Structure · Built 1829 · Demolished 1990
John N. Easty House
The Easty farm was a small homestead in the northwest corner of Billerica, on the cross road from West Billerica toward Chelmsford that is now Sullivan Road. A house and barn stood on it by 1829, and the place kept the Easty name for more than seventy years after the family left it. The deeds put the farm on what the assessor now calls 136 Sullivan Road (Plate 37, Parcel 10), about twelve acres whose last buildings were taken down in 1990; the lot at 45 Sullivan Road, where the house was formerly placed, was Spaulding land that bounded the farm.
The family's title probably begins with a deed of September 1, 1798 from Asa Spaulding to Mary Eastey. In 1804 her children Caleb Easty of Boston, a stable keeper, Nabby Easty and Mary Needham released to their brother Ebenezer Easty "a certain messuage of land" of ten acres on the west side of the Concord River, by "the road or rodway to Chelmsford." In September 1829 Ebenezer quitclaimed "about ten acres of land, situate in the westerly part of said Billerica, with a dwelling house and barn thereon" to Lott Easty, and the widow Betsy Crosby released the same ten acres to Ebenezer's wife Abigail; the homestead was then bounded by Benoni Spaulding, Isaac Brown, Joshua Bennett and the road.
In October 1835 the widow Abigail Easty deeded "my homestead" to John Easty for $200, and he leased it back to her for her life at a rent of one cent a year. As John N. Easty he mortgaged the place, now "about twelve acres ... with all the buildings thereon," bounded by John Duren, Sherebiah and Jacob Spaulding and Isaac Brown, to Hermon Rogers in 1846. He is the "J. Easty" of the 1853 map, although his deed of January 12, 1848 to Lott Easty, which Lott later recited, never reached the registry.
In 1859 Lott Easty, then a trader, sold the twelve acres "with all the buildings thereon" to Stephen P. Wiley of Lowell for $375. Wiley put the farm in his wife Lydia L. Wiley's name in 1864 through a pair of deeds with A. B. Wright, the Register of Deeds, and made it his home; his widow later called it the "Homestead Farm." In 1895 he conveyed it, "known as the Easty Farm," to Daniel E. Tuttle of Barnstead, New Hampshire, who held it in trust for him. Wiley died in debt, and in 1900 a deputy sheriff sold the farm on execution to the Lowell lawyer Charles Cowley.
Cowley sold it in 1906, as "the Esty farm, later the Brown farm and still later the Wiley farm," about 25 acres "with the dwelling house thereon," to Morris Freeman and Louis Friedman, who resold it within weeks to Charles C. and James N. Cook. In 1915 James N. Cook sold the thirty-acre farm to Dorumen Gelinas of Dracut. She deeded it to Rosevelt Gelinas in 1919 and recovered it from his estate in 1947 after a suit in equity. Her heirs sold it in 1953 to private owners, and in 1987 the twelve acres "with the buildings thereon" passed to a realty trust. The assessor records the building as demolished in 1990, and the land is vacant.
The Spaulding land on the west, which the deeds describe as beginning "at land now or formerly of John Easty," was sold by the heirs of Edward Spaulding to Anton W. and Annie M. Swanson in 1934 and stayed with the Swanson family until Weston E. Swanson's executors sold it to Swanson Woods LLC in 2002. It was laid out as the Falcon Estates subdivision in 2008, and its Lot 1 became 45 Sullivan Road, where an industrial garage was built in 2013.
References
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| February 17, 1819 | Quitclaim | Caleb Easty of Boston, stable keeper (Mary Easty, his wife, releasing dower); Nabby Easty of Billerica, singlewoman; Asa Needham of Billerica, yeoman, and Mary Needham, his wife, in her own right | Ebenezer Eastey (Easty) of Billerica, yeoman | 1804: Ebenezer Easty's brothers and sisters release a ten-acre messuage on the Chelmsford road (probably the same homestead) | 225/523 (South) |
Billerica town book 12, pages 86-87. For $10, "a certain messuage of land lying in said Billerica on the west side of Concord river containing ten acres," beginning at the southwesterly angle at a stake and stones "by the road or rodway to Chelmsford," easterly on land that was Lt. John Parker's and land that was Charles Hands', northwesterly on land that was David Burges', southwesterly on land formerly of Asa Spaulding to the highway, and back by the way, "being the same premises that were conveyed by said Asa Spaulding to Mary Eastey by deed bearing date September 1st A.D. 1798." Signed February 14, 1804, acknowledged in Suffolk; recorded February 17, 1819. The identification with the Easty homestead of 1829 is probable (ten acres west of the river on the road to Chelmsford), not certain.
