Faulkner Barn
The Faulkner Barn at 6-8 Mason Avenue in North Billerica was built as the barn of the James Faulkner homestead, the house at 1 Faulkner Street that was built in 1859 and stands directly behind it. MACRIS describes it as "believed to be the barn for the 'Faulkner House'," later remodeled as housing.
The barn belonged with the house through the Faulkner years. James Faulkner died in 1865, and in 1883 his children sold the homestead "with the buildings thereon" to the Faulkner Manufacturing Company. The company sold it in December 1918 to Charles H. Williams, developer of the Garden Suburb. On September 24, 1920 Smith and Brooks surveyed the barn lot for Williams (Plan Book 37, Plan 86). The plan shows a building on a lot of 6,328 square feet on the south side of Mason Avenue, with the Hubert lot at the Letchworth Avenue corner to the east and the Faulkner house to the south. On September 28, 1920 Williams sold the lot "with the buildings thereon" to Thomas R. Williams of Livermore Falls, Maine. The assessor's date of about 1920 for the present two-family building matches this separation from the house.
A 1968 mortgage on the lot was foreclosed in 1975 by The First Bank and Trust Company, which sold it at auction on the premises for $21,000. Private owners have held it since, among them a 1992 buyer from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
References
- MACRIS BIL.269
- Billerica assessor, 6-8 Mason Av (parcel 10-30-0): 0.145 acre two-family, sales from 1988
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| March 22, 1859 | Building Agreement | James Faulkner of Billerica | George W. Pearson of Lowell, builder | 1859 building contract for James Faulkner's house; the barn behind it belonged to the same homestead | 18/363 |
"Memorandum of Agreement made this eighth day of February 1859": Pearson agrees "to erect on a foundation which the said Faulkner shall cause to be laid in the Town of Billerica a dwelling house and shed according to plans and specifications drawn and written by John W. Phillips", furnishing all materials and labor for $2,774, paid $700 when the house is "up and boarded", $700 when the outside is finished, $700 when plastered and $674 when finished, the house and shed "to be finished about the first day of September 1859". This is the house now called the James R. Faulkner House (1 Faulkner Street); its building is why the older house on the lot was moved back.
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| November 9, 1859 | Quitclaim Deed | James R. Faulkner of Billerica and Charles Faulkner of Boston (wives Catherine and Anne S. releasing dower) | James Faulkner of Billerica | 1859 the one-acre homestead lot of James Faulkner, where the house and its barn stood | 21/569 |
Dated October 7, 1859. For $500, "a certain tract of land situate in North Billerica, containing one acre, more or less, with the buildings thereon standing": from the northwest corner at land of J. R. and Charles Faulkner, east by their land 151 ft "to land of J. R. & Wm. E. Faulkner", south on that land 347 ft to the road, west on the road 160 ft and north 280 ft. The lot of the James R. Faulkner House (lot 5, "Estate of J. Faulkner", on the 1880 Faulkner Manufacturing Company plan); the older house that stood here is believed to be the one moved back onto the mill land, now 3 Mason Avenue.
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| 1865 | Will | Estate of James Faulkner of Billerica, son of James R. Faulkner | Henry Faulkner of Roxbury, executor; widow Frances R. Faulkner; their children | 1865 will of James Faulkner (the homestead, with the barn) | Probate #31569 |
Middlesex probate case 31569 (80 pages). Will dated Dec. 12, 1864 (witnesses Daniel S. Richardson, Gardner Parker, George F. Richardson), proved at Cambridge Dec. 26, 1865: $10,000 in trust for his wife for life; "I give to my wife Frances A. Faulkner the use of the house where I now reside and the land connected therewith constituting my homestead estate and the use of the furniture in said house so long as she remains my widow", then to his children equally; Henry Faulkner of Roxbury executor and guardian of the children.
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| January 29, 1878 | Mortgage | Frances R. Faulkner of Billerica, widow, and James N. Faulkner of Billerica | Dudley Foster of Billerica, trustee under the will of James Faulkner | 1878 mortgage of the James Faulkner homestead, with its buildings | 127/425 |
For $1,000 at 6 percent for two years, "a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon situated in that part of said Billerica called North Billerica, Being the late homestead of said James Faulkner, deceased": 141 feet by J. R. and Charles Faulkner, 347 feet by J. R. and William E. Faulkner to the road, 180 feet on the road and 280 feet back, "Being the same premises conveyed to the said James Faulkner, deceased by Charles Faulkner and James R. Faulkner deed dated Oct. 7, 1859" (21/569). The widow was seized "during her widowhood" and James N. of a third of the remainder. Buildings to be insured for $1,000. Discharged June 12, 1883.
