Otis Lincoln House
Otis Lincoln House
| Address | 120 Rangeway Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.209 |
| Built | 1842 |
| Owners | Otis Lincoln (1842 - 1845) |
The Otis Lincoln House stands on the north side of the Rangeway Road in the northwest part of Billerica. It was called 120 Rangeway Road until 2022 and has been 179 since. In 1973 the town's inventory called it "a gem of a 'small house'", with a fine doorway and much of its interior woodwork and fireplaces intact. The land was part of a farm known in the 1830s as "the Dowse place". In 1832 Oliver Crosby sold it to Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdrey of Chelmsford. A year later they sold 55 acres of it, "with a dwellinghouse barn & shed", to Lot Easte, a Chelmsford blacksmith, keeping the woodland behind for themselves with a right of way across the farm.
In April 1837 Easte sold the farm to Otis Lincoln, another blacksmith, for $1,500. By then it had "a dwelling house Barn shed and Blacksmiths shop". In 1842 Lincoln sold the old farmhouse, on 77 square rods, to William Cutler. He then built a new house at the southwest corner of the farm, against Isaac Brown's wall. By August 1845 Lincoln had moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, and he sold Cutler that acre "with my new dwelling house thereon" for $650. In 1848, describing himself as a moulder of Manchester, Lincoln sold Cutler the rest of the farm, 33 acres north of the road with the barn and more land to the south. The 1853 map shows William Cutler in the new house and Peter Dows in the old one. The old house is gone. Its timing explains the conservative style of the Lincoln house, whose trim the 1973 surveyor thought could pass for about 1820.
In 1858 Cutler sold the farm, 37 acres "with the buildings thereon", to John Harrington of Lowell for $4,000. It became the Harrington family's "homestead place", and the 1875 map shows J. Harrington here, with M. Harrington in the next house east. John Harrington died in 1889, and under his will the homestead passed in quarters to his sons Michael, Timothy, Jeremiah and John. In 1911 John bought out his brothers and nephews. After his death the administrator of his estate sold the homestead in 1943 to Anton W. and Annie M. Swanson. In 1945 the Swansons sold the house with about 4.6 acres to Peter and Agnes C. DeFeo. The DeFeos sold it in 1949 to Lansford F. and Ardath M. Black, and in 1955 the Blacks sold to Benn H. and Jessie G. Merritt.
The Merritts owned the house for 67 years. In 1973 the surveyor regretted that the "gem" had been included in a blanket industrial zoning and hoped it could be "extricated". After Jessie Merritt's death her estate sold the property in 2022 to a builder, who divided it into four lots (Plan Book 250, Plan 52). The old house was kept on Lot 2, a little under an acre, and sold to a realty trust and then to private owners. New houses went up on the other three lots, now 171, 175 and 183 Rangeway Road.
References
- MACRIS BIL.209
- Billerica assessor: 179 Rangeway Rd (formerly 120), parcel 38-2-1, Lot 2 of the 2022 split, 0.858 acres
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| October 29, 1832 | Warranty Deed | Oliver Crosby of Billerica, gentleman (wife Hannah M. Crosby releasing dower) | Joseph Manning of Chelmsford, Esq., and Ebenezer Cowdrey of Chelmsford, yeoman | Oliver Crosby sells the "Dowse place" farm on the Rangeway to Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdrey, 1832 | 317/480 (South) |
For $2,000, "a certain Farm with the buildings thereon situate in the Northwesterly part of said Billerica", from the Rangeway road by land of the heirs of Nathl. Brown deceased, northwesterly by the heirs to the Chelmsford line, southwesterly by the line to land of Asa Hodgeman, and back by Hodgeman, Benoni Spaulding, Ebenr. Easte and Isaac Brown to the road; also 20 acres on the southeast side of the road, "the same lot formerly owned by Samuel Parker, and conveyed by Betsey Crosby to me". Signed October 18, 1832 before Joseph Locke; Billerica town book 16, pages 150-151. The 1833 deed calls this "the place called the Dowse place".
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| 1833 | Warranty Deed | Joseph Manning, Esq., and Ebenezer Cowdry, yeoman, both of Chelmsford (wives Julia Maria Manning and Betsey Cowdry releasing dower) | Lot Easte of Chelmsford, blacksmith | Manning and Cowdry sell 55 acres of the Dowse place "with a dwellinghouse barn & shed" to the blacksmith Lot Easte, 1833 | 326/39 (South) |
For $1,000, "a certain farm situate in the northwesterly part of Billerica ... containing in the whole about fifty five acres": 35 acres north of the Rangeway road "with a dwellinghouse barn & shed thereon", from the southeast corner at the road by the heirs of the late Nathaniel Brown, northerly to the corner of the wall by the wood land, westerly on the wall, to a stake and stones in the swamp by Isaac Brown, and back by Brown and the road; and 20 acres on the south side, "the same land formerly owned by Samuel Parker"; "the above is a part of the place called the Dowse place conveyed to us by Oliver Crosby", reserving a right of way across the north tract to the grantors' wood land. Billerica town book 13, pages 486-488. Easte gave Manning a purchase-money mortgage (town book 16/259). Recorded 1833.
