Structure · Built 1826 · Demolished 1897
Isaac Pollard House
The farmhouse that stood at 164 Allen Road, near the brook crossing in the southeastern part of Billerica, was the homestead of the Pollard family before it was the "J. Hurd" house of the 1853 map. The farm ran from the road northeast to the Shawsheen River and Mill Brook, about eighty to one hundred acres, with a one-acre lot across the road "opposite the buildings". Its neighbors in the deeds were the widow Sarah Richardson, Kimball and Bowman, the Crosbys, and Haslet Mackay's farm on the south.
On February 27, 1826, Isaac Pollard quitclaimed to his son William Pitt Putnam Pollard, for $2,000, "the Homestead farm where I now live, situate in the Southeasterly part of Billerica, containing one hundred acres more or less, with the buildings thereon standing", together with a sixteen-acre wood lot (the Gracely or Granby lot). How Isaac first acquired the farm has not been found. In 1834 the selectmen had a guardian appointed for him as a spendthrift. The farm passed between William and his brother Andrew R. Pollard in 1829 and 1837, and in February 1838 William, then of Boston, sold it for $2,600 to John McIntire, a Boston trader, as "a certain farm ... heretofore known as the Pollard farm and formerly the property of Isaac Pollard father of the said William P. P. Pollard".
The farm then changed hands quickly, each buyer taking on a growing stack of mortgages: McIntire sold it in June 1838 to Charles Goodwin of Billerica, Goodwin in February 1839 to Oliver Crosby, and Crosby in April 1846 to Haslet Mackay, who owned the farm next door. A year later Mackay sold "a certain farm ... with the buildings thereon where the said Proctor now resides, containing eighty acres" to George Proctor, a clerk, who was already living in the house. In July 1851, after the executor of Zadock Howe released the three old mortgages that had come into Howe's hands, Proctor sold the farm, now 85 acres, to Jeremiah Hurd of Boston, yeoman, for $2,600. The deed bound Hurd to keep up the fence on the west end of the roadside lot and kept a right for Kimball and Bowman to pass "with oxen in their yokes, and horses in their harnesses, in the old cart path" to their land behind it.
Jeremiah Hurd is the "J. Hurd" shown at this spot on the 1853 Walling map of Billerica, and he was still there on the 1875 Beers atlas. In July 1873 he deeded the farm, with his horse, colt, heifer and farm tools, to his son George W. Hurd of Fitchburg, who deeded it the same day to Jeremiah's wife Mary Hurd "in her own right". In October 1875 Mary and Jeremiah sold the "farm, land and buildings connected therewith" for $4,000 to Sarah F. Means of South Braintree, later Sarah F. Brown.
A run of short ownerships followed: George G. Nichols of Melrose (January 1878), Elizabeth L. Baxter of Melrose (April 1878) and Mary E. Slack of Wakefield (November 1878, $5,000). Mrs. Slack mortgaged the farm to Andrew C. Wheelock of Lowell in 1879. When she defaulted, Wheelock sold "a certain farm land and buildings connected therewith" at auction on the premises on August 11, 1888, and bought it himself for $2,400. By the time he sold it to Samuel N. Harris in September 1897 the deed described "land without buildings", with the roadside lot "opposite the former buildings on said farm", so the old farmhouse was gone by then. Harris sold the 85 acres to Robert G. Bartlett of Lowell in 1898, and Bartlett sold it to Catherine G. Clark of Belmont in 1918, still "a farm without buildings".
By 1926 there were buildings on part of the land again. That year Catherine G. Clark, then of Billerica, sold ten acres on Allen Road "with the buildings thereon", bounded by the brook and the Patten estate, to Felix and Zofi Talutis, and in 1935 she sold them the rest of her land reaching to the Shawsheen River. In 1955 the Talutises deeded two lots on the road to a member of their family. The plan drawn for that deed (Plan Book 85, Plan 50B) marks an "old cellar hole" on Lot 1 and an "old foundation" on Lot 2, the remains of the earlier farm. The present ranch house at 164 Allen Road was built on these lots about 1954, and the property has stayed in the same family.
