Structure · Built 1855 · Demolished 1959
George P. Elliott House
George P. Elliott House
| Address | 490 Boston Rd |
| Built | 1855 |
| Demolished | 1959 |
| Other Lot Structures |
Bowers Homestead (1788 -
1969)
Nathaniel Cheever House (1853 - 1970) Nathaniel Cheever Barn (1853 - 1970) Harlow Colby House (1870 - 1969) Frank A. Fitzgerald House (1906 - 1969) Shops at Billerica (Built 1975) |
The George P. Elliott House stood on the east side of Boston Road south of the Center, on land that is now part of the Shops at Billerica. It was the home of Josiah Rogers, a Billerica yeoman. In 1838 he bought from George P. Elliott for $3,800 a place of about nineteen acres "with the buildings thereon" on the road from the meeting house to Boston, with Nathaniel Cheever on the north and Blaney Abbot on the east. Elliott had bought it in 1836 from the Lowell Bank, which had taken it on an execution against Artemas Young in 1835. In 1858 Rogers sold sixteen acres of the back land and the frontage to the north to Harlow Colby for $5,000. He kept his house lot on the road, bounded "on my own land as the wall now stands".
Josiah Rogers died on December 21, 1866. His will of 1863 provided for his wife Lucy and left the rest of his estate to his daughters, Sarah B. Mason, wife of Dr. Augustus Mason, and Elizabeth Rogers, "for their own separate use". In 1872 the daughters, then of Brighton, sold "the homestead of the late Josiah Rogers", one acre and fifty-five rods "with the buildings thereon", to William Proudfoot of Billerica for $3,350. After Proudfoot's death his widow Jane M. Proudfoot and his sons sold it in 1888 for $2,850 to Oliver C. Rogers. When Oliver C. Rogers died, his administrator sold the place at auction in April 1894 to Eliza A. Davis of Lowell for $2,735. Later deeds of the neighboring land call it the land "formerly of one Rogers, supposed to be now of one Davis".
Eliza A. Davis sold the house lot in January 1922 to Arthur Elmer and Hannah Belle Angell of Billerica. By then Clarence A. Backer owned the land to the south, and the Town of Billerica's standpipe lot adjoined it on the east. In 1928 the Angells sold the south seventy-five feet of the lot to their neighbors, the Bohannons, and kept the north part with the house. The 1939 deed that began Musgrave's Tower Farm bounds on "land now or formerly of Angel". The house came down about 1959. In 1969 and 1970 the land was assembled with the neighboring farms for the Billerica Mall, which opened in 1975.
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| 1796 | Gift | William Bowers of Billerica, gentleman | His son Jonathan Bowers of Billerica | 1788: William Bowers gives his son Jonathan the homestead (tavern stand) | 127/198 (South) |
For "the love and affection I have and do bare unto my son" and 400 pounds "as part of his portion out of my Estate," his homestead of about 22 acres "with all the buildings thereon," 14 acres of English meadow, four acres on the road to Lexington, 25 acres by Hezekiah Crosby, four acres by Samuel Blanchard, and "the one half of quantity for quality of about six acres" bounded east on the County road, north on John White and Jacob Richardson, west on Richardson and White to a highway and south on the highway; the grantor kept the use of half the homestead and all the other land for life. Billerica town book 9, pages 332-333. Probably the source of the Bowers land north of the meetinghouse that Jonathan's widow and son sold in 1810, though the 1810 deed recites no title.
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| April 14, 1829 | Administration | Estate of Jonathan Bowers, Esq., of Billerica | His heirs at law | 1829: administration of Jonathan Bowers, Esq.; land to his heirs | Probate #2295 |
Joshua Simonds of Lexington, yeoman, petitioned that Jonathan Bowers, Esq., "within six months last past died intestate ... leaving no widow nor children", and that the heirs at law had declined the administration; he was appointed April 14, 1829, with Jeremiah Crosby of Billerica (the guardian of the deceased since 1822) and Thomas Carter as sureties. His first account (April 12, 1831) covers the personal estate, $1,741.52 by the inventory, sales of grass, corn and standing wood on the Chelmsford, Baldwin, Davis, Nutting and Spaulding lots, and pasture and pew rents. The real estate passed to the heirs.