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| April 13, 1837 | Warranty Deed | Lott Easte of Billerica, yeoman (wife Mary Easte releasing dower) | Otis Lincoln of Chelmsford, blacksmith | Lott Easte sells the 55-acre farm with house, barn and blacksmith shop to Otis Lincoln, blacksmith, 1837 | 361/276 (South) |
For $1,500, "a certain farm situate in the Northwesterly part of said Billerica containing in the whole about fifty five acres": the first tract, 35 acres "with a dwelling house Barn shed and Blacksmiths shop thereon", bounded as in 1833 (heirs of Nathaniel Brown, the wood land, Isaac Brown in the swamp, the Range way road); the second tract, 20 acres on the south side of the road, bounded by Thomas and Jacob Spaulding, Marshall Preston (formerly Col. John Parker), Jonas and Isaac Brown, "the same formerly owned by Samuel Parker"; reserving the right of way to the wood land of Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdry. Signed April 3, 1837 before Marshall Preston (witness Jacob Spaulding); Billerica town book 15, pages 374-376. The blacksmith shop had been added by Easte since 1833.
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| October 21, 1845 | Warranty Deed | Otis Lincoln of Billerica, yeoman (wife Hannah Lincoln releasing dower) | William Cutler of Billerica | Lincoln sells the old farmhouse on 77 square rods to William Cutler, 1842 | 471/81 (South) |
For $225, "a certain piece of land situated in the north westerly part of said Billerica with the buildings thereon", beginning at a corner of the wall on the range way road "about Twenty rods westerly of the South Easterly corner of the said Lincoln's land", north by the wall 8 rods, west 10 rods, south 6 rods 6 feet to the road and 11 rods 5 feet on the road, "Containing about 77 square rods ... with all the buildings thereon situated", reserving to Lincoln the right of way "as was originally reserved in a Deed given by Lott Easty to the said Lincoln dated April 3d 1837". Acknowledged October 17, 1842 before Caleb Abbott; recorded October 21, 1845. Billerica town book 18, pages 36-38. This is the old house of the farm (the 1853 map's "P. Dowse" house), not the present one.
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| October 21, 1845 | Warranty Deed | William Cutler of Billerica, yeoman | Otis Lincoln of Manchester, New Hampshire, yeoman | Cutler sells Lincoln the Winning pasture as part of their 1845 exchange | 471/80 (South) |
For $250, the "Winning pasture" of 18 acres 90 rods on the west side of Concord River, bounded by Charles Cutler, Hutchinson Rogers and David Parker, subject to a bridle road. Signed August 9, 1845 before Marshall Preston, the same day Lincoln sold Cutler his new house; Billerica town book 18, pages 35-36. Lincoln conveyed the pasture back to Cutler with the rest of the farm in 1848.
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| October 21, 1845 | Warranty Deed | Otis Lincoln of Manchester, New Hampshire, yeoman (wife Hannah Lincoln releasing dower) | William Cutler of Billerica, yeoman | Otis Lincoln, now of Manchester, sells "my new dwelling house" and an acre at the Isaac Brown corner to William Cutler, 1845 | 471/82 (South) |
For $650, "a certain parcel of land with my new dwelling house thereon situate in said Billerica on the west side of Concord River containing One acre", from the southerly corner at the Range way and land of Isaac Brown, westerly by Brown 10 1/2 rods to a corner of the wall, northerly "by my land" by a stone wall 20 1/2 rods to a corner of a wall by an apple tree, easterly by my land 10 1/2 rods to the range way road, and southerly by the road 20 rods. Signed August 9, 1845 before Marshall Preston (witness Peter Dows); Billerica town book 18, pages 38-39. The present house: Lincoln built it on the Isaac Brown corner of his farm between selling the old house in 1842 and leaving for Manchester.