References
- Billerica assessor, 164 Allen Rd (parcel 80-64-1): ranch built about 1954, Plan 85-50B Lots 1 and 2, sales from 1955
- Middlesex probate 17683 (Isaac Pollard, Billerica, 1834): spendthrift guardianship
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| April 28, 1826 | Quitclaim | Isaac Pollard of Billerica, yeoman | William Pitt Putnam Pollard of Billerica, yeoman (his son) | Isaac Pollard's homestead "where I now live ... with the buildings", to his son | 267/172 (South) |
Billerica town book 13, pages 406-407. For $2,000, "the Homestead farm where I now live, situate in the Southeasterly part of Billerica, containing one hundred acres more or less, with the buildings thereon standing", bounded southerly by Josiah Crosby Esq. and Thomas Goodwin, easterly and northeasterly by the Shawsheen River and "Mill brook (so called)", northerly by Josiah Crosby, land formerly of Joseph Danforth deceased and the road, westerly by Joseph Carr; also a wood lot of sixteen acres bounded by Si. Kittredge, Francis Cook, Josiah Crosby, John Crosby and George Carter. Signed February 27 1826 (witnesses Josiah Crosby, Joseph Farmer). Abigail Pollard, the grantor's wife, released her dower in 1838 (Book 369, Page 515).
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| February 27, 1838 | Quitclaim | Andrew R. Pollard of Billerica | William P. P. Pollard | Andrew R. Pollard releases the farm to W. P. P. Pollard | 370/407 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 515-517. Andrew R. Pollard releases to William P. P. Pollard the farm bounded from Joseph White's corner on the road by Mrs. Dorcas Winning's thirds, the orchard, the heirs of Joseph Danforth, land formerly of Josiah Crosby, the mill brook, the Shawsheen River and land of Thomas Goodwin, and "the one undivided half of a certain wood lot ... called the Gracely wood lot containing sixteen acres", "being the same premises conveyed by the said William to me by deed dated the 4th day of February A.D. 1829" (Book 285, Page 345). Signed May 3 1837 (witnesses Marshall Preston, Maria Preston), recorded with the sale to McIntire.
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| February 27, 1838 | Warranty Deed | William P. P. Pollard of Boston, yeoman | John McIntire of Boston, trader | the Pollard farm sold to John McIntire | 370/408 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 517-519. For $2,600, "a certain farm situate in Billerica ... formerly owned by Isaac Pollard containing one hundred acres", from the northwest corner at the road by Joseph White, by Dorcas Winning's thirds, the orchard, the heirs of Joseph Danforth, Josiah Crosby's land, Mill brook, the Shawsheen River and Thomas Goodwin, with the sixteen acre Gracely wood lot; free "excepting a mortgage to Asa Richardson for five hundred dollars". Signed February 27 1838. McIntire gave mortgages the same day to Samuel Whiting ($550) and to Pollard ($400).
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| March 14, 1838 | Mortgage | John McIntire of Boston, with his wife Caroline McIntire | William P. P. Pollard | McIntire mortgage to Pollard, paid off by Oliver Crosby | 372/120 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 549-551. Mortgage of "a certain Farm situate in Billerica heretofore known as the Pollard farm and formerly the property of Isaac Pollard father of the said William P. P. Pollard: containing One hundred acres", with half of the Gravely wood lot, subject to "one mortgage for five hundred and fifty dollars held by a church of Billerica in trust and one of five hundred held by heirs of Asa Richardson", to secure $400 in one year from April 1 1838. Signed February 27 1838. Discharged April 3 1839 (recorded May 21 1839) when Pollard received $424 from Oliver Crosby.