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| September 26, 1829 | Quitclaim | Ebenezer Eastee (Easty) of Billerica, yeoman | Lot (Lott) Eastee of Billerica, yeoman | 1829: Ebenezer Easty quitclaims the ten acres "with a dwelling house and barn thereon" to Lott Easty | 292/221 (South) |
Billerica town book 14, pages 218-219. For $50, "about ten acres of land, situate in the westerly part of said Billerica, with a dwelling house and barn thereon," bounded westerly by land of Benoni Spaulding, northerly by land of Isaac Brown, easterly by land of Joshua Bennet in part and partly by land of Benoni Spaulding, and southerly by a road in part and partly by land late of Josiah Crosby Esq., deceased, "together with all the crops now growing" on it. Signed and acknowledged September 14, 1829 before Marshall Preston (witnesses Marshall Preston and John Eastee); recorded September 26, 1829.
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| September 26, 1829 | Quitclaim | Betsy Crosby of Billerica, widow (of Josiah Crosby Esq.) | Abigail Eastee (Easty), wife of Ebenezer Eastee of Billerica | 1829: Betsy Crosby quitclaims the Easty homestead to Abigail Easty | 292/221 (South) |
Billerica town book 14, pages 219-220 (the margin gives the same Southern Registry page as the preceding deed). For $100, "about ten acres of land, situate in the westerly part of said Billerica, with a dwelling house & barn thereon," bounded westerly by Benoni Spaulding's land, northerly by Isaac Brown, easterly by Joshua Bennet's land in part and partly by Benoni Spaulding's land, and southerly by a road in part and partly by "my own land." Signed and acknowledged September 14, 1829 (witnesses Sarah E. Crosby and Marshall Preston); recorded September 26, 1829. Recorded the same day as Ebenezer's quitclaim to Lott, it gave Abigail the Crosby claim to the homestead.
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| October 13, 1835 | Warranty Deed | Abigail Eastee (Easty) of Billerica, widow | John Eastee (John N. Easty) of Billerica, yeoman | 1835: the widow Abigail Easty deeds her homestead to John Easty | 346/174 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 165-166. For $200, "a certain tract or parcel of land with a dwelling house thereon situated in said Billerica on the west side of Concord River, being my homestead, containing ten acres more or less," beginning at the southwest corner at the road and land of Benoni Spaulding, northerly by the road to other land of Benoni, easterly by Benoni's land to land of Isaac Brown, southerly by Brown's land to land of Joshua Bennett, and westerly by Bennett's land and land of Benoni to the road. Signed and acknowledged October 10, 1835 before Marshall Preston; recorded October 13, 1835.
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| October 13, 1835 | Lease | John Eastee (Easty) of Billerica, yeoman | Abigail Eastee (Easty) of Billerica, widow | 1835: life lease of the house back to the widow Abigail | 346/175 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, page 167. An indenture of October 10, 1835: John leases back to Abigail the same ten acres "with a dwelling house thereon ... where the said Abigail now lives," same bounds, "for and during the term of her natural life," at a yearly rent of one cent, she to pay the taxes, make all needful repairs and commit no waste. Acknowledged by both October 10, 1835 before Marshall Preston.
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| 1846 | Mortgage | John N. Easty of Billerica, yeoman (Sarah B. Easty, his wife, relinquishing dower) | Hermon Rogers of Billerica, yeoman | 1846: John N. Easty mortgages the 12 acres "with all the buildings thereon" | 474/382 (South) |
Billerica town book 18, pages 74-75. For $400, "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in said Billerica containing about twelve acres more or less with all the buildings thereon," beginning at the southwesterly angle and running westerly by land of John Duren to land of Sherabiah Spaulding, northerly by his land to land of Jacob Spaulding, easterly by Jacob's land and land of Isaac Brown, and southerly by Jacob's land to the first bound; void if Easty pays Rogers $400 on demand with annual interest. Signed and acknowledged January 19, 1846, witnessed by Marshall Preston and Lott Eastey. These are the same bounds Lott Easty used when he sold the place in 1859.
