38 Concord Rd

William Shed of Billerica, cordwainer, for 75 pounds bills of credit, sells to Josiah Brown of Billerica, yeoman, "part of my Homestead lying on the East side of the Road that leads to Bedford containing about three acres & an half," bounded westerly on the highway, southerly on Samuel Whiting, east on Capt. Jonathan Bowers deceased, then easterly toward the brook to Nathaniel Davison's land, northerly about five poles, then westerly to the highway "on the north side of the shop," and northerly on Lieut. Jacob Danforth, "together with all the Buildings thereon standing," reserving to himself sixteen feet square at the southwesterly corner. Signed March 20, 1745, witnessed by Thomas Patten Jr. and John White; acknowledged Oct. 17, 1749; not recorded until Dec. 1, 1763. No deed into William Shed is recorded; the lot descends from the 1658 house lot of Daniel Shed through his son Nathan. Billerica town book 6, pages 9-11. Brown sold the house lot to Jacob Richardson in 1781.

Josiah Brown of Billerica, yeoman, for 100 pounds lawful silver money, sells to Jacob Richardson of Billerica, gentleman, and his wife Sarah, as joint owners, "Part of my Homestead lying on the East side of the road that leads to Bedford containing three acres & a quarter," bounded westerly on the highway, southerly on Capt. Josiah Bowers, east on Capt. William Bowers, then easterly toward the brook to Lt. John Parker, northerly by Parker, and westerly by the Rev. Henry Cumings to the highway, "together with all the Buildings thereon standing," again reserving "to William Shed sixteen feet square at the southwesterly corner." Signed March 20, 1781, witnessed by Henry Cumings and Oliver Abbott; acknowledged March 21 before William Stickney. Brown had sold a piece "near Centre" on the Concord road to Henry Cumings in 1764 (Book 64 Page 64), which accounts for the quarter acre less. The Richardsons held the place for 56 years. Billerica town book 7, pages 360-361.

For $1,000, the heirs of Jacob Richardson sell to Joseph Eames of Billerica "a certain Lot or tract of Land" on the east side of the highway leading from Billerica meeting house to Concord, beginning at the northwesterly corner, southerly on the highway to Samuel Whiting Esq., easterly by Whiting to William Bowers, northerly by Bowers and David Parker to John Baldwin Esq., and westerly by Baldwin to the first corner, "being Enclosed by Stone Walls and said Walls are considered the Bounds, containing three and a quarter acres more or less with all the Buildings thereon standing." Josiah B. Richardson of Billerica, Jacob Richardson of Greenfield, N.H., Timothy Richardson of Lyndeborough, N.H., and William Richardson of Mont Vernon, N.H. each convey four undivided nineteenths; John Jones of Lyndeborough one nineteenth; and Joseph Jones of Lyndeborough two nineteenths as guardian of Joseph Jones Jr. and Benjamin Cleves Jones in the right of their late mother Anna Jones. Signed April 29, 1837, with dower released by Mary (wife of Josiah B.) and Phebe (wife of William) Richardson; acknowledged in Hillsborough County, N.H. Eames gave Josiah B. Richardson a mortgage, released to William C. Parker for $769.30 on Jan. 9, 1841. Billerica town book 15, pages 508-510.

For $1,800, "a certain tract or parcel of land with a dwelling house and barn thereon containing three acres and seven eighths" on the east side of the highway from Billerica to Concord, beginning at the northwesterly corner at the road and Dr. Joseph F. Hill, southerly by the road to the heirs of Samuel Whiting Esq., easterly by them to William Bowers, northerly by Bowers and David Parker to Hill, and westerly by Hill to the road. Signed March 3, 1849. Pollard, then of Boston, mortgaged it the same day to Marshall Preston for $1,100 payable in two years (Book 556 Page 375) and gave a second mortgage to Parker (Book 556 Page 376). On April 5, 1851 he sold a strip on the south side to Lucretia Stearns (Book 608 Page 603). Billerica town book 20, pages 255-258.

Richardson, unmarried, for $1,750, conveys to Samuel Sage of Bedford the same 3 5/8 acres "with a dwelling house and barn thereon" on the easterly side of the highway from Billerica to Concord, same bounds, being the premises conveyed to him by Emma J. Pollard (Book 62 Page 129). Signed Aug. 14, 1869. Sage added adjoining land from the Town of Billerica and the First Baptist Church in 1871 (Book 80 Pages 154-155), sold off lots to George W. Wilson (1873, Book 115 Page 287, with a drainage easement of May 4, 1876, Book 118 Page 362) and Jackson Wright (1877, Book 122 Page 111), and kept the homestead with his wife Martha (Hill) Sage for the next fifty years.

