Structure · Built 1890
Charles E. Morris House
Charles E. Morris House
| Address | 364 Boston Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.394 |
| Built | 1890 |
The Charles E. Morris House at 364 Boston Road is a two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne house on the corner of Boston Road and Farmers Lane, in the Billerica Center Historic District. Its lot was once the northwest corner of the nine-and-a-half-acre homestead that William and Lydia A. Blanchard sold to Albert Stearns in 1869, the land of the John Baldwin House (Boston Road). The lane on its north side, called Holden's Lane in 1869 and "Bridge Lane, so called" in the deeds of the 1880s and later, is today's Farmers Lane.
On July 2, 1888 Albert Stearns sold Charles E. Morris of Billerica, for $250, a bare half acre at the corner: 102 feet on Main Street (as Boston Road was then called) and 202 feet along Bridge Lane "to the Brook". On May 22, 1893 Stearns added a 25-foot strip on the south side for $60, giving the lot the 127 feet of frontage it still has. Morris borrowed from Gerrit H. Bennink of Billerica on November 29, 1889, and when he renewed the loan in December 1895, for $700, the mortgage described "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated on Main street". The house was therefore built between the summer of 1888 and 1895, most likely in 1888-1889, when the first loan was taken and the Walker atlas of 1889 was drawn.
Charles Everett Morris (1848-1910), a painter and later a teamster who hauled for the town in the early 1900s, married Selina M. Glover, a native of Prince Edward Island, in 1889, and they raised their family here. After his death his widow kept the house until 1920. On December 6, 1920 she sold it to Frank C. and Hattie M. Harper of Billerica in two deeds recorded the same day: a release of her own dower and homestead rights, and a deed as administratrix of her husband's estate under a license of the Middlesex Probate Court, for $3,500. Both describe "a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon situated in Billerica Center at the corner of Maine Street and Bridge Lane".
The Harpers mortgaged the house in 1927 to George C. Crosby for $2,425, and on October 23, 1929 they conveyed it to him. Three weeks later, on November 16, 1929, Crosby sold it to Dr. A. Warren Stearns, whose family had sold the lot to Morris and still owned the land around it. When Dr. Stearns had his land surveyed in November 1931 (Plan Book 56 Plan 63), the Morris lot of 25,654 square feet was drawn as a separate parcel, and his mortgage of the surrounding land that year described it as other land of his "formerly owned by Charles E. Morris". After Dr. Stearns's death, his estate's administrator sold the house in 1960 for $8,000 to a private couple, who kept it until 1986. It has since changed hands several times among private owners, most recently by sale in 2019 and within the family in 2022.
The deeds correct some details of earlier accounts: the lot was bought bare in 1888 and the house stood by 1895 and probably by late 1889; the 1920 sale was made under a probate license by the administratrix as well as by the widow; and from 1929 to 1960 the house belonged to Dr. A. Warren Stearns rather than passing through a series of owners. Boston Road was still "Main Street" and Farmers Lane "Bridge Lane" in the deeds until the 1960 sale.
References
- MACRIS BIL.394
- Billerica assessor, parcel 41-34-0 (364 Boston Rd, 0.589 acres): Plan 56-63; sales 1987-2022.
- Find a Grave: Charles Everett Morris (1848-1910).
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| November 16, 1869 | Warranty | William Blanchard of Billerica, yeoman, and Lydia A. Blanchard | Albert Stearns of Billerica | 1869 Albert Stearns buys the 9 1/2-acre Blanchard homestead; the house lot is its northwest corner | 70/526 |
For $3,500, "a certain parcel of land situate in said Billerica with the buildings thereon, known as my 'Homestead' containing nine and a half acres more or less," beginning at the southwesterly corner at land of Abel Spalding "at the Great road," easterly by Spalding 19 rods 7 links to a wall, northerly by the wall, Spalding and land formerly of Isaac Holden now of one Caldwell "until you come to a lane called Holden's lane," westerly by the lane to the great road and southerly by the road to the beginning; "being the same premises conveyed to me in the three following deeds viz: Thomas Sumner to Wm. Blanchard dated Nov. 9th 1841 ... Book 407 Page 434, Ichabod Everett to Wm. Blanchard dated May 17, 1844 ... Book 446 Page 476, Marshall Preston and wife to Wm. Blanchard dated May 1st 1859 ... Book 23 Page 236." Dated Nov. 11, recorded Nov. 16, 1869. On the next page Stearns sold Blanchard, for $1,000, about three quarters of an acre with buildings on the road from Lowell to Boston (Book 70 Page 527).