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| June 11, 1883 | Guardian's Deed | Dudley Foster of Billerica, guardian of Carrie T. Faulkner, a minor child of James Faulkner | The Faulkner Manufacturing Company | 1883 a third of the homestead and its buildings to the Faulkner Manufacturing Company | 160/478 |
Licensed by the Probate Court May 22, 1883, private sale for $1,333.33 of "an undivided third part of a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, situated in said Billerica, containing one acre more or less" (141, 347, 160 and 280 feet), "Being the same premises conveyed to James Faulkner by James R. Faulkner and Charles Faulkner by deed dated October 7th 1859" (21/569). Dated June 5, 1883, acknowledged before Frederic A. Morey JP.
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| June 11, 1883 | Deed | James N. Faulkner of Kingston, Mass., and Herbert Faulkner of Billerica, sons of James Faulkner | The Faulkner Manufacturing Company | 1883 the company owns the homestead and its barn | 160/479 |
For $1 and other valuable considerations, "two undivided third part[s] of a certain parcel of land, with the buildings thereon situated in that part of said Billerica called North Billerica", from land of James R. and Charles Faulkner 141 feet east, 347 feet south "to the road leading from North Billerica to Billerica Centre", 160 feet on the road and 280 feet north, "containing one acre more or less, and being all our right, title and interest in the premises which were conveyed to our father, James Faulkner" (21/569); "For our title see the will of said James Faulkner". Recorded with the guardian's deed, June 1883. With these deeds the mill company owned the whole homestead.
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| December 27, 1918 | Quitclaim | The Faulkner Manufacturing Company, by George M. Preston, President and Treasurer | Charles H. Williams of Billerica | 1918 to Charles H. Williams, who cut off the barn lot in 1920 | 596/338 |
$4 in stamps. "The land in that part of Billerica ... known as North Billerica with the buildings thereon", shown on the 1914 "Plan of the Manufacturing Plant of Faulkner Manufacturing Company" (Plan 31/91): from a stone bound on the northerly line of Faulkner Street, north about 268.27 feet along land of James F. Preston et als, Trustees (the J. R. Faulkner homestead), east about 175.05 feet, south about 309.65 feet and along Faulkner Street about 177.6 feet, with the rights of way of the 1914 deeds. Dated Dec. 27, 1918, with the directors' vote "To accept the offer of Charles H. Williams". The old James Faulkner homestead, which Williams divided into three lots.
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| April 21, 1920 | Warranty Deed | Charles H. Williams of Billerica (Louisa A. Williams releasing dower and homestead) | Arthur H. Hubert and Rose M. Hubert, husband and wife, of Billerica | 1920 the corner lot east of the barn, sold to the Huberts | 623/479 |
$5.50 in stamps. "The land in said Billerica with the buildings thereon situated on the westerly side of Letchworth Avenue and on the southerly side of Mason Avenue": 80 feet on Letchworth Avenue, 63 feet, 27 feet 7 inches and 68 feet by other land of the grantor, and 78 feet on Mason Avenue, "a part of the same premises conveyed to me by the Faulkner Manufacturing Company" (596/338). Dated April 21, 1920. The northeast corner of the old homestead, between the barn lot and Letchworth Avenue.
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| September 30, 1920 | Quitclaim | Charles H. Williams of Billerica (Louisa A. Williams releasing dower and homestead) | Thomas R. Williams of Livermore Falls, Androscoggin County, Maine | 1920 the barn and its lot (6-8 Mason Av) are cut off from the house and sold to Thomas R. Williams | 634/520 |
"A certain piece or parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated in ... North Billerica": from a stone bound on Mason Avenue 78 feet west of Letchworth Avenue, south 68 feet along Arthur H. Hubert, southwest 13.79 feet and west 68 feet along other land of the grantor, north 80 feet to Mason Avenue and east 85 feet on it, 6,328 square feet, "a part of the same premises conveyed to me by the Faulkner Manufacturing Company" (596/338), shown on Smith and Brooks's plan of Sept. 24, 1920 (Plan 37/86), which draws the barn on this lot and the house to the south. Dated Sept. 28, 1920.
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| June 23, 1975 | Foreclosure Deed | The First Bank and Trust Company, Chelmsford, mortgagee | A private buyer of Lowell | 1975 foreclosure sale of the barn lot; private owners since | 2154/34 |
Under the power of sale in a 1968 mortgage (1841/602), after notice in the Billerica News, sold at public auction on the premises May 16, 1975 for $21,000: the land "on the Southerly side of Mason Avenue" 78 feet west of Letchworth Avenue, 68 feet by Arthur H. Hubert, 13.79 and 68 feet by land of Charles H. Williams, 80 feet back to Mason Avenue and 85 feet on it, "shown on a plan ... surveyed for Charles H. Williams, Sept. 24, 1920 ... Plan Book 37, Plan 86. Containing 6,328 square feet". Later private sales in 1976, 1988, 1992 (from the F.D.I.C.) and family transfers to 2005.
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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.