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| 1830 | Deed in Trust | Martha Bowers of Charlestown, singlewoman | Dr. Abraham R. Thompson of Charlestown, physician, in trust | 1830: Martha Bowers puts her share of the estate in trust with A. R. Thompson | 296/479 (South) |
"In consideration of the love & affection which I have for my Sisters and Neice herein after named and from the public state of my health being unable to take the charge and management of my property", and of one dollar, she assigns to Thompson in trust "all the right title" in the estate of Jonathan Bowers (index: "Int. in Est. of Jonathan Bowers"). Billerica town book 14, page 295 (first page read).
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| August 25, 1831 | Warranty Deed | Jonathan Simonds of Boston, gentleman | Artemas Young of Lowell, trader | 1831: Jonathan Simonds sells Young the south nine rods | 306/523 (South) |
For $91.18, "a certain tract of land ... being a part of the homestead & tavern stand of Jonathan Bowers late of said Billerica, Esq. deceased": nine rods on the Boston road north from John Eames, east past the south gate post and the cross wall to the lower barn and the three acre pasture; reserving a twenty foot passage on the south side for the owners of the two lower lots, "also reserving the buildings now upon said premises, with the privilege of taking them off within one year". Dated July 29, 1831, witness William Bowers. Billerica town book 11, pages 582-584.
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| August 25, 1831 | Warranty Deed | Dr. Abraham R. Thompson of Charlestown, for himself and as attorney for Joseph and Margaret Bradley, Richard and Ann Thurston (of Bucksport, Maine) and Sarah Bowers (Elizabeth Thompson releasing dower) | Artemas Young, Esq., of Lowell, merchant | 1831: Bowers heirs sell the tavern stand house and new barn to Artemas Young | 306/525 (South) |
For $1,350, "a certain parcel of land ... being a part of the Homestead and Tavern stand of Jona. Bowers, Esq. deceased, with the dwelling house and new barn thereon standing": from the northwest corner near the barn on "the great Boston road" at land formerly of Samuel Bowers, south by the road about 31 rods 17 links to the lot conveyed the same week to Jonathan Simonds, around the south gate post, cross wall and lower barn to the three acre pasture, east by the pasture and Barnard Tufts to Blaney Abbott, and back by Abbott and the Samuel Bowers land to the road. "Being the same premises conveyed to me by William Bowers by his deed dated the seventh day of June 1831." Dated Aug. 2, 1831. Billerica town book 11, pages 584-586.
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| December 2, 1831 | Quitclaim | William Bowers of Billerica, yeoman | Abraham R. Thompson and Elizabeth Thompson, Sarah Bowers, Ann Thurston and Margaret Bradley | 1831: William Bowers releases to the heirs of Samuel Bowers | 310/4 (South) |
For $10, a release to the children of Samuel Bowers of "a part of the homestead and Tavern Stand of Jonathan Bowers Esq. deceased with the dwelling house and new barn thereon standing", also the Davis wood lot of 17 acres 139 1/2 rods by Fox Brook, the causeway lot of 3 acres 138 rods, the Chelmsford lot of 10 acres 135 rods across the Turnpike, and "a Pew in the gallery of Billerica Meeting house". Dated June 7, 1831, acknowledged July 27, 1831 before Marshall Preston. Billerica town book 11, pages 588-590.
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| 1832 | Mortgage | Artemas Young of Billerica, gentleman | The Lowell Institution for Savings | 1832: Young mortgages the farm "with a new dwelling house" | 319/58 (South) |
For $2,000, "one certain farm on which I now dwell in said Billerica containing nineteen acres and ten rods with a new dwelling house and other buildings thereon": from the northwest corner on the main road leading towards Boston at land formerly of Samuel Bowers now of Nathaniel Cheever, south by the road about forty rods and seventeen links to John Eames, east by Eames, Harvey Crosby and Barnard Tufts to Blaney Abbott, north by Abbott and west by Cheever, "being the same land and premises which were conveyed to me by a deed from Abraham R. Thompson dated August 2d 1831". Dated Nov. 24, 1832 (the 1835 levy cites Book 319, Page 57). Billerica town book 16, page 153.
