SUPPLEMENT

There are some dwellings on the lists which belong to owners who did not respond to inquiries, either through lack of interest in the project, or a desire not to have their homes publicized. The Committee respected their wishes, but for any future endeavors in this field will list the houses which may date back to 1826 or earlier, as they were presented to them.

1. 49 Ash Street. Possibly a house built by Johnson Tolman in 1749 and moved from 850 Park Street.

2. 90 Freeman Street. Asa Capen, 1806. Said to have been moved from 118 Pleasant Street.

3. 90 Pearl Street. Loring White, 1806.

4. 64 Pleasant Street. Samuel Paul, 1823. Once the home of George T. Brewster, internationally known sculptor.

5. 200 Pleasant Street. Samuel Capen, 1809.

6. 78 Wyman Street. Nathaniel Morton, 1797-8. Original house said to have been split, part moved here, part remained at New England Furniture Co. Other information says the Nathaniel Morton mansion was built 1837.

7. 756 West Street. Possibly the house built by David Capen in 1751-60, "on West St. about 500' from Elm St." 

 

In addition to these homes, some of particular interest but either undetermined date or date is later than the arbitrary cut-off date of 1826 set by the Committee for this study, were discovered. They are listed here with some of the pertinent information gathered.

1. 133 Central Street Ezra Fisher, 1742; Alanson Wentworth, 1839. This is the Mary Baker Eddy House, also known as the Wentworth House. Alanson Wentworth bought the property in 1839 and built a house on the old foundation of Ezra Fisher's 1742 house. Wentworth was a farmer, but built the small shoe shop for making boots and shoes during the winter.

2. 149 Central Street. Samuel Comyns, 1734. Built "down the lane behind Laurie's house," it is doubted this is the house now standing at 149 Pleasant.

3. 171 Central Street. Samuel Capen, 1800. The Committee felt the information given referred more to 261 Central.

4. 241 Morton Street. Theophilus Harris, 1827.

5. 327 Morton Street. "The Lighthouse," 1820.

6. 357 Page Street. William Page, 1830,

7. 70 Park Street. Jesse Holmes, 1850.

8. 65 Pearl Street. Joseph Goldthwaite, 1827.

9. 932 Pleasant Street. Abner Capen, 1830. One of the houses built for three Wentworth sisters. Myra Wentworth married Abner Capen.

10. 956 Pleasant Street. Norman Mills, about 1834. Mills married Luanda Wentworth.

11 970 Pleasant Street. Otis Monk, about 1836. Monk married M.Wentworth.

12. 15 Seaver Street. Robert Capen, 1748; Rev. Richmond, 1825; Joseph Melcher, 1850 (?). This is one of the most controversial of the houses considered, The original house, owned by Robert Capen, is generally believed to have been torn down after Rev. Edward Richmond purchased it. Both Frank Reynolds and the "History of the Old Stoughton Musical Society" have said that Rev. Richmond sold the front part and tore down the rest of the old Capen house and built the one which stands now at 15 Seaver Street The Massachusetts Historical Commission has given 1808 as a date for it, without documentation. The Musical Society also says the Robert Capen house was on the site of the Dr. Park house. There was another "Capen House," a Tavern, where many sings took place, which stood on the corner of Park and Pleasant at the site of the Lucius Clapp Building, built in 1799 and torn down after 1861.

The proximity of the First Parish Church made the site at what is now Seaver and Park .Street' desirable for the minister's residence. Rev Edward Richmond served as the First Parish minister from 1792-1817; in 1822, Rev, Calvin Park became the minister; he died in 1847 in Stoughton, There is a deed which says the real estate was sold to Calvin's son, Edward, in 1846, Some time before 1854, Joseph Melcher bought it from Edward Park. Seaver Street was not cut through to Park Street until after this date; apparently this caused the house to be moved from its kitty cornered position to the location at 15 Seaver.

The sequence on the maps is as follows: 1749, Robert Capen, original date, 1749; 1794, Rev. Edward Richmond; 1831, C. Park (Rev. Calvin Park); 1854, Melcher estate, no Seaver Street; 1876, Joseph Melcher.

The Committee concluded the house bears further documentation, but that it is not the original Capen house, which is of special interest to the Old Stoughton Musical Society as the site of William Billings' singing school in 1774.

13. 791 Sumner Street. Francis Sumner, 1833.

14. 1061 Sumner Street. Benjamin Bartlett, Jr., 1848. Built on site of house of 1765 or 1773.

15. 719 Washington Street. Luther Clark, 1844. One of Upham's houses; deed being researched by owner.

16. 1823 Washington Street. Benjamin or Roloson Marshall, 1812, 1839? This is another debatable house; it has been listed on the Massachusetts Historical Commission survey as built in 1812, but deed research has not yet documented a date. This is a splendid Federal style house, said to be standing in its original form. The owner thinks it may have been built between 17% and 1804; deed research shows a succession of Marshalls as owners of land in this vicinity, but tracing the house is complicated by numerous changes of ownership.

