Golden More House
Golden More House
| Address | Boston Rd |
| Built | 1658 |
| Demolished | 1873 |
| Owners | Golden More (1658 - 1698) |
| Other Lot Structures |
Paul Hill House (1873 -
1986)
O'Connor Hardware Plaza (Built 1987) |
Golden More was one of the first settlers of Billerica and one of the twelve original holders of lots on the Township. In 1658 he bought the right of James Parker, one of the three purchasers of the Dudley Farm, and his homestead lay east of the common, between Long Street (now Boston Road) and the street to the east that the town granted to him. In 1660 the town let those who rode to meeting build horse sheds "below the Hill between the meeting house and Goldinge More's barn," which town historian Henry Hazen placed on Paul Hill's land. More married the widow of John Champney, and a niece of his married James Kidder. He and Joanna had three daughters: Hannah, Lydia, who married Caleb Farley, and Ruth, who married Daniel Shed.
In 1698 the "aged" More gave all his land, housing, malt house, orchard and town right, "particularly all my homestead whereon my dwelling house stands with all ye building upon it, and ye orchard," to his son-in-law Caleb Farley Sr. In return Farley agreed to keep him for life: meat, drink, clothing, a horse, a room and firewood, three barrels of cider a year, and the fruit of one pear tree and two apple trees.
Caleb's son Ebenezer Farley sold the homestead in 1714 to Joshua Abbott, and in 1757 Joshua sold about 30 acres "near the Meeting house" between East Street and Long Street, "with all the Buildings thereon," to Oliver Abbot, a retailer. The 1776 tax list places Oliver Abbot at "Paul Hill's place, east of Common." After his death in 1797 the land passed through his daughter Dorcas Bowers, who sold it in 1810 to George Bruce, a Boston merchant. In 1827 Bruce's heirs sold the 13 acres with the buildings to Fitch Tufts, a Boston distiller. After Tufts, his wife and a daughter died in the 1850s, his daughter Martha divided the land. The southern part became the Fitch Tufts House, and in 1854 she sold the northern part, with its buildings, to Jefferson Cutter.
In April 1873 Cutter sold the lot for $6,200 to Paul Hill of Lowell, a railroad contractor and engineer on the Hoosac Tunnel. Hill took down the old house and built a large mansard-roofed house, "The Walnuts," on the site (the Paul Hill House). The records do not say whether the house he removed was More's own house of 1658 or a later one on the same homestead. The Walnuts was moved away in 1987, and the site is now O'Connor Plaza.
References
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| 1698 | Deed | Golden More (Moore) | Caleb Farley Sr. | Golden More gives his homestead to Caleb Farley Sr. | 12/242 (South) |
For love of "my Son in Law Caleb ffarley Senr" and 20 pounds to be paid to More's creditors, all his land, housing, malt house, orchard and town right, "particularly all my homestead whereon my dwelling house stands with all ye building upon it, and ye orchard," with his meadows on the Shawshin River, the further Great Meadow and Mill Swamp. Farley must keep "his aged ffather in Law" for life: meat, drink, clothing, a horse, a room and firewood in More's house or his own, three barrels of cider a year, the fruit of one pear tree and two apple trees, and half an acre of the orchard to plant. More had daughters but no son; Hazen notes the 1660 horse sheds stood by "Goldinge More's barn," which was on Paul Hill's land. Billerica town book 1, pages 247-249.
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| 1714 | Deed | Ebenezer Farley and Elizabeth Farley | Joshua Abbott | Ebenezer Farley sells the corner messuage to Joshua Abbott | 30/516 (South) |
For 150 pounds, "One Messuage or Tenement" bounded west by the County Road, north by the road leading to Andover, east by Deacon Sheldon and south by Joshua Abbott's own land, "with all the Buildings, Fences and Trees," plus 18 acres on the highway from William Patten's to Joseph Davis's, 38 1/2 acres by the Great Swamp, 37 acres in the second range east of the swamp and meadow near Prospect Hill. Ebenezer was Caleb Farley Sr.'s son. Acknowledged 1714, recorded 1730. Abbott had already bought William Patten's old 7 acres, bounded north by Ebenezer Farley, from Kendal Patten in 1710 (same book, page 236). Billerica town book 3, pages 237-239.