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| 1835 | Sheriff's Deed | Jefferson Bancroft of Lowell, deputy sheriff, on the execution of the Lowell Bank against Artemas Young | Nathaniel Wright, Esq., of Lowell | 1835: sheriff sells Young's equity to Nathaniel Wright for the Lowell Bank | 343/468 (South) |
The President, Directors and Company of the Lowell Bank recovered judgment against Artemas Young of Billerica at the Court of Common Pleas at Concord in March 1835 for $1,690 and costs. On March 28, 1835 the deputy took Young's right in equity of redeeming the 19 acres 10 rods "with the buildings thereon" (Cheever on the north, John Eames, Harvey Crosby, Barnard Tufts, Blaney Abbott), mortgaged to the Lowell Institution for Savings, and a lot at Central and Church Streets in Lowell; after notices and three weeks in the Lowell Journal and Mercury he sold them at auction at the Washington Hotel in Lowell on April 30, 1835, $1,000 for the Billerica farm, to Nathaniel Wright, the highest bidder (index page 468; the town book margin reads 463). Billerica town book 15, pages 152-154.
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| 1836 | Deed | The President, Directors and Company of the Lowell Bank, by Nathaniel Wright, president | George P. Elliott of Billerica | 1836: the Lowell Bank to George P. Elliott, 19 acres "with the buildings" south of Cheever | 354/297 (South) |
For $1,000, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon situated in said Billerica on the easterly side of the road leading from the meeting house in said Billerica to Boston containing nineteen acres and ten rods": from the northwest corner on the road south "about fifty rods and seven links to John Emes(?) land", east partly by Emes, partly by Henry Crosby and partly by Barnard Tufts to Blaney Abbott, north by Abbott "to land of Nathaniel Cheever", west by Cheever to the start, "being the land and buildings mortgaged to the Lowell Institution for Savings by Artemas Young by his deed dated Nov. 24, 1832" (Book 319, Pages 57-58), which mortgage of $2,000 Elliott is to pay. Dated May 18, 1836. Billerica town book 15, pages 281-282. The land south of the Cheever place, later the Rogers and Colby place.
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| 1838 | Deed | George P. Elliott of Billerica, yeoman | Josiah Rogers of Billerica, gentleman | 1838: George P. Elliott to Josiah Rogers, the 19-acre place "with the buildings" | 374/428 (South) |
For $3,800, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon situate in said Billerica on the easterly side of the road leading from the meeting house in said Billerica to Boston", "nineteen(?) acres and ten rods": from the northwest corner on the road south about fifty rods and seven links, east partly by "Mr. Prentiss(?) land", Henry Crosby and Barnard Tufts to Blaney Abbott, north by Abbott "to land of Nathaniel Cheever" and west by Cheever to the start, "being the same premises conveyed to me by the President Directors and Company of the Lowell Bank May 18th 1836" (Book 354, Page 296 as written), subject to mortgages to the Lowell Institution for Savings and the Lowell Bank of about $2,800. Billerica town book 12, page 595 (index: acknowledged 1837, recorded 1838). The J. Rogers of the 1856 map.
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| February 22, 1858 | Warranty Deed | Josiah Rogers of Billerica, yeoman (Lucy Rogers releasing dower) | Harlow Colby of Lowell, grocer | 1858: Josiah Rogers to Harlow Colby; Rogers keeps his house lot on the road | 13/318 |
For $5,000, "a certain parcel of land situated in said Billerica containing sixteen acres more or less": from the northwest corner "at land of Jacob P. Brown on the Boston Road", south twenty rods six links to stakes and stones "at my own land", east by Rogers fifteen rods fourteen links, south "on my own land as the wall now stands" fourteen rods fifteen links to Sewall Worthley, east and south by Worthley to Barnard Tufts, east by Tufts to "Blany Abbott", north by Abbott to Jacob P. Brown and west by Brown to the start. No buildings named, though the price is high for bare land. Dated Feb. 20, 1858, before Dudley Foster, J.P.; witness Sewall Worthley. Rogers kept the land on the road south of this lot (the site of the J. Rogers House); the 1908 deeds call it "land formerly of one Rogers, supposed to be now of one Davis."