Martha H. Sage of Billerica releases "that parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated on the easterly side of Bedford Street, in that part of Billerica called Billerica Centre," about 4 1/2 acres, bounded by land formerly of Dr. Joseph F. Hill (now Harry W. Essex), the strip William P. P. Pollard sold to Lucretia Stearns in 1851, land Augustus Whiting et al. sold Lucretia H. Bowers in 1865 (Book 42 Page 174), land formerly of William Bowers and later Mark Lund, the Sage lots sold to Jackson Wright (now Estella J. and Sadie B. Lane) and George W. Wilson (now Frank M. and S. Maud Lapham), and land formerly of David Parker sold by the Wamesit Power Co. to Thomas Thoresen in 1916 (Book 551 Page 282). All the land Samuel Sage bought from Albert R. Richardson in 1869 and from the town and the First Baptist Church in 1871, less the Wilson and Wright lots. Revenue stamps of $2.50 cancelled June 23, 1919.

Original Certificate of Title 2609, entered on the Land Court decree of Nov. 13, 1924 in Case 10298 on the petition of Frank R. Holden and his wife. The lot runs along Bedford Street (today's Concord Road) 394.22 ft, bounded by Clara E. Sexton, Israel Value, Frank M. Lapham et al., Estella J. Lane, Henry W. Patten and Oscar Fellows, as shown on plan 10298-A by C. H. Gannett, Aug. 1924, subject to the 1876 easement from Samuel Sage to George W. Wilson (Book 118 Page 362). Owners' address "Concord Road, (near First Baptist Church)."

• November 22, 1924 Certificate of Title: Frank R. Holden and Emma M. Holden to Flora Gertrude Colgate (Ctf 2614)

Transfer Certificate 2614: eight days after registration the whole lot passes to Flora Gertrude Colgate of Billerica, married to Ellis F. Colgate, with the same bounds as Certificate 2609; owner's address Concord Road. Co-operative bank mortgages from 1924 are noted on the certificate. The Colgates held it until 1952; Lot 1 (plan 10298-B, Cert. 3621) and Lots 2 and 3 (plan 10298-C, Cert. 7492) were cut off during their ownership.

• November 14, 1924 Land Court Decree: Frank R. Holden and Emma M. Holden (petitioners) to Frank R. Holden and Emma M. Holden (Ctf 2609)

• November 13, 1952 Certificate of Title: Flora Gertrude Colgate to George H. Boynton and Josephine L. Boynton (Ctf 8736)

Transfer Certificate 8736: the remaining lot (Certificate 2609 bounds, less Lot 1 on plan 10298-B and Lots 2 and 3 on plan 10298-C) to George H. Boynton and Josephine L. Boynton of Billerica, married, as tenants by the entirety; owners' address Concord Rd. Mortgaged the same day to Central Savings Bank, Lowell, for $13,500.

• November 22, 1924 Certificate of Title: Frank R. Holden and Emma M. Holden to Flora Gertrude Colgate (Ctf 2614)

• October 30, 1972 Certificate of Title: George H. Boynton and Josephine L. Boynton to Ralph W. Neilsen (Ctf 19183)

Transfer Certificate 19183: the same lot, "38 Concord Road," to Ralph W. Neilsen of Billerica.

• November 13, 1952 Certificate of Title: Flora Gertrude Colgate to George H. Boynton and Josephine L. Boynton (Ctf 8736)

• October 3, 1986 Quitclaim: Mary I. Neilsen to Paul W. Neilsen (Ctf 27424) (re-registered to the widow (Ctf 27423) and quitclaimed the same day)

After Ralph W. Neilsen's death the lot was re-registered to his widow Mary Neilsen (Certificate 27423, Book 140 Page 45, subject to any estate tax lien). The same day, by quitclaim of Sept. 4, 1986 for $1 (Document 113685), she conveys "the land with the buildings thereon situated at Concord Street," Lot 4 on plan 10298-D (Robert E. Anderson Inc., July 2, 1986), to Paul W. Neilsen; title from the probate estate of George E. Neilson (Middlesex Probate 508286) and Certificate 19183. Certificate 27424 issued Oct. 3, 1986: 218.28 ft on Concord Road (formerly Bedford St.), subject to the 1876 Sage easement.

• October 30, 1972 Certificate of Title: George H. Boynton and Josephine L. Boynton to Ralph W. Neilsen (Ctf 19183) (re-registered to the widow (Ctf 27423) and quitclaimed the same day)

• April 25, 2019 Land Court Order: Estate of Paul W. Neilsen to Debra Lavoie (Ctf 44321) (Land Court order on Paul W. Neilsen's estate)

For $230,000, 38 Concord Road, Lot 5 on plan 10298-E "with the buildings thereon, if any," to the Billerica builder (Document 300693, Certificate 44369). Lot 6 went the same day for $230,000 to 38 Concord Road LLC (Document 300697, Certificate 44370) and became 40 Concord Road. The old house was demolished in 2019 and a new house built on Lot 5 in 2020. Later sales: Lot 5, 2020 (Book 227 Page 53, Certificate 44826); Lot 6, 2020 (Book 226 Page 159, Certificate 44733).

• April 25, 2019 Land Court Order: Estate of Paul W. Neilsen to Debra Lavoie (Ctf 44321) (Lot 5 of Lots 5 and 6)