Bear Hill Condominium

Bear Hill Condominium
Address 574 Boston Rd
Built 1984
Tenants
H. J. Allan Inc (1985 - 1985)
Hair By Joseph (1985 - 1985)
Seneca Heating (1985 - 1985)
M. J. Walsh Electrical Service (2003 - ????)
Milik & Medeiros (2003 - 2014)
R. H. Young Cooling and Heating (2003 - 2007)
Raymond Engineering (2003 - 2003)
Seneca Heating (2003 - ????)
St. George Electrical (2003 - 2013)
System Support Service (2003 - 2003)
Virginia L. Sugden (2003 - 2010)
J. P. Hair & Sun (2003 - 2020)
First Call Medical (2003 - 2005)
F & S Photography (2003 - 2012)
G. M. Horowitz, Attorney at Law (2003 - 2004)
Dresser, Williams & Way (2004 - 2004)
Kyle Investigations (2005 - 2007)
Primerica (2008 - 2017)
Alliance Networks (2012 - 2015)
Nessar Insurance (2012 - 2012)
Coulter Construction (2013 - ????)
The Dojo (2014 - ????)
AccountTech (2014 - 2020)
Health Services Administrators (2014 - 2018)
George M. Medeiros (2015 - ????)
Air Quality Associates (2016 - 2016)
TransConnection (2018 - ????)
HTR Group N.E. (2018 - 2018)
Gorgeous Fabrics (2021 - 2022)
The Massachusetts Business Association (2021 - 2022)
Expressive Arts Place Counseling (2023 - ????)


574 Boston Road is the Bear Hill Condominium, a three-story office building of sixteen condominium units at the southeast corner of Boston Road and Bear Hill Road, built in 1984 and 1985. It stands across Bear Hill Road from the Billerica Professional Condominium at 572 Boston Road, which the same builder put up later in 1985.

The corner was part of the farm on the east side of the Boston road that grew from William Hamlet's house lot of 1656 and passed through the Farley, Shed, Tompson, Wilson and Richardson families to Harvey Crosby in 1816 and 1818 (see William Hamlet House). From 1871 the Crosbys held it as a 61 acre farm "on the east side of the road leading to Boston," and in December 1943 Charles H. and Lewis A. Crosby sold it to Barton M. and Louise C. McQuaid. When Unified Land Development Corp. laid out the Bear Hill Estates house lots behind the frontage in 1972, the revised plan (Plan Book 115, Plan 82) showed this corner, between Boston Road, the new Bear Hill Road and land of the Farmer family, as the lot designated "McQuaid."

In April 1984 the McQuaids sold the 30,670 square foot lot for $25,000 to the Bear Hill Realty Trust, a builder's trust declared a few days earlier. Construction began that year. Raymond Engineering Service of Burlington drew the lot layout and floor plans in November 1984 (Plan Book 147, Plans 28 and 29), showing a three-story wood building about 75 by 101 feet, set back about 51 feet from Boston Road. The master deed, dated February 22, 1985, names it "BEAR HILL CONDOMINIUM" and describes "a three (3) story structure, consisting of a Lower Level which is partly below grade," a first floor with the entrance and lobby, and a second floor, with vinyl siding and partly brick veneer, a parking area and a pylon sign, and "sixteen (16) condominium units": four large units of about 1,850 to 1,920 square feet and one small one on the lower level, and six units of about 960 to 1,050 square feet on each upper floor. The deeds limited the units to "professional and/or general office purposes."

The first unit, Unit 3 on the lower level, sold in March 1985 for $43,900, and the trust sold all sixteen by the end of July 1985. The units have since been owned by small businesses, realty trusts and owner-occupants. Coulter Construction bought Unit 3 in 2011 for $157,000, the Billerica Federation of Teachers bought Unit 7 in 2021, and in 2022 Longrun Management LLC took title to six units. The Bay State Gas Retailers Association also owns a unit.

Raymond Engineering Service, the surveyors who drew the plans of both condominiums, later had their office in the building, and land plans of the 1990s give their address as 574 Boston Road. The town's business tax books list, among others, Raymond Engineering (2003), Seneca Heating (from 2003), M. J. Walsh Electrical Service (from 2003), St. George Electrical (2003 to 2013), J. P. Hair & Sun (2003 to 2020), F & S Photography (2003 to 2012), Milik & Medeiros (2003 to 2014), Primerica (2008 to 2017), Alliance Networks (2012 to 2015), Coulter Construction (from 2013), The Dojo (from 2014), AccountTech (2014 to 2020), Health Services Administrators (2014 to 2018), TransConnection (from 2018) and Expressive Arts Place Counseling (from 2023). Other tenants have included heating, cooling and electrical contractors, lawyers, an insurance agency, an investigator, a medical practice, a computer support firm, a business association and a fabric seller.