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| February 5, 1867 | Will | Estate of Josiah Rogers of Billerica, yeoman | His daughters Sarah B. Mason and Elizabeth Rogers | 1867: will of Josiah Rogers, residue to his daughters | Probate #40775 |
Will dated Aug. 7, 1863: money and household goods to his wife Lucy, and "all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate both Real and personal ... to my two daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth ... for their own separate use, independently of any husband". He died Dec. 21, 1866; Dudley Foster and James R. Faulkner proved the will at Lowell Feb. 5, 1867.
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| May 23, 1872 | Warranty Deed | Augustus Mason, Sarah B. Mason in her own right, and Elizabeth Rogers, all of Brighton | William Proudfoot of Billerica | 1872: his daughters sell "the homestead of the late Josiah Rogers" to William Proudfoot | 86/403 |
For $3,350, "a certain lot or parcel of land, with the buildings thereon", from the corner on the highway "where said land joins with land conveyed by Josiah Rogers to Colby", 14 44/100 rods on the highway, 15 10/100 rods deep, bounded by Colby on two sides, "Containing one acre and fifty five rods ... Being the homestead of the late Josiah Rogers." Dated May 16, 1872.
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| September 24, 1888 | Warranty Deed | Jane M. Proudfoot, widow, David, William H. and George Proudfoot, heirs of William Proudfoot | Oliver C. Rogers of Billerica | 1888: Proudfoot heirs to Oliver C. Rogers | 200/237 |
For $2,850, "a certain lot or parcel of land with the buildings thereon", 14 44/100 rods on the highway from the land Josiah Rogers sold to Colby south to land now or late of Barrows, one acre and sixty-five rods, "the same premises conveyed to Wm. Proudfoot deceased by Augustus Mason et als ... book 86, page 403". Dated Aug. 18, 1888.
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| April 21, 1894 | Administrator's Deed | Jeremiah Crowley of Lowell, administrator of Oliver C. Rogers of Billerica | Eliza A. Davis of Lowell | 1894: Rogers estate to Eliza A. Davis at auction | 253/199 |
Under a Probate Court license of Jan. 23, 1894, sold at public auction in April 1894 for $2,735, "the following described parcel of land with the buildings thereon", the same lot of one acre sixty-five rods between Colby and Barrows, conveyed to Rogers by Jane M. Proudfoot et al. in 1888 (Book 200, Page 237). Dated April 21, 1894. Rogers's 1892 mortgage to Samuel G. Parker was assigned to Cornelia M. Davis the same day.
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| March 13, 1906 | Warranty Deed | Harlow Colby of Billerica | Albert H. Jones of Billerica | 1906: Colby to Albert H. Jones, the 16 acres Colby bought of Josiah Rogers in 1858 | 388/185 |
For one dollar and other consideration, "a certain parcel of land situate in said Billerica containing sixteen acres more or less": from the northwest corner "at land formerly of Jacob P. Brown on the Boston road", south twenty rods six links to stakes and stones at other land of Brown, east by Brown fifteen rods fourteen links, south "on my own, the said Brown land as the wall now stands" fourteen rods fifteen links to "land formerly of Sewell Worthley", east and south by Worthley to "land formerly of Bernard Tufts", east by Tufts to "land formerly of Blany Abbott", north by Abbott and west by Brown to the start. "It being the same premises as conveyed to me by deed of Josiah Rogers dated Feby 20 1858 ... Book 13 Page 318. Saving and excepting a certain lot conveyed to the Town of Billerica on which the stand pipe now stands", and with another piece from Sarah Spaulding et al., July 4, 1864 (Book 52, Page 99). Dated March 13, 1906, before Herbert A. King, J.P. No buildings are named. This is the H. Colby (earlier J. Rogers) place south of the Cheever place.