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| July 21, 1888 | Warranty Deed | Albert Stearns of Billerica (Calista E. Stearns releasing dower and homestead) | Charles E. Morris of Billerica | 1888 Albert Stearns sells Charles E. Morris the bare half-acre house lot | 198/343 |
For $250, "a certain parcel or tract of land situated in said Billerica": from the southwest corner "on Main street and at my other land", north on Main Street 102 feet "to Bridge Lane so called", east on Bridge Lane 202 feet "to the Brook", south by the brook 102 feet to a bound at the grantor's other land, and west by that land 202 feet, "containing one half acre more or less". No buildings are mentioned and there is no title recital: the lot was the northwest corner of the homestead Stearns bought in 1869. Dated and acknowledged July 2, 1888 before Dudley Foster JP; recorded July 21, 1888.
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| 1893 | Warranty Deed | Albert Stearns of Billerica (Calista A. Stearns releasing dower and homestead) | Charles E. Morris of Billerica | 1893 Stearns adds a 25-ft strip on the south side | 245/7 |
For $60, a strip from the northwest corner "at land of said Morris and on Main Street", south on Main Street 25 feet to a bound at the grantor's other land, east by that land 202 feet to a ditch, north 25 feet to Morris's land and west by it 202 feet. Stearns warranted the title "except the mortgage covering my whole farm". Dated and acknowledged May 22, 1893 before Dudley Foster JP. The strip brought the lot to 127 feet on Main Street, the size it has kept since.
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| December 10, 1895 | Mortgage | Charles E. Morris of Billerica | Gerrit H. Bennink of Billerica | 1895 Morris mortgage to Bennink: first record "with the buildings thereon" (replacing an 1889 mortgage) | 270/542 |
Recorded Dec. 10, 1895, just after Bennink's discharge (same page) of "a certain mortgage given by Charles E. Morris ... dated Nov 29, A.D. 1889", which Morris had paid in full. The new mortgage, for $700 in three years at five per cent, covers "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated on Main street in said Billerica", bounded west by Main Street, north by Bridge Lane so called, and east and south by land of Albert Stearns. It is the first surviving record of the house; the 1889 mortgage to the same lender, a year after the bare-lot purchase, suggests the house was built in 1888-1889. Margin: discharged by Gerrit H. Bennink.
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| December 6, 1920 | Quitclaim | Sylina (Selina M.) Morris, widow of Charles E. Morris, of Billerica | Frank C. Harper and Hattie M. Harper, his wife, of Billerica | 1920 Selina Morris, widow, releases her rights to the Harpers | 638/170 |
"A certain lot of land with the buildings thereon situated in Billerica Center at the corner of Maine Street and Bridge Lane, so-called": from the northwest corner at the junction of the south line of Bridge Lane and the east line of Main Street, south on Main Street 127 feet to land formerly of Albert Stearns, east by that land 202 feet "to the brook", north by the brook 127 feet to Bridge Lane and west by the lane 202 feet, "Containing one half (1/2) acre", the premises of the two Stearns deeds (Book 198 Page 343 and Book 245 Page 7). She also released her dower and homestead rights. Dated, acknowledged before Charles H. McIntire JP and recorded Dec. 6, 1920 ($3.50 in stamps).
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| December 6, 1920 | Administrator's Deed | Sylina Morris, administratrix of the estate of Charles E. Morris, late of Billerica | Frank C. Harper and Hattie M. Harper, his wife, of Billerica | 1920 Morris estate sells the house to Frank C. and Hattie M. Harper for $3,500 | 638/171 |
"By the power conferred by the Probate Court of Middlesex County by license dated Nov. 29, 1920, and every other power, for Thirty-five hundred Dollars paid", the same lot "with the buildings thereon" at the corner of Main Street and Bridge Lane, 127 by 202 feet, half an acre, reciting the two Stearns deeds. Recorded the same day as her own release. Charles E. Morris, painter and teamster, had died in 1910.
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| September 30, 1927 | Mortgage | Frank C. Harper and Hattie M. Harper, husband and wife, of Billerica | George C. Crosby of Billerica | 1927 Harper mortgage to George C. Crosby | 755/213 |
To secure "twenty-four hundred twenty-five dollars in one year with six per centum interest", the lot "with the buildings thereon situated in Billerica Center at the corner of Main Street and Bridge Lane", 127 by 202 feet, half an acre, reciting the two Stearns deeds and the 1920 deed from Sylina Morris, administratrix. Recorded Sept. 30, 1927. Margin: discharged by George C. Crosby.