Beside the house is a small family cemetery which dates some of the Marshalls who lived in this area. The patriarch was Benjamin Marshall, who died in 1829, aged 85 (1744-1829). His wife, Mary, died in 1837. Benjamin's two sons here were Gannett and Roloson. Up front near Benjamin's headstone, lie Roloson Marshal!, died 1849, aged 68 years (1781-1849), and his wife, Olive, died 1865. Toward the rear of the cemetery are the headstones of Gannett, 1787-1873, and his wife, Mary, as well as his two sons — Benjamin, died as an infant in 1822, and Benjamin G., died 1842, aged 13 years — and Oren, died 1882, relation not dear, but possibly another son. There are also Birds buried here — Henry and Vashti, who was Roloson's daughter.

In Dedham, deeds to parcels of land in this area indicate there were large holdings on both sides of the turnpike (Washington Street), extending into Easton. In 1802, Benjamin Bisbee sold to Benjamin Marshall "land on road from Easton to. Boston." The same day, Benjamin deeded to Roloson Marshall 2 parcels, 4J/i acres plus, on the easterly side 'of road from Easton to Boston, bounded by land of Benjamin Marshall. The 1803 tax list has Benjamin Marshall on it, but does not indicate whether the tax was for (and or for dwelling, in 1811, Benjamin was taxed for a dwelling. Roloson paid no tax for a dwelling. In 1821, Benjamin (aged 77 yrs.) and Roloson (aged 40 yrs.) were both taxed for ;/i dwelling. In 1825 and 1826, Benjamin paid no tax on a dwelling but Roloson paid on three. Benjamin died in 1829. In 1837, a deed was recorded by Roloson giving his son Ambrose title to land on the turnpike to Easton — 80 acres, also 1/3 of "my new dwelling standing near said premises together with the whole of the old barn lately owned and occupied by Benjamin Marshall, late of Stoughton," in 1842, Roloson was taxed for 1/2 dwelling; Ambrose for 1/3 dwelling. However, these dwellings are not specifically located; so far, there has been no way of telling whether one is at 1823 Washington Street, although the suggestion of "1/3 of my new dwelling" may indicate the new one i. located there. It is further recorded that in 1840, Ambrose sold some land to Isaac Bird. On the map of 1876, the estate of Ambrose Marshall is clearly located at .he site of 1823 Washington Street.

Going back to Marshall Wills recorded in Dedham, in 1829 Benjamin Marshall left ;o his wife, Mary, daughter Betsey, and sons Howard, Calvin, Roloson, Gannett, and "son Benjamin if he appears," property in Easton and Stoughton. In 1849, Roloson Marshall's Will was probated, leaving 85 acres of land with 1/3 house and other buildings to his wife, Olive, daughters Vashti Bird and Olive Packard, and son Ambrose. Ambrose's Will, in 1852, left a long inventory; to his widow, Mary, an 11 acre parcel of land with barn and corn barn near the house of Henry Bird, and a second parcel of 39 acres of pasture, woodland, and meadow; both bordering on land of Ellen and Emily, etc. Another daughter, Elizabeth (?), was granted the S. E. room in the house so long as she was unmarried.

The maps do little to clarify the house either. The 1749 map shows a house set back from Morton Street belonging to Joseph Morse, built 1743. The Historical Society Album says a house set 1000' back from Washington Street was built by Joseph Morse and was standing in 1749; somehow this was related to the site of 1823 Washington Street. The 1794 map still shows the Jos. Morse house there, and a Benj, Marshall house on the opposite site from Morse's across Morton Street. The 1831 map still has J. Morse and two Marshall houses. It is not until 1876 that Ambrose Marshall's dwelling is definitely placed at 1823 Washington Street. It is also significant that neither the Capen collection nor News-Sentinel article takes note of the Marsha!! house. The Town list made up from the 1831 map says a house belonging to Roloson Marshall, built in 1803, once stood on land belonging to George Loving, and the house built in 1743 by J. Morse stood in back of the house at 1823 Washington Street. The Committee could not determine, from all the, information, the original! owner and date of the dwelling in question, but leans to Roloson Marshall about 1837.

17. 144 West Street A (Amasa [?]) Southworth, 1859. Affirmed to be one of the Southworth's houses, this farmhouse is genuinely charming.

Town Pond off West Street

18. 808 West Street. Simon Stearns, 1749. The original of this house is known to have burned down in recent years; the building remaining is possibly a barn.

19. 200 York Street Lewis Johnson, 1831. Said to be built on the cellar of a house built by George Wadsworth in 1720-21,

From the Records of Marriages in Stoughton, a partial list is interesting in showing the inter-relationships of many early Stoughton families. Some of these may be overlapping, some without dates, but records were not always kept in orderly fashion; these are roughly grouped by families:

1. Issac Stearns family.

    Elizabeth Stearns — Edward Estey, 17-, 

    Abigail Stearns — Samuel Brackett, 1737. 