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| June 3, 1859 | Warranty Deed | Lott Easty of Billerica (Mary F. Easty, his wife, releasing dower) | Stephen P. Wiley of Lowell | 1859: Lott Easty sells the 12-acre place "with all the buildings thereon" to Stephen P. Wiley | 19/474 |
For $375, "a certain tract or parcel of land, situate in said Billerica containing twelve acres, more or less, with all the buildings thereon," beginning at the southwesterly angle and running westerly by land of John Duren to land formerly owned by Sherebiah Spaulding, northerly by that Spaulding land to land formerly owned by Jacob Spaulding, easterly by Spaulding land and land of Isaac Brown, and southerly by Spaulding land to the first bound, "being premises conveyed to me by John N. Easty by deed dated Jan'y 12, 1848." Signed April 30, 1859, witnessed by Dudley Foster; acknowledged May 3 and recorded June 3, 1859.
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| May 30, 1864 | Quitclaim | Stephen P. Wiley of Billerica (Lydia L. Wiley, his wife, releasing dower) | A. B. Wright of Lowell | 1864: Wiley quitclaims the farm to A. B. Wright | 38/181 |
For $500, "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in said Billerica, with the buildings thereon," bounded by land of John Duren, land formerly of S. Spalding and of Jacob Spalding, and land of Isaac Brown, "being premises conveyed to me by Lott Easty, by deed dated April 30, 1859 recorded at Lowell in Book 19, Page 474." Signed, acknowledged and recorded May 30, 1864. The same day Wiley assigned Wright two mortgages for $800 (Book 38, Page 182). Wright, the Register of Deeds, reconveyed the farm to Wiley's wife the same day (Book 43, Page 201).
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| July 15, 1865 | Quitclaim | A. B. Wright of Lowell (Abby A. Wright, his wife, releasing dower) | Lydia L. Wiley, wife of Stephen P. Wiley of Billerica, in her own right | 1864: Wright reconveys the farm to Lydia L. Wiley in her own right | 43/201 |
For $500, "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in said Billerica with the buildings thereon," with the same bounds by John Duren, the Spauldings and Isaac Brown, "being premises conveyed to me by the said S. P. Wiley by his deed dated May 30, 1864," to Lydia "to be held by her in her own right." Signed and acknowledged May 30, 1864; recorded July 15, 1865. With the deed of the same day from Wiley to Wright, this put the farm in Lydia L. Wiley's name; the 1906 deed's "Brown farm" may reflect her family. Stephen P. Wiley again held and conveyed it in 1895.
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| August 1, 1895 | Warranty Deed | Stephen P. Wiley of Lowell (Henrietta S. Wiley, his wife, releasing dower and homestead) | Daniel E. Tuttle of Barnstead, New Hampshire (as trustee for Wiley) | 1895: "the Easty Farm" on the cross road, Wiley to Daniel E. Tuttle in trust | 267/517 |
For one dollar and other considerations, "the following premises located in West Billerica," bounded south and west by land now or formerly of Waldo Hannaford, east by land now or formerly of Thomas Spalding and land of Isaac Brown, and west by other land of Thomas Spalding; "said premises are known as the Easty Farm and are on the cross road leading from West Billerica to the Chelmsford Road and are the same premises to me conveyed forty years ago more or less by deed by Lott Easty." Signed and acknowledged July 27, 1895; recorded August 1, 1895. One of five deeds Wiley gave Tuttle that day, which Tuttle held in trust for him.