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| October 23, 1929 | Quitclaim | Frank C. Harper and Hattie M. Harper, husband and wife, of Billerica | George C. Crosby of Billerica | 1929 the Harpers convey the house to their mortgagee, George C. Crosby | 783/118 |
For consideration paid, with quitclaim covenants, the lot "with the buildings thereon situated in Billerica Center at the corner of Main Street and Bridge Lane, so-called", 127 by 202 feet, half an acre, "being the same premises conveyed to us as joint tenants by Sylina Morris, administratrix of the estate of Charles E. Morris ... December 6, 1920 ... Book 638, Page 170", and the deed from her individually. Dated and recorded Oct. 23, 1929. The 1926-1940 grantor index prints it as Book 785 Page 118; Crosby, already the mortgagee, took the property in place of the debt.
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| November 16, 1929 | Quitclaim | George C. Crosby of Billerica, unmarried | Dr. A. Warren Stearns of Billerica | 1929 Crosby sells the house to Dr. A. Warren Stearns | 784/187 |
For consideration paid, with quitclaim covenants, "a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon situated in Billerica Center at the corner of Main Street and Bridge Lane", the same bounds (127 feet on Main Street to land formerly of Albert Stearns, 202 feet to the brook), half an acre, "being the same premises conveyed to me by Frank C. Harper and Hattie M. Harper, husband and wife, by their deed dated October 23, 1929". Dated and recorded Nov. 16, 1929. The lot thus returned to the Stearns family, which owned the land around it.
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| November 13, 1931 | Mortgage | Dr. A. Warren Stearns and Frances M. Stearns of Billerica | Mechanics Savings Bank in Lowell | 1931 Stearns mortgage of his land around the house lot, "formerly owned by Charles E. Morris" | 809/22 |
Recorded Nov. 13, 1931. Mortgage for $10,000 at six per cent of two parcels: the Stearns lot on the west side of Main Street at River Street, and "a certain other parcel of land in said Billerica with the buildings thereon, situate on the easterly side of said Main street," from a stone bound at the Hayes land north 175.8 feet on Main Street to land of one Bryant, around the Bryant lot, north 161.6 feet on Main Street to other land of A. Warren Stearns "formerly owned by Charles E. Morris," around that lot to Farmer's Lane, 428.1 feet along the lane to Mary Farmer's land, south 662.7 feet by the Farmer and A. S. Cook land and 408.1 feet by the Hayes land to the beginning: "Being a portion of the premises conveyed to Albert Stearns by William Blanchard by deed dated November 11, 1869," shown on the "Plan of Land belonging to Dr. A. Warren Stearns Nov. 9, 1931, Robert M. Jacobs, Surveyor" (Plan Book 56 Plan 63, 6.07 acres). "For the title of said A. Warren Stearns to both of the above described parcels see deed from Datie Louise Stearns dated January 10, 1924 ... also to Probate Records in the Estates of George E. Stearns and Albert Stearns." The margin notes a later discharge, and a renewed mortgage to the same bank followed in 1937.
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| 1960 | Administrator's Deed | Charles E. Stearns, administrator with the will annexed of the estate of Dr. A. Warren Stearns (Albert Warren Stearns), late of Billerica | A private couple of Billerica, as tenants by the entirety | 1960 the Stearns estate sells the house to a private couple for $8,000 | 1487/355 |
By power conferred by the Middlesex Probate Court by decree dated July 15, 1960, for $8,000, "a certain parcel of land situated in said Billerica on the northeasterly side of Boston Road and the southeasterly side of Farmer's Lane", a portion of the "Plan of Land belonging to Dr. A. Warren Stearns" of Nov. 9, 1931 (Plan Book 56 Plan 63): southwest by Boston Road 127 feet, north by Farmer's Lane 202 feet, northeast and south by other land of Dr. A. Warren Stearns, "Containing 25,654 square feet", "Being the same premises conveyed to the late A. Warren Stearns by George C. Crosby by deed dated November 16, 1929 ... Book 784, Page 187." Recorded in Sept. 1960.
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| August 18, 1986 | Quitclaim | The surviving 1960 grantee (private) | Two private buyers, as tenants in common | 1986 sale of 364 Boston Road; later private owners summarized | 3652/197 |
For $175,000, the parcel "together with the buildings thereon" on the northeasterly side of Boston Road and the southeasterly side of Farmer's Lane, the same bounds on Dr. A. Warren Stearns's 1931 plan (printed here as Plan Book 56, Plan 83), 25,654 square feet, now 364 Boston Road. The grantor cites for title the 1960 deed to herself and her husband, who had died in 1972 (Book 1487, Page 355). In 1987 one buyer released to the other (Book 3962 Page 135); the house was sold again in 1998, 2004 and 2019 ($465,000) and passed within the family in 2022, all to private owners.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.