27 Leonard Street

1889 In 1889, the Lawrence heirs (Ann I. Lawrence, Ellen S. Sherman, and Leonard F. Lawrence) sold Lots No. 1 through 8 of the Lawrence Estates to Samuel Patch (MLR 1976/494 and 1943/534). These were all the lots along the east side of Leonard Street. Samuel Patch was the Waltham Building Superintendent at the time. From a slightly later deed in 1892 (MLR 2113/63), it appears that Ann I. Lawrence died around 1890, that Etta Lawrence was one of her heirs, that Etta Lawrence was a trustee for a Leonard Lawrence (who may or may not have been the same person as Leonard F. Lawrence), and that Samuel Patch was also one of Ann I. Lawrence's heirs.

1890 In November, 1890, Samuel Patch sold Lot No. 6 in the Lawrence Estates to William Wilson (MLR 2073/177). William Wilson was a carpenter, and nothing was said in this deed about a house.

1891 In September, 1891, William Wilson took out a mortgage with John McGlinchey for $1,700 based on Lot No. 6 (MLR 2073/178). This deed specified "with buildings". Wilson did not appear in the voting records in this area in 1891, but was listed there in 1894 with the notation that he had been there in 1893. He was also listed there in the 1893 city directory, but not in the 1890 directory. Therefore, it is probable that the house was built for, and possibly by, William Wilson in 1891-1892. The Wilson family lived there until 1920.

1920 Wilson sold the house to Edward R. Lincoln in 1920 (MLR 4364/588). Edward Lincoln, who was a salesman, and his wife Ethel, lived there until 1934.

1934 In 1934, Lincoln sold the house to Louis G. Teele (MLR 5815/47). Louis, who was also a salesman, and his wife, Grace, who was a hairdresser, lived there until about 1942, when Grace died.

1943 In 1943, Louis Teele sold the house to Hyman Weiner, Trustee for the Saxe Realty Trust (MLR6725/560), who flipped it to John H. and Dora Wheeler (MLR 6733/383). John Wheeler appears to have started out as a milkman, but then became an analyst, and finally worked for the Joslin Diabetes Foundation. The Wheeler family lived in the house, at least, into the 1990s.