Structure · Built 1877
Lewis Johnson House
Lewis Johnson House
| Address | 43 Andover Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.14 |
| Built | 1877 |
| Owners | Lewis Johnson (1868 - 1895) |
The Lewis Johnson House stands on the south side of Andover Road a short way east of the Town Common, on a small lot that has carried a house since about 1800. The road was then called the Salem road or "Sheldon's Lane", and the land on both sides belonged to the Baldwin family: Nahum Baldwin's house stood across the lane, and his pasture ran south behind the lot.
In April 1799 Benjamin Baldwin sold John Jefts, a cordwainer, half an acre on the highway "near the dwelling house of Luther French" for $30. Jefts built quickly: in July 1800 he conveyed the same lot "with the buildings standing thereon" to Oliver Crosby for $500. In 1798 Jefts and his brother Henry had already sold the tailor Timothy Foster "a certain tenement or shop" a few rods away on the same side of the lane. By 1805 Jefts had left town in debt, and three sets of creditors took his property on execution: Foster took the garden "directly opposite Nahum Baldwin's house", three Charlestown leather dressers took the east part of the house "with part of a dwelling house on the same", and Kendal Bailey took an eight-foot strip running "through the house" between its window frames.
No deed of the creditors' shares was ever recorded, and the house next appears in 1831, when Betsy Crosby, widow, released to Rhoda Lane of Boston six rods "with the dwelling house thereon where Stephen Richardson now lives". In 1835 Rhoda (Lane) Folsom and her husband Frederic sold the house, "about one twentieth of an acre", to the widow Rhoda Richardson, "the same now occupied by the said Rhoda Richardson". In 1842 she bought back from Sarah Foster and Clarissa Farmer the little garden across the road that had been set off to Timothy Foster in 1805. She lived here until her death in 1863; her will left the estate in trust for her grandchildren, and in 1867 the trustee, Jonathan E. Hazelton of Boston, sold the house and garden to Sarah M. Woods for $360.
Lewis Johnson bought the house from Mrs. Woods in April 1868 for $360, and in 1870 he added the cottage lot next east (45 Andover Road), giving him the whole frontage between the Foster land and the Baldwin land. In April 1877 he and his neighbor Gerrit H. Bennink exchanged strips of land on a plan by Samuel Page: Johnson gave up a corner on the road and took a strip two rods wide at the back. The present house, which laps onto that rear strip, was built after the exchange; the 1974 survey dates it to about 1877, the assessor to about 1890, and a 1973 survey credits it to the builder John Baker. A house is shown here on the 1898 water map.
Johnson died in 1895 and left his property to his widow Susan M. Johnson, who sold it in 1902, "together with the buildings thereon", to Mary E. Slack. After her death her executor, John H. Baker, sold it in 1912 to his wife Lydia C. Baker, Mrs. Slack's daughter. For many years Baker, a butcher, drove his meat wagon through the streets of Billerica from this house. After both Bakers had died, the estate sold the property in 1944 to Robert A. and Edna B. Dunstan, who divided it in 1948: the cottage lot was kept and later sold separately, and this house, on 11,000 square feet with 131 feet on Andover Street, went to Gordon C. and Helen M. Brainerd. Brainerd, later a selectman, sold it in 1954. Since then it has been a private two-family home, sold in the 1950s, in 2003 and in 2014. It lies in the Billerica Centre local historic district (1990).
Earlier accounts named Sarah M. "Weeds" as the 1868 seller and dated the older building on the lot only to before 1868. The deeds show it was the house John Jefts built about 1800, later the home of Stephen and Rhoda Richardson.
References
- MACRIS BIL.14
- Billerica assessor: parcel 51-63-0, 43 Andover Rd, 0.253 acre (11,000 sq ft, Plan 73-7), two-family, built about 1890; sales 1956 (recorded as 1963), 2003, 2014.
