76 Lawrence Street

1890 In 1890, the Lawrence heirs sold William Ormsby Lot No. 57 of the Lawrence Estates (MLR 1973/286) and sold Frank Ormsby Lot No. 58 (MLR 1973/285). There was no mention of houses in the deeds. Lot No. 57 was at the corner of Lawrence and Summit Streets (and included most of today's lots of both No. 80 and No. 82 Lawrence Street) and Lot No. 58 was the next lot west along Summit Street. Also in 1890, the Lawrence heirs sold James F. Padelford Lot No. 56 (MLR 1990/56). This was the lot for the future No. 76 Lawrence Street.

1900 Padelford sold Lot No. 56 to Thomas R. Higgins in 1900, with nothing specified about a house in the deed (MLR 2824/561).

1904 Oriville H. Ormsby, wife of William Ormsby, sold Lot No. 57 to Hattie E. Butman, wife of Fred L. Butman, in September of 1904, with nothing specified in the deed about a house (MLR 3119/392). A couple of days later, the guardian of a minor Ormsby sold his interest in the same lot to the Butmans (MLR 3120/336). Also in 1904, Thomas Higgins sold Lot No. 56 to Charles W. Spencer, with nothing said about a house (MLR 3105/499).

1905 On November 2, 1905, the Butmans sold the lot for No. 80 Lawrence Street to Frank P. Kenny and Mary A. Connell (later Kenny) (MLR 3195/311). This was the southern part of Lot No. 57, and in this deed it is specified "with buildings". Therefore, it appears that the house at No. 80 Lawrence Street was built between September, 1904, and November, 1905, for Fred L. Butman. Frank Kenny was a printer/typesetter.

1906 In October, 1906, Charles W. Spencer sold Lot No. 56 to Mary A. Kenney, wife of Frank P. Kenney, for $800 (MLR 3269/485). Nothing was said in the deed about a house. Also in October, 1906, The Kenneys took out a mortgage for $1000 with Charles Jefferson based on both Lot No. 56 and Lot No. 57 (MLR 3260/581). Nothing was said about houses in the deed.

1909 The Kenneys took out another mortgage, this time with the Waltham Cooperative Bank, for $2,400, based only on Lot No. 57 (MLR 3449/228); and at the same time, Jefferson gave permission for his mortgage with the Kenneys to be considered secondary to the bank's (MLR 3449/225).

1911 The Kenneys took out still another mortgage, this time with George R. Beal, for $3,100 (MLR 3605/505). In the deed it was specified that both lots were included, but Lot No. 57 had buildings on it, while nothing about buildings was said about Lot No. 56, and that only $1,000 of the loan was related to Lot No. 56. About the same time, the part of the mortgage to Jefferson related to Lot No. 56 was discharged (MLR 3607/4).

1912 In September, 1912, the Kenneys sold No. 80 Lawrence Street to Michael Hession and moved next door to No. 76 Lawrence Street a couple of years later (MLR 3719/246). In the annual listings of voters, Frank P. Kenney was listed at 80 Lawrence Street through 1912, as a printer, with Michael Hession there from 1913, on. Kenney first appeared in the voting lists at 76 Lawrence Street in 1914, as a carpenter, and he was listed there in the 1914 city directory. He was listed as a voter, and as a painter, on Rich Street in 1913.

1913 In 1913, the Kenneys took out a mortgage with the Waltham Cooperative Bank for $2,800 based only on Lot No. 56, and in the deed it is specified "with buildings" (MLR 3761/134).

It appears that the house at No. 76 Lawrence Street was built 1911 to 19123 for Frank and Mary Kenney,. Although the builder is not known, since Kenny was listed as a carpenter, he may have helped in its construction. The Kenneys had owned the lot since 1906, but lived next door at No. 80 Lawrence Street until moving to Rich Street in 1912, and then to No. 76 Lawrence by 1914. The house was not shown on the 1911 Waltham Engineer's Map or the 1911 Sanborn map, but was shown on the 1918 map.