Bear Hill Condominium
Revised Plan of a Portion of Bear Hill Estates in Billerica, Mass., owned by Unified Land Dev. Corp., Sept. 1972, Emmons, Fleming & Bienvenu, Inc., 1972 (Plan 115/82)
Bear Hill Condominium
Plan of Land in Billerica Drawn for Barton M. McQuaid (James B. Monahan), 1980 (Plan 131/168)
Bear Hill Condominium
Bear Hill Condominiums, Lot Layout Plan, Boston Rd., Billerica, Raymond Engineering Service, Nov. 4, 1984, 1984 (Plan 147/28)
Bear Hill Condominium
Bear Hill Condominiums, Boston Rd., Billerica, floor plans, Raymond Engineering Service, Nov. 4, 1984, revised Feb. 22, 1985, 1984 (Plan 147/29)


References

  1. Billerica assessor, 574 Boston Rd Unit 7; 16 units, parcels 70-116-1 to 70-116-16, built 1984


Title References

Date Type Grantor Grantee Summary Recorded
February 14, 1707 Exchange Deed William Hamlet and Sarah Hamlet of Billerica Caleb Farley of Woburn 14/200 (South)
1712 Will Caleb Farley of Billerica (died at Roxbury) Joseph Farley and Enoch Farley, executors; his children Probate #7162
1714 Deed Enoch Farley and Elizabeth Farley Ebenezer Farley of Billerica, his brother 20/472 (South)
1728 Bond (maintenance) John Shed Jr. of Billerica Ebenezer Farley, his father-in-law 32/219 (South)
July 21, 1736 Release of Dower Elizabeth Farley, widow of Ebenezer Farley John Shed Jr., her son-in-law 37/110 (South)
March 25, 1747 Deed John Shed, gentleman, and Elizabeth Shed of Billerica Benjamin Tompson of Billerica 46/142 (South)
1753 Will Benjamin Tompson of Billerica William Tompson, his only son (Alice Tompson, widow) Probate #22431
1783 Will Seth Wilson of Billerica Mary Wilson, widow; Seth Wilson, son Probate #25194
November 19, 1793 Deed of Gift Mary Willson of Billerica, widow Seth Willson of Billerica, yeoman, her son 114/225 (South)
February 13, 1806 Quitclaim Mary Wilson of Billerica, widow Stephen Richardson and Silas Richardson of Billerica, yeomen 163/469 (South)
February 13, 1806 Deed Seth Willson, yeoman, and Polly Willson of Billerica Stephen Richardson and Silas Richardson 166/119 (South)
February 17, 1810 Quitclaim Silas Richardson, gentleman, and Hannah Richardson of Billerica Stephen Richardson of Billerica, carpenter 186/502 (South)
February 15, 1828 Sheriff's Deed Joseph Bradley, deputy sheriff (execution of Thomas Richardson against Stephen Richardson) Isaac Kendall and Harvey Crosby 278/494 (South)
1818 Administrator's Deed Josiah Crosby Jr., administrator of Isaac Kendall Harvey Crosby 278/496 (South)
October 9, 1849 Quitclaim Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman John S. Edgerly of Somerville, trader, and Henry Crosby of Billerica, trader 567/298 (South)
February 19, 1855 Release of Mortgage Lydia Crosby, Peter and Elizabeth Pines, Samuel E. Guild (administrator of Maria Crosby), Edmund S. and Jane Whitman, George Crosby, and Samuel Topliff (guardian of Charles Crosby) John S. Edgerly and Henry Crosby 704/403 (South)
September 12, 1871 Quitclaim John S. Edgerly of Somerville and Nancy W. Edgerly William Crosby of Cambridge 82/67
December 14, 1886 Foreclosure Deed James F. C. Hyde, assignee of the William Crosby mortgage to Henry E. Worcester, guardian Henry Crosby of Billerica 185/552
May 15, 1888 Deed Frances E. Crosby of Malden, maiden lady Treinetta A. Crosby of Billerica, wife of William Crosby, in her own right 196/272
November 12, 1901 Deed Treinetta A. Crosby, wife of William Crosby, and William Crosby (releasing curtesy) Trinetta A. Crosby of Billerica, single woman 336/35
May 1, 1916 Taking Trenetta A. Crosby (land taken) County of Middlesex 554/385
1931 Taking Trinetta A. Crosby and other owners (land taken) Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Works 802/49
December 2, 1943 Quitclaim Charles H. Crosby and Lewis A. Crosby of Billerica, both unmarried Barton M. McQuaid and Louise C. McQuaid, husband and wife 1000/473
April 17, 1984 Quitclaim Deed Barton M. McQuaid and Louise C. McQuaid of Brewster Trustee of Bear Hill Realty Trust 2727/149
February 28, 1985 Master Deed Trustee of Bear Hill Realty Trust Bear Hill Condominium 2968/92
March 8, 1985 Unit Deed Trustee of Bear Hill Realty Trust Private buyers (a Billerica couple) 2975/191
March 29, 2011 Quitclaim Deed Trustee of the M.S.J. Realty Trust, of 574 Boston Road, Unit 8 Coulter Construction Limited Partnership of 27 Porter Street, Billerica 24871/24
July 23, 2021 Deed The owner of Unit 7 Billerica Federation of Teachers 36040/152
July 20, 2022 Deed A private owner Longrun Management LLC 37242/102

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.