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| June 11, 1838 | Warranty Deed | John McIntire of Boston, broker, with his wife Caroline McIntire | Charles Goodwin of Billerica, yeoman | McIntire to Charles Goodwin | 374/230 (South) |
Billerica town book 12, pages 585-587. For $3,500, "a certain farm situate in Billerica ... formerly owned by Isaac Pollard containing one hundred acres", same bounds, and the Gracely Wood Lot of sixteen acres, free except mortgages "to a Church in Billerica of five hundred and fifty dollars, one to heirs of Asa Richardson of five hundred dollars, one to Levi Frost of one thousand dollars and one to W. P. P. Pollard of four hundred dollars and one to James McIntire of one hundred and fifty three dollars". Signed June 11 1838.
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| February 22, 1839 | Warranty Deed | Charles Goodwin of Billerica, yeoman, with his wife Clara Goodwin | Oliver Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | Goodwin to Oliver Crosby | 380/268 (South) |
Billerica town book 14, pages 465-467. For $3,500, "a certain farm situated in said Billerica ... formerly owned by Isaac Pollard, containing one hundred acres", same bounds, and the Gracely wood lot, subject to the same five mortgages (the church $550, Asa Richardson $500, W. P. P. Pollard $400, Frost $1,000, James McIntire $153). Signed February 21 1839, witnessed by John and Caroline McIntire.
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| June 22, 1847 | Warranty Deed | Oliver Crosby of Billerica, gentleman, with his wife Elizabeth Crosby | Haslet Mackay of Billerica, yeoman | Crosby to Haslet Mackay | 508/548 (South) |
Billerica town book 18, pages 335-336. For $500, "a certain farm situate in said Billerica formerly owned by Isaac Pollard containing one hundred acres", from Joseph White's corner on the road by Sarah Richardson, a stone wall, "the Southeasterly corner of the Orchard so called", Josiah Crosby's land, a ditch, "Mill Brook so called" and the Shaw Sheen River to Mackay's own land, Moses P. Greenwood and White; "Also a certain wood lot known as the Granby lot containing sixteen acres"; subject to mortgages "to the Church in Billerica for five hundred and fifty dollars and one to Asa Richardson for five hundred dollars & one to the town of Billerica for five hundred dollars", which Mackay assumes. Signed April 14 1846.
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| March 21, 1848 | Warranty Deed | Haslet Mackay of Billerica, yeoman, with his wife Nancy G. Mackay | George Proctor of Billerica, clerk | Mackay to George Proctor, "with the buildings ... where the said Proctor now resides" | 528/11 (South) |
Billerica town book 20, pages 19-21. For $443, "a certain farm situate in said Billerica with the buildings thereon where the said Proctor now resides, containing eighty acres", from the road and land of the widow Sarah Richardson by Kimball and Bowman and John Crosby to the Shawsheen River, by the river to "said Mackay's Goodwin farm", and by the road; "Also another lot of land on the Southerly side of said Road, and opposite the buildings containing about one acre", from an elm tree about two rods from the wall by a fence about twelve rods to a stake and stones; subject to the Pollard, McIntire and Crosby mortgages "on all which Mortgages there is now due the sum of fifteen hundred and fifty seven dollars", which Proctor assumes. Signed April 1 1847 (witnesses Marshall Preston, Ann G. Mackay).
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| July 30, 1851 | Release of Mortgages | William H. Odiorne of Billerica, executor of Zadock Howe, physician, with the trustees under Howe's will | George Proctor of Billerica, clerk | old mortgages on the Pollard farm released to Proctor | 614/265 (South) |
Billerica town book 19, pages 115-117. Zadock Howe held by assignment three mortgages on "a certain estate in said Billerica called the 'Pollard farm'", had entered to foreclose on February 16 1846 but let the owners stay and kept taking interest. With the consent of the trustees (Marshall Preston, W. H. Odiorne, John Baldwin, Amos Spalding, James R. Faulkner, Dudley Foster, George H. Whitman), the executor, for $1,550 paid by George Proctor, releases Howe's right in "a certain farm in said Billerica formerly owned by Isaac Pollard, containing eighty acres" and the lot "on the southerly side of said road and opposite the buildings, containing about one acre", discharging the mortgages of Isaac Pollard to Asa Richardson ($750, 1816), John McIntire to Samuel Whiting ($550, 1838) and Oliver Crosby to the Inhabitants of Billerica ($500, 1842). Signed July 12 and 13 1851.