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| April 26, 1848 | Warranty Deed | Otis Lincoln of Manchester, New Hampshire, moulder (wife Hannah W. Lincoln releasing dower) | William Cutler of Billerica, yeoman | Lincoln, now a moulder in Manchester, sells Cutler the rest of the farm and barn, 1848 | 534/381 (South) |
For $1,800, the rest of the farm: "a certain tract of land situated in the northwesterly part of Billerica ... containing thirty three acres more or less with a barn standing thereon", from the southeast corner on the range way road by the heirs of Nathaniel Brown, north to the wood land, west to Isaac Brown in the swamp, south by Brown to land of William Cutler, east and south on Cutler's land past an apple tree, east to the corner of land of Peter Dowse, and to the road; reserving the right of way to the wood land of Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdry; with about 33 acres on the south side of the road and the 18-acre Winning pasture. Signed April 24, 1848 before Reuben Bacon; Billerica town book 20, pages 71-73.
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| 1858 | Warranty Deed | William Cutler of Billerica (wife Sarah Cutler releasing homestead and dower) | John Harrington of Lowell | William Cutler sells the farm with both houses to John Harrington of Lowell for $4,000, 1858 | 14/147 |
For $4,000, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon situate on the Northerly side of the Rangeway Road so called in said Billerica containing thirty seven acres", beginning at the road at the corner of a wall at the southwest corner of land of Peter Dows, by Dows, Ebenezer Durant, Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdry and Isaac Brown back to the road (21 3/10 rods on the road), reserving the right of way to the Manning and Cowdry woodland; also 37 acres 137 rods on the southerly side of the road. "Designed to be held by the said Harrington as a homestead" under the homestead act of 1851. Signed April 17, 1858, after Jonathan Hill discharged a mortgage from Cutler (page 147). Pages 147-150. In later deeds "the homestead place" of John Harrington; the 1875 map shows J. Harrington here. Recorded April 1858.
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| February 14, 1911 | Warranty Deed | Charles P. Harrington and John J. Harrington of Lowell, sons of Timothy Harrington | John Harrington of Billerica | Timothy Harrington's sons sell their quarter of the Harrington homestead to their uncle John, 1911 | 462/596 |
For $450, their one-fourth undivided interest in two tracts, "the same land devised by John Harrington to his son Timothy Harrington, the father of the grantors" and devised by Timothy to them: the Judith Wilson land of 1865 (Book 43 Page 136), "referred to in the will of said John Harrington as the Dows place", and the land conveyed by William Cutler to John Harrington April 17, 1858 (Book 14 Page 147), "referred to in the will of said John Harrington as the homestead place". Signed February 14, 1911. John Harrington the elder died July 2, 1889; his will was proved December 15, 1908 (Middlesex probate 79804), leaving the homestead to his sons Michael, Timothy, Jeremiah and John in quarters; Timothy died September 1, 1907 (probate 75736).
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| March 28, 1911 | Warranty Deed | Jeremiah Harrington of Lowell, widower | John Harrington of Billerica | Jeremiah Harrington sells his quarter of his father's homestead to his brother John, 1911 | 465/110 |
For $450, "a one-fourth undivided interest in the homestead of my father the late John Harrington, late of said Billerica and in a certain farm known as the Dows place", devised to him by his father's will. Signed March 27, 1911 (witness Edward J. Tierney); recorded March 28, 11:15 a.m.
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| March 28, 1911 | Warranty Deed | Michael Harrington of Billerica (wife Johanna Harrington releasing dower and homestead) | John Harrington of Billerica | Michael Harrington sells his quarter to his brother John, who now owns the whole homestead, 1911 | 465/118 |
For one dollar and other consideration, his one-fourth undivided interest in the homestead of his father the late John Harrington and in the Dows place, devised to him by his father's will. Signed by the marks of Michael and Johanna Harrington on March 27, 1911. With the deeds of his brother and nephews, John Harrington now owned the whole homestead; he mortgaged it to the Central Savings Bank of Lowell the same day (page 119). The 1875 map's "M. Harrington" house next east was Michael's.
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| April 7, 1943 | Administrator's Deed | James F. O'Donnell of Lowell, administrator with the will annexed of the Estate of John Harrington late of Billerica | Anton W. Swanson and Annie M. Swanson, husband and wife, of Billerica | the administrator of John Harrington's estate sells the homestead to Anton W. and Annie M. Swanson, 1943 | 989/402 |
By license of the Probate Court (decree of January 19, 1943), for $2,100, "the land in said Billerica with the buildings thereon situated on the northwesterly side of the Rangeway Road", 19 acres 145 square rods, beginning at the easterly corner at the road and the southerly corner of the Judith Wilson land of 1865 "known as the Peter Dows Lots", running back by the Dows lot and the land of John Harrington's heirs to Joseph Manning and Ebenezer Cowdrey, then by Isaac Brown 1700.82 feet to the road, and 353.1 feet along the road; also 37 acres on the southeasterly side. "The above-described premises are part of what was the homestead of John Harrington, late of said Billerica, deceased, conveyed to him by William Cutler by deed dated April 17, 1858", with the will and the 1911 family deeds recited (Book 462 Page 596, Book 465 Pages 110 and 118). Recorded April 7, 1943, pages 402-405.