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| September 26, 1908 | Quitclaim | Albert H. Jones of Billerica (Ada F. Jones releasing dower and homestead) | Arthur J. Larratt of Billerica | 1908: Jones to Larratt; the old Rogers land is now Davis's | 424/238 |
For one dollar and other consideration, "a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon containing sixteen acres, more or less, situated in that part of said Billerica known as Billerica Centre": from land formerly of Jacob P. Brown on the east side of the Boston road south to "land of the Town of Billerica on which there is a standpipe", around the Town lot (346 and 80 feet), west to a wall "at land formerly of one Rogers, supposed to be now of one Davis", south to "land formerly of Sewall Worthley, supposed to be now of one Backer", to Barnard Tufts, Blaney Abbott and Brown. "Intending hereby to convey ... all of the first lot described in a deed to me from Harlow Colby dated March thirteenth A.D. 1906" (Book 388, Page 185). Dated Sept. 25, 1908. "With the buildings" is new since 1906.
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| January 14, 1922 | Warranty Deed | Eliza A. Davis of Lowell, unmarried | Arthur Elmer Angell and Hannah Belle Angell of Billerica | 1922: Davis to Arthur Elmer and Hannah Belle Angell | 655/482 |
For $1 and other consideration, the lot "with the buildings thereon", 14 44/100 rods on the highway from the land Josiah Rogers sold to Colby south to "land of one Backer formerly of one Crosby", bounded east and north by Backer and the Town of Billerica (the standpipe lot), one acre sixty-five rods, the premises she bought in 1894 (Book 253, Page 199). Dated Jan. 14, 1922.
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| June 4, 1926 | Executor's Deed | Thomas W. Fernald and Reginald B. Fonda, executors of the will of Clarence A. Backer, late of Damascus, Virginia, formerly of Billerica | Isabel Porter, wife of Fred A. Porter, of Lincoln | 1926: parcel 4 is bounded by land "formerly of one Rogers, supposed to be now of one Davis" | 736/589 |
By the power of sale in Backer's will, for $16,000, four parcels "with the buildings thereon": (1) registered land on Boston Road (249.59 feet) north of Clara E. Sexton's land (Certificate 864, plan of July 1915), less Lot 3 on Plan 6093-B sold to Jennie M. Kinsman in 1924; (2) Lot B on Land Court Plan 3956-A, less Lots 1 and 3 on Plan 6093-B, subject to Backer's 1913 mortgage to Clara E. Sexton; (3) "A certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon on the easterly side of the County Road now called Main Street", beginning at the southwest corner of "land conveyed by Nathaniel Cheever to Josiah Richardson by deed dated July 28th, 1853" (Middlesex South Book 663, Page 64), south on the street to "the heirs of Jonathan Bowers", east to David Abbott, north and west by Abbott back to the Richardson land, south 4 rods and west 40 rods by it, "thirteen (13) acres more or less", conveyed to Backer by Bertram S. Ward, Jan. 23, 1917 (Book 567, Page 16), subject to a $2,500 Merrimack River Savings Bank mortgage; (4) "A certain lot of land with the buildings thereon containing sixteen (16) acres", from Jacob P. Brown's land on the east side of Boston Road south to the Town's standpipe lot, around it, to a wall "at land formerly of one Rogers, supposed to be now of one Davis", south to "land formerly of Sewall Worthley, now of one Backer", to "land formerly of Barnard Tufts", east to "land formerly of Blaney Abbott" and north to Brown. Dated April 10, 1926.
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| March 31, 1928 | Deed | Arthur Elmer Angell and Hannah Belle Angell | Harlie G. Bohannon and his wife | 1928: the Angells sell the south 75 feet to the Bohannons | 761/83 |
"A certain lot of land" on the easterly side of Boston Road, 75 feet on the road and about 253 feet deep, 19,027 square feet, between the grantees' land on the south and "land of the grantors" on the north, F. A. Porter on the east, "Being part of the premises to us conveyed by Eliza A. Davis ... Book 655, Page 482" The Angells kept the north part with the house, which stood until about 1959; the land became part of the mall site assembled in 1970.
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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.