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| April 23, 1798 | Deed | John Jefts, cordwainer, and Henry Jefts, yeoman, both of Billerica | Timothy Foster of Billerica, tailor | 1798: the Jefts brothers sell Timothy Foster a shop on Sheldon's Lane | 128/353 (South) |
Billerica town book 9, page 351. Dated April 20, 1798, witnessed by Wm. Crosby and Edward Farmer; acknowledged and recorded April 23. For $100, "a certain tenement or shop situate in Billerica aforesaid standing on the South side of Sheldens lane, so called, and a few rods east of a store now owned by James Abbot". A building only, with no land described: the tailor's shop of Timothy Foster, whose widow Sarah Foster was the western neighbor of the house lot from 1831 to 1868.
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| April 16, 1799 | Deed | Benjamin Baldwin of Billerica, yeoman, and Elizabeth Baldwin his wife (her mark, releasing dower) | John Jefts of Billerica, cordwainer | 1799: Benjamin Baldwin sells John Jefts the house lot | 132/214 (South) |
For $30, "a certain parcel of land situate in said Billerica near the dwelling house of Luther French containing one half acre", beginning "on the high way at a stake and stones", running on the highway "eight rods or thereabout", south about ten rods, west about eight rods and north about ten rods to the start. Signed and acknowledged April 13, 1799 before Edward Farmer; witnesses Jesse French, William Hakel and Edward Farmer. Billerica town book 9, pages 438-439. The same half acre "near the house of Luther French" that the town sold in 1824; MACRIS BIL.18 and the Historical Commission chart date this deed 1790.
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| July 28, 1800 | Deed | John Jefts of Billerica, cordwainer, and Mary Jefts his wife (releasing dower) | Oliver Crosby of Billerica, gentleman | 1800: Jefts to Oliver Crosby, "with the buildings" | 137/149 (South) |
For $500, "a certain piece of land with the buildings standing thereon", beginning at the northwest corner, running on land of Capt. Solomon Pollard to land of Nahum Baldwin, on Nahum's land to land of Benjamin Baldwin, on Benjamin's land to the public highway and on the highway back to the start, "the same is more fully described in a deed of the same from the said Benjamin to the said John". Signed July 7, 1800, acknowledged July 8, 1800 before Isaac Stearns. Billerica town book 10, pages 12-13. The price, $500 against $30 for the bare lot in 1799, shows that Jefts had built a house worth several hundred dollars.
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| December 17, 1805 | Levy of Execution | John Jefts of Billerica, cordwainer, judgment debtor | Timothy Foster of Billerica, tailor | 1805: Foster's levy on the Jefts garden | 138/502 (South) |
Billerica town book 10, pages 28-30. On a Common Pleas judgment of September 1805 ($24.45 damage, $6.92 costs), appraisers James Abbot, Jeremiah Farmer and Asa Duren set off on Oct. 9, 1805 "a certain piece or tract of land situated in Billerica, the south side of Sheldens lane so called, and directly opposite Nahum Baldwin's house": from the end of the wall by Baldwin's land, easterly by Baldwin seven rods, northerly three rods six feet to the road, westerly by the road seven rods three feet and southerly one rod fourteen feet, "about fourteen rods of ground", valued at $24. Jefts "lives out of the county". This is the garden that Rhoda Richardson bought in 1842.
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| December 25, 1805 | Levy of Execution | John Jefts late of Billerica, cordwainer, judgment debtor | William Fernald, David Poor and James Kendal of Charlestown, leather dressers | 1805: Fernald, Poor and Kendal levy on the east part of the Jefts house | 138/509 (South) |
Billerica town book 10, pages 30-32. On a judgment for $160.30 and costs, the appraisers set off on Oct. 10, 1805 "a tract of land situate in Billerica the south side of Sheldens lane, so called, with part of a dwelling house on the same": from a stake and stones by the wall "about two feet east of the southeast corner of the well room", north four rods twelve feet to the road, west by the road three rods seven feet to a stake in front of the house, then south "to the west side of the window frame in the east part of the front of the house and through the house", and east by the house to the bound, valued at $183.69. Seisin was delivered to David Poor for the three creditors.