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| December 8, 1945 | Quitclaim | Anton W. Swanson and Annie M. Swanson, husband and wife, of Billerica | Peter DeFeo and Agnes C. DeFeo, husband and wife, of Boston | the Swansons sell the house and 4.6 acres to Peter and Agnes C. DeFeo, 1945 | 1034/172 |
"For consideration paid" ($3.85 in stamps), "the land in said Billerica with the buildings thereon situated on the Northwesterly side of Rangeway Road", 353.1 feet on the road from the wall at Isaac Brown's land, 428 feet back along a right of way, 475 feet by other land of the grantors and a ditch, and 510 feet by the wall to the start, "Being a part of the first parcel described in a deed from James F. O'Donnell, Administrator, to us dated April 6, 1943 ... Book 989, Page 402". Signed December 7, 1945. The house lot of about 4.6 acres, cut from the Harrington homestead; the DeFeos gave the Concord Co-operative Bank a $2,200 mortgage (page 173).
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| May 6, 1949 | Quitclaim | Peter DeFoe and Agnes C. DeFoe, formerly DeFeo, husband and wife, of Billerica | Lansford F. Black and Ardath M. Black, husband and wife, of Belmont | the DeFoes sell to Lansford F. and Ardath M. Black, 1949 | 1114/513 |
"For consideration paid" ($7.70 in stamps), the land "on the Northwesterly side of Rangeway Road, so-called, with the buildings thereon", with the 1945 bounds; "For reference to title, see deed from Anton W. Swanson, et ux dated December 7, 1945 ... Book 1034, Page 172"; the grantors' change of name by decree of the Middlesex Probate Court, March 7, 1947 (case 274425). Signed May 5, 1949. The Blacks gave the Concord Co-operative Bank a $5,000 mortgage (page 514).
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| March 1, 1955 | Quitclaim | Lansford F. Black and Ardath M. Black, husband and wife, of Billerica | Benn H. Merritt and Jessie G. Merritt, husband and wife, of Billerica | the Blacks sell to Benn H. and Jessie G. Merritt, owners for 67 years, 1955 | 1286/34 |
"For consideration paid", "the land in Billerica ... with the buildings thereon, situated on the Northwesterly side of Rangeway Road", with the 1945 bounds; "For reference to title see deed from Peter DeFoe, et ux, duly recorded ... on May 6, 1949"; subject to the 1955 taxes. The Merritts were the owners named in the 1973 inventory, which called the house "a gem of a 'small house'" on 4.6 acres. Jessie G. Merritt kept the place until her death; her estate sold it in 2022 (Book 37133 Page 97).
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| June 9, 2022 | Fiduciary Deed | Personal representative of the Estate of Jessie Gwendolyn Merritt | George Allen & Son Construction Inc | the Merritt estate sells to a builder; the land divided into four lots and the house kept on Lot 2, 2022 | 37133/97 |
For $650,000, "That certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon ... on the Northwesterly side of Rangeway Road", the 1945 bounds (353.10 feet on the road), "Meaning and intending to convey Lots 1-4 on a Plan of Land entitled 'Plan of Land 120 Rangeway Road'" by Dresser, Williams & Way, August 2021 (Plan Book 250, Plan 52), approved by the Planning Board March 22, 2022 after a zoning variance of July 15, 2021; title Book 1286 Page 34. The plan put the old house on Lot 2 (0.86 acre, 65.25 feet of frontage) and marked the other buildings "to be removed". The builder sold Lot 2 with the house to the Sasha Realty Trust for $50,000 (Book 37134 Page 227), which resold it in July 2022 to private owners for $425,000, and the house was renumbered 179 Rangeway Road; new houses were built on Lots 1, 3 and 4 (171, 175 and 183 Rangeway Road).
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| June 9, 2022 | Deed | George Allen & Son, Inc. | Trustee of the Sasha Realty Trust | Lot 2 with the old house sold to the Sasha Realty Trust, 2022; resold privately the same summer | 37134/227 |
For $50,000, Lot 2 on the 2021 Plan of Land, 120 Rangeway Road (Plan Book 250, Plan 52), 37,374 square feet with the existing house, "a portion of the premises conveyed to the Grantor by deed dated June 1, 2022". Recorded June 9, 2022, 2:03 p.m. The trust sold Lot 2 to private owners on July 7, 2022 for $425,000 (Book 37212 Page 147), by which time the house was numbered 179 Rangeway Road.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.