    Abigail Brackett — John Belcher, 18-

 

2. Atherton.

    Patience Atherton — Isaac Humphreys, mid1600's in Dorchester.

    Humphrey Atherton — Elizabeth Withington, 1700.

    Elizabeth Atherton (dau. Humphrey & Elizabeth) — Ebenezer Mosely, 17-.

    Deacon John Atherton — Rachel Wentworth, 1741. 

    Elizabeth Atherton (dau. of John) — Ebenezer Tucker, 17-. 

    Capt. Consider Atherton — Mary Bailey, 1744.

    Mary Atherton (dau. of Consider) — Capt. Jedediah Southworth, 1770. 

    Deacon John Atherton, jr. — Mary Adams, 1769. 

    John Atherton — Mary Drake, about 1778. 

    John Atherton, Jr. - Sally Bird, 1797. 

    Elijah Atherton - Harriet Crane, 17-, 

                           - Ruth Tisdale, 1803. 

    Hannah Atherton — Frederick Page, 1841.

 

3. Crane.

 

    Silas Crane — Expearance (Experience), —

    Thomas Crane (son of above) — Mary Fenno, 1749.

    Thomas Crane, Jr. — Eunice Stone, 1772.

    Nathan Crane — Esther Damon, 1772.

    William Crane — Keziah Bird, 1774.

    Sarah Crane — Samuel Bird, 1782.

    Mary Crane — Samuel Wales, 17-.

    Abigail Crane - Nathan CHI, 17-.

    Elijah Crane - Mary Fisher, 1787.

    Elijah Crane — Desire —, 17-

 

4. Bird.

    Samuel Bird — Anna Atherton, Dorchester, 1748.

    John Bird (son of Samuel b, 1750) — Joanna Estey, Sharon, 17-,

    Samuel Bird — Elizabeth Glover, 1773.

    Samuel Bird — Sarah Crane, 1782.

    Abner Bird - Polly Cay, 1795.

    

5. Drake.  

    Nathan Drake — Jemima Gay, 1753. 

    Nathan Drake — Sarah Smith, 1782. 

    Nathan Drake — Jenny Tolman, 1786. 

    Stephen Drake — Vashti Holmes, 1804 

    Nathan Drake — Sally Bird, 1820.

    Russell Drake — Nancy Payson, 1832. -

    Roxanna Drake--------Tucker, 18-,

    Lucy Drake - Philip Reynolds, 1846,

 

6. Waters.

    Bethial Waters — Joseph Morse, 1746

    Daniel Waters — Aseneth —, about 1760. 

    Asa Waters - Lydia Smith, 1785. 

    Zebulon Waters — Lucy Belcher, 1802. 

    Capt. Asa Waters — Mrs. Mary Smith, 1810.

 

7. Swan.

    Lucy Swan — William Billings, 1774.

    Anna Atherton (another dau.) — Edward Belcher, 17-.

    Capt. Humphrey Atherton — Anna Field, about 1730.

                                            — Mary Graham, about 1750.

 

8. Reynolds.

    Philip Reynolds — Cynthia Wadsworth (granciau. Christopher Wadsworth), 1806.

    Philip Reynolds — Lucy Drake, 1846.

    Franklin Stewart Reynolds — Mary L. B. Capen (parents. Bertha & Frank}

 

9. Henry.

    Michael Henry — Beziah Jordan, 1778.

 

10. Shepard.

    Hannah Shepard — William Packard, Easton, 1805.

 

11 Southworth.

    Jedediah Southworth — Mary Atherton, 1770. 

    Consider Southworth — Mary Hixon, Sharon, 1799. 

    Asahel Southworth - Harriet Kingsley, 1839.

                                  - Sarah Dodge Fellows, 1855.

                                  - Mrs. Lydia Swift, 1872.

    Marianna Southworth — James Taber, N.H., 1866. 

    E. Kingsley Southworth — Annie Pierce, 1882.

 

12. Erastus Smith.

    Amy Smith — Ernest Gilbert, 1880 (?).

 

13. Porter.

    Robert Porter, Sr. — Fannie Capen (day. Uriah, Capen), mid-1800's.

 

14. Wentworth.

    Myra Wentworth — Abner Capen, 1820. 

    Lucinda Wentworth — Norman Mills, 1832. 

    Ms. - Wentworth - Otis Monk, 1834 (?).

 

15. Melcher.

    Joseph Melcher, N. H. — Sophia Jones, 1839.

 

16. Marshall.

    Benjamin Marshall — Mary —, 17-.

    Roloson Marshall - Olive —, 1800 (?).

    Vashti Marshall — Henry Bird, 1835.

    Ambrose Marshall — Lucy Tinkham, Easton, 1841.

    Ambrose Marshall — Mary —, (Ambrose's widow), 18-.

 

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