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| December 25, 1805 | Levy of Execution | John Jefts late of Billerica, cordwainer, judgment debtor | Kendal Bailey of Charlestown, leather dresser | 1805: Bailey's levy on the middle of the Jefts house | 138/512 (South) |
Billerica town book 10, pages 32-35. On a judgment for $79.31 and costs, the appraisers set off on Oct. 10, 1805 another "tract of land situate in Billerica the south side of Sheldens lane, so called, with part of a dwelling house on the same": a strip eight feet wide on the road running "through the house" between the window frames of its east and west parts, valued at $100.83. With the Fernald and Foster levies, the Jefts house and garden were divided among his creditors. No later deed by Poor, Fernald, Kendal or Bailey was found.
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| February 19, 1805 | Deed | Elizabeth Jefts and Alice Jefts, both of Billerica, singlewomen | John Jefts of Billerica, cordwainer | 1805: John Jefts buys the west end of his sisters' land | 161/52 (South) |
Billerica town book 10, pages 319-320. Dated Feb. 18, 1805, the same day as the deed to Josiah Crosby. For $300, the western end of the sisters' land: from the corner of the land "this day" conveyed to Crosby, westerly on the highway to Salem about twelve rods to "the common land so called", southerly twenty feet to Nahum Baldwin, easterly by Baldwin to Crosby, with all the buildings. The neighboring lot to the west.
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| May 2, 1831 | Quitclaim | Betsy Crosby of Billerica, widow | Rhoda Lane of Boston, widow (later Rhoda Folsom) | 1831: Betsy Crosby to Rhoda Lane, "where Stephen Richardson now lives" | 303/243 (South) |
Billerica town book 14, pages 391-392. Dated April 19, 1831, acknowledged April 20 before Marshall Preston; witnesses M. Preston and Susan Crosby. For $125, all her right in "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in said Billerica containing six rods more or less with the dwelling house thereon where Stephen Richardson now lives", bounded easterly and southerly by land of Col. John Baldwin, westerly by land of the widow Sarah Foster and northerly by "the Salem road so called". No title recital; the Crosby claim probably descends from the 1800 deed of the Jefts house to Oliver Crosby.
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| June 22, 1835 | Quitclaim | Frederic Folsom of Boston, shoe dealer, and Rhoda Folsom his wife, in her right, formerly Rhoda Lane | Rhoda Richardson of Billerica, widow | 1835: the Folsoms to the widow Rhoda Richardson | 343/457 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 150-151. Dated April 23, 1835, acknowledged in Suffolk May 12 before George Gay; witnesses George Gay and Harriet F. Richardson. For $200, "a certain piece or parcel of land situate in said Billerica containing about one twentieth of an acre more or less with a Dwelling House thereon", north by the Salem road, east by land of John and Henry Baldwin, south by the Baldwins' land "called the Nahum Baldwin's heirs pasture" and west by land of the widow Sarah Foster, a garden spot, "being the same now occupied by the said Rhoda Richardson". The widow of Stephen Richardson thus bought the house she lived in.
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| April 22, 1843 | Quitclaim | Sarah Foster and Clarissa Farmer, both of Billerica, widows | Rhoda Richardson of Billerica, widow | 1842: the garden across the road to Rhoda Richardson | 427/122 (South) |
Billerica town book 17, pages 460-461. Dated Aug. 9, 1842, acknowledged Aug. 19. For $25, a small lot "on the south side of the Salem road so called or sometimes called Sheldon's Lane and directly opposite where once stood the Nahum Baldwin House so called and southwesterly of the dwelling house of the said Rhoda and the same she has heretofore occupied as a Garden": seven rods by Capt. Henry Baldwin's land, three rods six feet, seven rods three feet on the road and one rod fourteen feet, "being the same formerly set off on an Execution of Timothy Foster against one John Jefts containing about fourteen square rods of ground".
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| August 13, 1867 | Will | Estate of Rhoda Richardson of Billerica, widow of Stephen Richardson | Jonathan E. Hazelton of Boston, executor and trustee, for her grandchildren | 1867: will of Rhoda Richardson | Probate #40501 |
Will dated Nov. 23, 1850: grave stones "for myself and my late husband Stephen Richardson"; $15 in trust for her grandson Langdon Richardson Pratt; the residue "real and personal" to Jonathan E. Hazelton of Boston in trust, the income for Langdon R. Pratt and Martha E. Hazelton (Hazelton's adopted daughter), with power "to sell and dispose of any or all of said estate". She died May 21, 1863; the will was allowed Aug. 13, 1867, with the heirs' assent.