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| July 15, 1851 | Warranty Deed | George Proctor of Billerica, clerk, with his wife Susan M. Proctor | Jeremiah Hurd of Boston, yeoman | Proctor to Jeremiah Hurd, the J. Hurd of the 1853 map | 614/267 (South) |
Billerica town book 19, pages 118-119. For $2,600, "a certain farm situate in the southeasterly part of said Billerica, containing eighty five acres more or less", from the road and the widow Sarah Richardson by Kimball and Bowman and John Crosby to the Shawsheen River, by the river to Haslet Mackay, and by Mackay and the road; "Also one other tract of land situate on the south side of said road opposite the buildings on said farm" (about fifteen rods, stake and stones at the wall). "The fence on the westerly end of said lot of about fifteen rods said Hurd, his heirs, are to support and maintain forever. The said Proctor reserves to the said Kimball & Bowman their heirs and assigns the right to pass with oxen in their yokes, and horses in their harnesses, in the old cart path." Signed June 27 1851 (witnesses Dudley Foster, John M. Proctor).
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| July 12, 1873 | Quitclaim | Jeremiah Hurd of Billerica | George W. Hurd of Fitchburg | Jeremiah Hurd to his son George W. Hurd | 95/167 |
For $100, "a certain farm, land and buildings, situate in the Southeasterly part of said Billerica containing Eighty five acres", with the tract "on the South side of said road opposite the buildings on said farm", "Subject to all the reservations and conditions which applied to me when said premises were conveyed to me. Also, one horse, one colt and one yearling heifer, together with all the tools and personal property of every description on said farm belonging to me. Being the same premises conveyed to me by George Proctor by his deed dated June 27th A.D. 1851". Acknowledged at Lowell before Frederic T. Greenhalge.
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| July 12, 1873 | Quitclaim | George W. Hurd of Fitchburg | Mary Hurd, wife of Jeremiah Hurd, of Billerica | back to Mary Hurd in her own right | 95/169 |
For $100, the same farm, land and buildings of 85 acres with the lot opposite and the horse, colt, heifer and farm tools, to Mary Hurd "in her own right and free from all interference and control of her husband", "Meaning hereby to convey the same premises this day conveyed to me by Jeremiah Hurd". A straw transfer putting the farm in Mary's name.
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| October 12, 1875 | Warranty Deed | Mary Hurd of Billerica, in her own right, and her husband Jeremiah Hurd | Sarah F. Means of South Braintree (later Sarah F. Brown) | the Hurds sell the farm and buildings | 113/59 |
For $4,000, "a certain farm, land and buildings connected therewith situated in the southeasterly part of said Billerica containing eighty five acres more or less", bounded by the widow Sarah Richardson, Kimball and Bowman, John Crosby, the Shawsheen River, "Haslet Mackay formerly" and the road, "Also one other tract of land situated on the south side of said road opposite the buildings on said farm", subject to the reservations in George Proctor's 1851 deed to Jeremiah Hurd. Signed October 11 1875.
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| February 9, 1878 | Warranty Deed | Sarah F. Brown of Billerica, in her own right, and her husband Osgood A. Brown | George G. Nichols of Melrose | Brown to George G. Nichols | 127/484 |
For $5,000, "a certain farm, land, and buildings connected therewith situated in the south easterly part of said Billerica containing eighty five acres", same bounds and the tract "opposite the buildings of said farm", subject to the Proctor-Hurd reservations; "Being the same premises to me conveyed by deed of Mary Hurd dated Oct. 11, 1875" (Book 113, Page 59); subject to a mortgage of $800 to Anthony Jones of Billerica. Signed January 18 1878. Nichols mortgaged the farm to Jones for $1,200 the same day (Book 127, Page 485).