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| August 7, 1899 | Declaration of Trust | Stephen P. Wiley of Lowell | Daniel E. Tuttle of Barnstead, New Hampshire, trustee | 1895: Tuttle holds the Easty Farm in trust for Wiley | 310/540 |
Indenture of July 27, 1895, recorded August 7, 1899: Wiley's deeds of that day had conveyed to Tuttle "various parcels of land" in Middlesex County, and the parties declared that Tuttle "doth and shall stand seized" of them "in trust for the said party of the first part," to convey, lease, mortgage or dispose of them as Wiley directed and to account to him for the profits.
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| March 19, 1900 | Release | Henrietta S. Gannon of Beverly, former wife (widow) of Stephen P. Wiley | Charles Cowley of Lowell, lawyer | 1900: Wiley's widow releases the "Homestead Farm" to Charles Cowley | 317/409 |
For $100 and professional services, dated March 16, 1900, she releases all her right "in or to the estate of my former husband Stephen P. Wiley, late of Chelmsford, deceased; including the Homestead Farm, so-called, in Billerica, the Livingston Farm so-called, in said Chelmsford, the Brooklet Cottage Lot ... in Dracut," and all other property "which was held by Daniel E. Tuttle in trust for him," including the right to redeem. Recorded March 19, 1900. The Easty Farm had become Wiley's "Homestead Farm".
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| September 24, 1900 | Sheriff's Deed | George F. Stiles of Lowell, Deputy Sheriff, on execution against the estate of Stephen P. Wiley (John J. Gray, administrator) | Charles Cowley of Lowell | 1900: sheriff's sale of the Easty farm to Charles Cowley | 323/61 |
On a judgment Charles Cowley recovered in the Superior Court on July 3, 1899 against the estate of Stephen P. Wiley, late of Lowell, deceased, for $601.25, the deputy seized on June 4, 1900 Wiley's right in three parcels and sold them to Cowley. The second is "a certain lot or parcel of land situated in the town of Billerica," with the old bounds by land of John Duren, land formerly of Sherebiah Spaulding and of Jacob A. Spaulding, and land of Isaac Brown, "Being the same premises which were conveyed to said Stephen P. Wiley by one Esty by his deed of warranty dated April 30, 1859 recorded ... Book 19 Page 474." The others lay in Dracut (Stuart Street) and Chelmsford.
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| June 25, 1906 | Deed | Charles Cowley of Lowell | Morris Freeman and Louis Friedman of Lowell | 1906: Cowley sells "the Esty farm ... with the dwelling house thereon" to Freeman and Friedman | 391/470 |
Dated June 25, 1906: "a certain farm in Billerica ... formerly called the Esty farm, later the Brown farm and still later the Wiley farm," bounded by land formerly of John Duren, Sherebiah Spaulding, Jacob A. Spaulding and Jacob Brown, about 25 acres "with the dwelling house thereon," being the premises conveyed to Cowley by the sheriff's deed of September 24, 1900 (Book 323, Page 61). The buyers gave back a mortgage of $120 (Book 391, Page 471).
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| August 6, 1906 | Warranty Deed | Morris Freeman and Louis Freedman, both of Lowell (Julia Freedman, wife of Louis, releasing dower) | Charles C. Cook of Centre Harbor, New Hampshire, and James N. Cook of Lowell | 1906: Freeman and Freedman resell the farm to Charles C. and James N. Cook | 394/315 |
For one dollar and "divers other good and valuable considerations," "the land and buildings situated in that part of the Town of Billerica in the County of Middlesex called West Billerica which were conveyed to us by Charles Cowley ... dated June 25, A.D. 1906," with the sheriff's deed of 1900 (Book 323, Page 61) named "for a fuller description of the granted premises and the boundaries thereof." Signed and acknowledged August 6, 1906 before Charles Cowley as justice; recorded the same day.
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| April 20, 1915 | Quitclaim | Abbie A. Cook of Centre Harbor, New Hampshire, widow, and Lillie M. Goff of Everett (William H. Goff, her husband, releasing curtesy), heirs at law of Charles C. Cook | James N. Cook of Westboro | 1915: Charles C. Cook's heirs release their half to James N. Cook | 536/531 |
For one dollar and other considerations, "all our interest in the land and buildings situated in that part of the Town of Billerica ... called West Billerica" conveyed by Freeman and Freedman in 1906 (Book 394, Page 315), "Our title to the same being derived as heirs at law of Charles C. Cook, deceased." Signed April 17, 1915; recorded April 20, 1915.