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| August 24, 1867 | Trustee's Deed | Jonathan E. Hazelton of Boston, trustee under the will of Rhoda Richardson | Mrs. Sarah M. Woods of Billerica | 1867: Hazelton, trustee, to Sarah M. Woods | 58/204 |
Dated Aug. 15, 1867, acknowledged in Suffolk before Charles C. Nutter. For $360, quitclaim of (1) "about one twentieth of an acre more or less with a dwelling house thereon" between the Salem road, John and Henry Baldwin, the Baldwins' land "called the Nahum Baldwin pasture" and the widow Sarah Foster, conveyed to Rhoda Richardson by Frederick and Rhoda Folsom in 1835 (Book 343, Page 457); and (2) the former garden on the south side of the Salem road "or sometime called Sheldons Lane", bought by her from Sarah Foster and Clarissa Farmer in 1842 (Book 427, Page 122).
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| August 24, 1867 | Mortgage | Sarah M. Woods, wife of Orestes L. Woods, of Billerica | Polly L. Woods of Lowell | 1867: Woods purchase-money mortgage | 58/205 |
Recorded with the trustee's deed. A purchase-money mortgage for $360 on the same two parcels, with the same recitals, payable in four years at six per cent, the buildings to be kept insured. Discharged in the margin by Polly L. Woods in April 1868, when the house was sold to Lewis Johnson (Book 61, Page 6).
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| April 3, 1868 | Warranty Deed | Sarah M. Woods of Billerica, wife of Orestes L. Woods, in her own right | Lewis Johnson of Billerica | 1868: Sarah M. Woods to Lewis Johnson | 61/6 |
Dated April 2, 1868, before Dudley Foster. For $360, a small house lot "with a dwelling house thereon" on the Salem road, bounded south by Baldwin land "called the Nahum Baldwin Pasture", and a former garden on the south side of the road "sometimes called Sheldons Lane and directly opposite where once stood the Nahum Baldwin house", conveyed to her by the trustee under the will of Rhoda Richardson in 1867. This is the Lewis Johnson lot (43 Andover Rd) next west of the Bennink lot, from which the 1877 front strip was taken.
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| March 4, 1870 | Warranty Deed | Judith Wilson of Billerica | Lewis Johnson of Billerica | 1870: Johnson buys the cottage lot next east | 72/179 |
Dated March 3, 1870, acknowledged the same day before Dudley Foster; recorded March 4. For $520, "a cottage house and other out buildings situate in said Billerica on Andover street containing about one third of an acre of land": from the southwest corner on Andover Street, southeasterly by "land owned by said Johnson" to land of Anne Baldwin, by Baldwin to land of Gideon Gilman [written Kilman], by Gilman to the street and westerly on the street to the bound. "Being premises conveyed to me by John Baldwin by deed dated June 29th 1865 ... Book 43 Page 220." Johnson already owned the house lot next west (N.61/6, 1868).
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| April 24, 1877 | Warranty Deed | Gerrit H. Bennink of Somerville (Lucilla A. Bennink releasing dower and homestead) | Lewis Johnson of Billerica | 1877: rear strip from Bennink (Plan 3-69) | 123/245 |
Dated April 23, 1877. For $50, a strip at the rear of Johnson's lot, two rods wide and 11 rods 7 links long, south by Bennink's own land, "See plan of Samuel Page dated April 23rd 1877 for reference". One half of an exchange of strips between the neighbors.
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| April 24, 1877 | Warranty Deed | Lewis Johnson of Billerica (Susan M. Johnson releasing dower and homestead) | Gerrit H. Bennink of Somerville | 1877: front strip to Bennink (Plan 3-69) | 123/246 |
Dated April 23, 1877, before Dudley Foster. For $50, a parcel on the Salem road at the northwest corner of the lot, 73 feet on the road, two rods 20 links deep to Bennink's land, "See plan of Samuel Page dated April 23rd 1877 for reference". The other half of the exchange, which gave Bennink the frontage where the house stands.
