Monarch Diner

Monarch Diner
Also Known As Ridgewood Diner
Address 312 Boston Rd
Built 1940
Demolished 1958
Tenants
Ridgewood Diner (1941 - 1945)
Monarch Diner (1949 - 1958)
Other Lot Structures Food Basket (1954 - 1966)
Purity Supreme (1967 - 1991)
Wendy's (Built 1992)


The roadside diner on Boston Road at Brown's Corner, in front of the later supermarket on the McCusker land. James Gerald McCusker bought the land in 1940, and the Ridgewood Diner on Boston Road, "Home Cooked Food," was advertised in his name in the Howe High School yearbooks of 1941 and 1945. By 1949 it was the Monarch Diner, "Always Open," run by the Monarch Diner of North Billerica, Inc. on a lot leased from McCusker; a plan of October 1953 (Plan Book 83, Plan 179) shows the "Diner" on its 15,550 square foot Lot B. The Monarch last advertised in 1957, and in September 1958 the diner lot was leased to Purity Food Stores for its market, so the diner was gone by about 1958. The footprint is taken from the 1953 plan. The ads place the Ridgewood Diner only on Boston Road, so its identity with this diner rests on McCusker's ownership of the lot.



Monarch Diner
Plan of Land in Billerica, Surveyed for J. Gerald McCusker, October 31, 1953, James B. Monahan, Registered Land Surveyor (Lot A with the Market, Lot B with the Diner), 1953 (Plan 83/179)


Title References

Date Type Grantor Grantee Summary Recorded
1690 Will Thomas Patten of Billerica His widow Sarah (half the dwelling house for her widowhood); sons William and Kendall (their portions out of the homestead); eldest son Thomas and son Nathaniel (other lands) Probate #17030
1730 Administration Estate of Deacon William Patten of Billerica, intestate (died at Cambridge, 1730) Thomas Patten, administrator; the widow Elizabeth and the children Probate #17041
December 13, 1731 Heirs Quitclaim William Patten, Mary Patten, Jacob and Rebecca Danforth, Mehetabel Patten, of Billerica, and Jacob and Sarah Taylor and Joseph and Elizabeth Taylor, of Concord (heirs of Deacon William Patten) Thomas Patten of Billerica, their brother 32/181 (South)
1747 Administration and Division Estate of Thomas Patten of Billerica, cooper, intestate William Patten, eldest son (the homestead); Thomas Patten, second son (18 acres); the widow Hannah (later Hannah Stickney) and the other children Probate #17031
1801 Will William Patten of Billerica, yeoman Jeremiah Patten, his son (the residue, including the homestead), executor; the widow Rebecca (dower) Probate #17043
1815 Administration Estate of Deacon Jeremiah Patten of Billerica, intestate Joseph Locke, administrator; Hannah Patten, widow (dower); daughters Abigail, Julia Ann and Hannah Probate #17001
June 14, 1819 Guardian's Deed Josiah Crosby Jr., guardian of Abigail, Julia Ann and Hannah Patten, minor heirs of Jeremiah Patten Josiah Stevens (one half); Joseph S. Porter, John P. Stone and Samuel S. Reynolds, Porter, Stone and Co. (one half) 229/393 (South)
1819 Warranty Joseph S. Porter, John P. Stone and Samuel S. Reynolds (Porter, Stone and Co.) Josiah Crosby Jr. 229/405 (South)
October 8, 1819 Mortgage Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman Josiah Crosby Jr. of Billerica, Esquire, guardian 231/94 (South)
April 25, 1826 Sheriff's Deed Joseph Butterfield of Tyngsborough, deputy sheriff, on an execution against John P. Stone of Billerica, Esquire Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman 267/131 (South)
1826 Quitclaim Joseph S. Porter and Samuel S. Reynolds of Charlestown, traders (Anna Porter and Beulah Reynolds releasing dower) Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman 270/165 (South)
June 24, 1831 Assignments of Mortgage Josiah Crosby, Esquire (and in 1829 Joseph Locke, executor of Hannah Patten) Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman (and Hannah Patten, widow) 305/299 (South)
1840 Administration Estate of Josiah Stevens of Billerica, intestate Marshall Preston, administrator; Abigail Stevens, widow, and the children Probate #42319
June 2, 1840 Administrators Deed (equity of redemption) Marshall Preston, administrator of Josiah Stevens George Holden of Billerica, gentleman 394/25 (South)
June 3, 1840 Warranty George Holden of Billerica, gentleman George Rice of Boston, grocer 394/54 (South)
1842 Quitclaim George Rice of Boston, merchant William D. Mason of Newton, machinist 414/316 (South)
October 24, 1863 Deed William D. Mason of Billerica Thomas Brennan of Lowell 33/580
March 18, 1864 Deed Thomas Brennan of Billerica (Ann Brennan releasing dower and homestead) Annie C. Brennan of the city and state of New York 37/219
March 1, 1876 Quitclaim Thomas Brennan Jr., Richard Brennan, Ellen (Nellie) Brennan, Margaret Shea and Eliza Brennan, children of Thomas Brennan Sr., heirs at law under the will of Annie C. Brennan late of New York City Thomas Brennan Sr. of Billerica 115/567
July 3, 1876 Warranty Deed Thomas Brennan Sr. of Billerica (Ann Brennan releasing dower and homestead) Maria N. Brown, wife of Alfred Brown of Lowell 119/30
July 3, 1876 Mortgage Alfred Brown and Maria N. Brown (in her own right), both of Lowell Alden Pinney of Chelmsford 119/32
January 15, 1885 Mortgage Alfred Brown of Billerica Moses P. Greenwood of Billerica 171/442
May 10, 1920 Trustee's Deed Frank D. Brown, Trustee Sabina G. Twombly of Billerica 626/225
May 10, 1920 Executor's Deed Burton O. Sanford of Billerica, Executor of the will of Alfred Brown Sabina G. Twombly of Billerica 626/226
May 10, 1920 Quitclaim Vera M. Heselton, George E. Morse, Herbert A. Morse, Roland Morse, Clara A. Staples, Lillian Akley and George A. Miller, heirs at law of Mary S. Brown and devisees of Alfred Brown Sabina G. Twombly of Billerica 626/227
May 6, 1935 Quitclaim Daniel E. Callahan of Billerica, unmarried Elizabeth E. Callahan of Billerica 862/37
February 14, 1940 Administrator's Deed Edward P. Collins of Billerica, Administrator of the Estate of Elizabeth H. Callahan, also known as Elizabeth E. Callahan James Gerald McCusker of Billerica 941/366
March 17, 1954 Easement James Gerald McCusker and Anne H. McCusker, husband and wife, of Billerica The Lowell Electric Light Corporation 1250/50
May 6, 1955 Mortgage James Gerald McCusker of Billerica (Anne H. McCusker releasing dower) City Institution for Savings, Lowell 1292/483
May 6, 1955 Notice of Lease James Gerald McCusker of Billerica, Lessor Food Basket, Inc., of Billerica, Lessee (David E. Gardner, President) 1292/484
1957 Amendment to Lease James Gerald McCusker, Lessor Food Basket, Inc., Lessee 1377/564
1957 Assignment of Lease Food Basket, Inc., of Billerica (by Albert S. Kahn) Purity Food Stores, Inc. or its nominee 1377/566
October 30, 1958 Notice of Lease James Gerald McCusker of Billerica, Lessor Purity Food Stores, Inc., of Malden, Lessee (Albert S. Kahn, Treasurer) 1419/175

Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.