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| April 23, 1878 | Warranty Deed | George G. Nichols of Melrose | Elizabeth L. Baxter of Melrose, single woman | Nichols to Elizabeth L. Baxter | 128/495 |
For $4,500, "a certain farm, land, and buildings connected therewith, situated in the south easterly part of said Billerica, containing eighty five acres", same bounds, subject to the Proctor-Hurd reservations, "Being the same premises to me conveyed by deed of Sarah F. Brown dated January 18th 1878" (Book 127, Page 484), the grantee assuming the two mortgages to Anthony Jones. Signed April 23 1878.
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| December 7, 1878 | Warranty Deed | Elizabeth L. Baxter, single woman | Mary E. Slack, wife of B. F. Slack, of Wakefield | Baxter to Mary E. Slack | 131/556 |
For $5,000, "a certain farm, land and buildings connected therewith, situated in the South Easterly part of Billerica ... containing eighty five acres, more or less", same bounds, "Also another tract of land situated on the South side of said road opposite the buildings of said farm"; subject to the reservations in George Proctor's deed to Jeremiah Hurd of June 27 1851; "Being the same premises to me conveyed by George G. Nichols" (Book 128, Page 495); the grantee assumes a $2,000 mortgage. Signed November 30 1878. Mrs. Slack mortgaged the farm to Andrew C. Wheelock on April 22 1879 (Book 133, Page 255).
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| October 11, 1888 | Foreclosure Deed | Andrew C. Wheelock of Lowell, mortgagee of Mary E. Slack | Andrew C. Wheelock | foreclosure auction of the farm and buildings | 200/383 |
Deed under the power of sale in Mary E. Slack's mortgage of April 22 1879 (Book 133, Page 255). Notice ran in the Vox Populi of Lowell in July and August 1888 for an auction on the premises of "a certain farm land and buildings connected therewith situated in the southeasterly part of said Billerica and containing eighty five acres more or less", with the tract "on the south side of said road opposite the buildings of said farm", subject to the Proctor-Hurd reservations. At the sale on August 11 1888 William T. Kenneson, auctioneer, struck it off to Wheelock for $2,400, the highest bid. Signed August 20 1888.
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| September 7, 1897 | Warranty Deed | Andrew C. Wheelock of Lowell, unmarried | Samuel N. Harris of Lowell | farm "without buildings": the house is gone | 290/244 |
For $1, "A certain farm, land without buildings, situated in the southeasterly part of Billerica ... containing eighty five acres more or less", same bounds, "Also another tract of land, situated on the south side of said road, opposite the former buildings on said farm"; subject to "the reservations and restrictions and conditions named in a deed of George Proctor to Jeremiah Hurd dated June 27th A.D. 1851"; the same premises conveyed to Mary E. Slack in 1878 and "sold at foreclosure sale to me, August 16th A.D. 1888". The farmhouse and barns were gone by this date. Signed September 7 1897.
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| June 10, 1898 | Deed | Samuel N. Harris of Lowell, with his wife Elizabeth Harris | Robert G. Bartlett of Lowell | Harris to Robert G. Bartlett | 298/218 |
For "One Dollar and other considerations of value", "a certain farm without buildings situate in the southeasterly part of Billerica", same bounds, "Also another piece of land situate on the southerly side of said road opposite the former buildings on said farm", subject to the Proctor-Hurd reservations; "Containing eighty five acres more or less and being the same premises conveyed to me by Andrew C. Wheelock" (Book 290, Page 244). Signed June 2 1898.