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| April 1, 1902 | Warranty Deed | Susan M. Johnson of Lexington, widow | Mary E. Slack of Billerica | 1902: Johnson's widow to Mary E. Slack, two houses | 341/113 |
Dated March 31, 1902, acknowledged the same day before J. Porter Russell. For $2,500, "a certain piece or parcel of land situate in Billerica on the southerly side of Andover Street", from the northeast corner of the lot Lewis Johnson conveyed to Gerrit H. Bennink (Book 123, Page 246; Plan Book 3, Plan 69), S 55 E four rods twenty links, N 68 E eleven rods seven links, N 31 1/2 W to the street and westerly on the street to the beginning, "together with the buildings thereon, being the premises owned by Lewis Johnson at the time of his decease and conveyed to me by his will probated October 15, 1895". The whole Johnson tract: this cottage and the house at 43 Andover Road.
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| July 8, 1912 | Executor's Deed | John H. Baker of Billerica, executor of the will of Mary E. Slack | Lydia C. Baker of Billerica | 1912: Slack estate to Lydia C. Baker | 490/417 |
Dated June 24, 1912, under a license of the Probate Court of May 28, 1912. Private sale for $2,600 of "a certain piece or parcel of land with the buildings thereon situate in said Billerica on the southerly side of Andover street", with the same bounds as 1902, "the same premises as conveyed to Mary E. Slack by Susan M. Johnson ... Book 341 Page 113". Lydia C. Baker was Mrs. Slack's daughter and the wife of the executor, the butcher John H. Baker. (MACRIS cites this deed as Book 490, Page 117.)
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| April 17, 1940 | Quitclaim | L. Cora Baker of Billerica (John H. Baker releasing curtesy) | Herself and her husband John H. Baker, as joint tenants | 1940: Lydia C. Baker to herself and John H. Baker | 943/396 |
Dated April 16, 1940, before Albert H. Richardson. A straw conveyance creating a joint tenancy in "a certain piece or parcel of land with the buildings thereon" on the southerly side of Andover Street, the same bounds as 1902 and 1912, "Being the same premises conveyed in a deed from John H. Baker, Executor of the will of Mary E. Slack, to me". She died Sept. 9, 1940, leaving her husband sole owner.
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| April 17, 1944 | Administrator's Deed | Melvin G. Rogers, administrator with the will annexed of the Estate of John H. Baker | Robert A. Dunstan and Edna B. Dunstan of Billerica, husband and wife | 1944: Baker estate to the Dunstans | 1004/590 |
Dated April 15, 1944, under a license of the Middlesex Probate Court of March 31, 1944. For $3,510, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated in said Billerica on the southerly side of Andover Street", the same Johnson-tract bounds, "Being the same premises described in a deed from L. Cora Baker to John H. Baker et ux dated April 16, 1940 ... Said Cora L. Baker died September 9, 1940." The buyers mortgaged it the same day to the Merrimack River Savings Bank (Book 1004, Page 591), describing about thirteen rods on the street.
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| June 18, 1948 | Deed | Robert A. Dunstan and Edna B. Dunstan of Billerica | Gordon C. Brainerd and Helen M. Brainerd of Lowell | 1948: this house lot to Gordon C. and Helen M. Brainerd | 1093/458 |
Dated June 17, 1948. The western part of the Johnson tract "with the buildings thereon" (43 Andover Road): 131 feet on Andover Street on a curve, 77.05 feet by Houghton, 96.65 feet by an owner unknown and 117.40 feet by "other land of the grantors", 11,000 square feet, on the plan of land belonging to the Dunstans by E. P. Simpson, May 1948 (Plan Book 73, Plan 7), reserving a ten-foot right of way along its east side. The rest, the cottage lot of 12,000 square feet (83.52 feet on the street), was sold by the Dunstans in 1952 to private owners (Book 1202, Page 572, citing Book 1004, Page 590 and Plan 73-7), resold in 1960 (Book 1483, Page 584) and held by one family until 2009; later private sales in 2009, 2015 and 2017 (assessor). The cottage was largely demolished and rebuilt in 2016.
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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.