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| February 11, 1762 | Deed | Joshua Abbot, cordwainer, and Dorcas Abbot | Oliver Abbot, retailer | Joshua Abbot to Oliver Abbot | 59/357 (South) |
For 270 pounds, about 30 acres "near the Meeting house," from a stone at the southwest corner easterly by David Abbot, northeasterly by marked trees and the grantor's land, north by Samuel Sheldon "to the highway called East Street," then westerly by East Street "to the highway called Long Street," then southward by Long Street "and the Commons" to the first bound, "with all the Buildings thereon." Signed April 26, 1757. East Street was the street granted to Golden More. Hazen's 1776 tax list places Oliver Abbot at "Paul Hill's place, east of Common." Billerica town book 8, pages 19-21.
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| April 7, 1810 | Deed | Alexander Bowers of Charlestown and Dorcas Bowers of Boston, widow | George Bruce of Boston, merchant | Bowers to George Bruce | 187/213 (South) |
For $2,000, "a certain messuage and parcel of land situate in Billerica ... near the meeting house," beginning at the southwest corner by the highway from Chelmsford to Boston at the wall by the grantors' other land, northerly on the highway 29 6/10 rods to land of the town, then by courses of 32 2/10, 25 8/10 and 26 rods back; also the third wall pew in the meeting house. Signed April 6, 1810. Dorcas was Oliver Abbot's daughter (m. 1783 Jonathan Bowers); Oliver's estate passed through her (see the 1798-1803 Abbot estate releases to J. Bowers, S 130/55, 133/30, 152/503). Billerica town book 10, pages 515-517.
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| October 8, 1827 | Deed | William Bruce, Charles Bruce, Hannah Upton, Abigail Bruce and Martha B. Wait | Fitch Tufts of Boston, distiller | Bruce heirs to Fitch Tufts | 277/218 (South) |
For $3,400, "a tract of land situate in Billerica aforesaid near the meeting house containing about thirteen acres ... with all the buildings thereon," bounded westerly by the highway from the meeting house to Boston, southerly by Col. John Parker, easterly by land formerly of Nahum Baldwin, northerly by the heirs of Capt. Josiah Bowers, Asa Richardson and John and Henry Baldwin; also the third wall pew. Signed June 6, 1827 by the heirs of George Bruce. Billerica town book 11, pages 508-509.
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| August 4, 1854 | Deed | Martha Tufts, single woman | Jefferson Cutter | Martha Tufts to Jefferson Cutter | 688/168 (South) |
For $3,500, "a certain piece or parcel of land with the buildings thereon standing situate near the Common," beginning at the northwest corner on Main Street, easterly by Henry Baldwin 18 rods 9 feet, northerly 7 rods, easterly by L. Haynes, Crosby and J. Baldwin 14 rods 9 feet, southerly 17 rods 10 feet, easterly by T. J. Jenkins and J. G. Kimball 79 rods, southerly by Baldwin 11 rods 10 feet to J. Jordan, westerly by Jordan 78 rods to W. G. Alley, northerly 10 rods 2 feet, westerly by Alley 34 rods to Main Street, northerly by Main Street 24 rods 8 feet: about 12 acres 20 rods, "part of the Homestead Estate of my late Father Fitch Tufts" (S 277/218). Signed Aug. 3, 1854; her mother Mary Tufts released her dower for $500 the same day (S 688/169). Billerica town book 20, pages 416-419.
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| May 3, 1873 | Deed | Jefferson Cutter and Sarah E. Cutter | Paul Hill of Lowell | Cutter to Paul Hill, who replaced the old house | 93/55 |
For $6,200, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon standing situate near the Common," the same 12 acres 20 rods with the same bounds, "being premises conveyed to me by Martha Tufts" (Cambridge Book 688 Page 168) and Mary Tufts (688/169). Signed April 26, 1873. Hill, railroad contractor and engineer of the Hoosac Tunnel, took down the old house and built "The Walnuts" here in 1873.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.