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| October 1, 1918 | Quitclaim | Robert G. Bartlett of Lowell, having no wife | Catherine G. Clark, wife of Edward H. Clark, of Belmont | Bartlett to Catherine G. Clark | 594/23 |
"The land situated in the southeasterly part of Billerica ... being a farm without buildings", bounded from the road and land formerly of the widow Sarah Richardson by land formerly of Kimball and Bowman and John Crosby to the Shawsheen River, by the river to land formerly of Haslet Mackay, and by Mackay and the road; "Also another parcel of land situated on the Southerly side of said road opposite the former buildings on said farm"; subject to the reservations in the deed of George Proctor to Jeremiah Hurd; title from Samuel N. Harris, 1898 (Book 298, Page 218). Signed October 1 1918; Clark gave a mortgage back to Bartlett.
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| June 12, 1926 | Quitclaim | Catherine G. Clark of Billerica, with her husband Edward H. Clark | Felix Talutis and Zofi Talutis, husband and wife, of Boston | ten acres on Allen Road to the Talutises | 737/345 |
"The land with the buildings thereon, situated on Allen Road in said Billerica, containing ten (10) acres, more or less", from Allen Road at land of Percy Huddell northeasterly 946 and 475 feet "to the Brook at land now or formerly of the Patten Estate", by the brook about 325 feet, westerly by other land of Clark about 1,100 feet and 250 feet to Allen Road, and by Allen Road 475 feet; subject to Clark's 1922 mortgage to the Woburn Co-operative Bank, which the buyers assume; "Being a portion of the premises conveyed to said Catherine G. Clark by Robert G. Bartlett by deed dated October 1, 1918" (Book 594, Page 23). Signed May 29 1926.
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| June 12, 1926 | Mortgage | Felix Talutis and Zofi Talutis, of Cambridge | Catherine G. Clark | Talutis mortgage to Clark, Plan 48-64 | 737/346 |
For $500 in three years at six per cent, "being a farm with the buildings thereon" in the southeasterly part of Billerica, about 9 3/4 acres, "shown in red lines on plan of land of C. G. Clark dated May 1926, by E. H. Clark to be recorded herewith" (Plan Book 48, Plan 64), subject to the Woburn Co-operative Bank first mortgage of $1,439.36. Discharged (Book 780, Page 134).
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| January 30, 1935 | Quitclaim | Catherine G. Clark of Reading, with her husband Edward H. Clark | Felix Talutis and Zofi Talutis, of Billerica | rest of the Clark land to the Talutises | 858/567 |
The rest of Clark's land "on the northeasterly side of Allen Road, and extending to the Shawsheen River", bounded by Allen Road, Web Brook, land of E. P. Sellew (about 1,975 feet), the Shawsheen River (600 and 400 feet), Jones Brook and the grantees' own land, as on the plan recorded June 12 1926 (Book 48, Page 64), excepting land conveyed to the Trustees of the Reading Rotary Club in 1933 (Book 843, Page 48). No buildings named. Signed January 2 1935.
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| February 3, 1955 | Quitclaim | Felix Talutis and Zofi Talutis, husband and wife, of Billerica | A member of their family and spouse (private) | house lots with the old cellar hole, Plan 85-50B | 1283/452 |
For a consideration "other than monetary", land on the northeasterly side of Allen Road, 210.24 feet on the road partly by a stone wall, 45,700 square feet, shown as Lots 1 and 2 on a plan of land surveyed in January 1955 by James B. Monahan (Plan Book 85, Plan 50B), "a part of the premises conveyed to us by Katherine G. Clark by her deed dated January 2, 1935". The plan marks an "old cellar hole" on Lot 1 and an "old foundation" on Lot 2. The present house at 164 Allen Road was built about 1954. Later transfers within the family and to a family trust (2015, 2017 and 2025, Books 29122, 30885 and 39380), and a 2016 lot split, are summarized here without names.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.