about buildings on the lot. The house was not shown on the 1854, 1856 or 1867 maps, but was shown on the 1874 and 1875 maps, labeled as "W. Wyman". The 1865 census lists William Wyman, age 31, living next to Reuben Wyman, age 41, in an area that does not appear to be Bacon Street. They were both listed as farmers. Also living with William was Rodney Wyman, age 26, a milkman. It is probable that all three were brothers. Reuben Wyman appeared on the 1867 and 1875 maps on Winter Street near West Street. William did not appear on those maps, but on the 1886 and 1892 maps he was shown owning what had been previously the Charles Whiting farm on Winter Street near West Street on the 1875 map (see 253 Bacon Street). This location is where today's Wyman Street leaves Totten Pond Road. Wyman Street appears to have been built along the eastern edge of the Cambridge Reservoir/Hobbs Brook Basin, between Winter Street (now subsumed into Totten Pond Road at this location) and Lincoln Street, shortly after the reservoir was built in the 1890s. In the 1869 town directory, William is listed as a milkman living on Bacon corner School, and in the 1871 and 1874 directories as a milkman living "off West" Street. However the 1874 directory has Rodney Wyman living on Bacon near Dale and working as a milkman. In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, William appeared to have been living on Bacon Street about where No. 233 is located, and he was listed as a milkman living there in the 1877 through 1882 town directories. Therefore, it is likely that No. 233 Bacon Street was built for William Wyman about 1870, and that various members of the Wyman family lived there while working in the dairy business.

1875 In 1875, William Wyman transferred the title for the lot to his wife, Caroline (MLR 1377/362 and 363).

1886 Caroline T. Wyman sold the house to Walter H. Smith in 1886 (MLR 1753/401). On the 1891 voting list, Walter H. Smith was noted as a milk dealer.

1891 Walter Smith sold the house to Albert M. Eaton, who was a dealer in paper bags and twine (MLR 2042/500). Eaton lived there until 1904, after which he rented it out, at least into the late 1920s.

Land belonging to the Waltham Corporation of the New Jerusalem Church along Bacon and Dale Streets in 1864 (from MLR 932/175-181).

Approximate land ownership in 1864 shown in blue

1875 map