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| April 20, 1915 | Warranty Deed | James N. Cook of Westboro (Bertha S. Cook, his wife, releasing dower and homestead) | Dorumen Gelinas of Dracut | 1915: James N. Cook sells the thirty-acre farm with buildings to Dorumen Gelinas | 536/532 |
For consideration paid, "a certain lot or parcel of land and buildings situated in the Town of Billerica," the same premises conveyed by Freeman and Freedman to Charles C. and James N. Cook in 1906 (Book 394, Page 315), by Cowley to Freeman and Freedman (Book 391, Page 470) and by the deputy sheriff to Cowley (Book 323, Page 61), and released to him by Abbie A. Cook and Lillie M. Goff the same day; "Said lot contains thirty acres of land more or less." Signed April 17, 1915; recorded April 20, 1915. Dorumen Gelinas gave back a purchase-money mortgage of $350 (Book 536, Page 533; discharged Book 603, Page 293).
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| April 20, 1915 | Mortgage | Dorumen Gelinas of Dracut | James N. Cook of Westboro | 1915: purchase-money mortgage back to James N. Cook | 536/533 |
For $350, "a certain lot or parcel of land with the buildings thereon; situated in the Town of Billerica," being the premises Cook conveyed to her by deed of even date; "Said land contains thirty acres more or less, and this mortgage is given for the purchase money and is simultaneously delivered with said deed." Signed April 17, 1915; recorded April 20, 1915. Margin: see Book 603, Page 293 (discharge).
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| May 16, 1921 | Quitclaim | Dorumen Gelinas of Billerica (Ludger Gelinas, her husband, releasing curtesy and homestead) | Rosevelt (Roosevelt) Gelinas of Billerica | 1919: Dorumen Gelinas deeds the farm to Rosevelt Gelinas | 643/252 |
For consideration paid, "a certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Town of Billerica," the same premises conveyed by Freeman and Freedman to the Cooks in 1906, by Cowley in 1906 and by the deputy sheriff in 1900, "Being the same premises to me conveyed by James N. Cook by deed dated April 17th 1915 ... Book 536, Page 532." Signed and acknowledged May 24, 1919 before Albert O. Hamel; recorded May 16, 1921.
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| February 13, 1934 | Quitclaim | Leroy E. Spaulding and Evelyn A. Spaulding, both of Billerica, heirs at law of Edward Spaulding (Edith M. Spaulding releasing dower) | Anton W. Swanson and Annie M. Swanson, husband and wife, of Billerica | 1934: abutting Spaulding land, bounded "by land now or formerly of John Easty" | 840/292 |
For consideration paid, two parcels in the northwesterly part of Billerica. The first, 12 acres 116 square rods at the Chelmsford line, runs "southwesterly on the wall by land late of John Easty." The second, "a lot of land in said Billerica on the west side of Concord River, containing nineteen (19) acres and ninety-seven (97) rods," begins "at the southwesterly corner thereof at land now or formerly of John Easty," runs northeasterly by Easty's land 77 rods 10 links to land of Isaac Brown, northwesterly by Brown and Cowdrey and Manning, southwesterly by land formerly of Aby Bohonan 51 rods 10 links to the Old Chelmsford Road, and southerly "by land of Sherebiah Spaulding and land of said John Easty" to the start; the parcels came to Thomas Spaulding from Edward Spaulding and others in 1866 (Book 47, Page 19) and 1871 (Book 114, Page 29). Signed February 8, 1934. The second parcel is the land later subdivided as Falcon Estates, including 45 Sullivan Road.
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| March 28, 1947 | Quitclaim | Helen Gelinas of Billerica, individually and as administratrix of the estate of Rosevelt (Roosevelt) Gelinas | Dorumen Gelinas of Billerica | 1947: after an equity suit, Rosevelt Gelinas's widow reconveys the farm to Dorumen Gelinas | 1064/10 |
For consideration paid, "a certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Town of Billerica ... with the buildings thereon," with the same recitals back to the sheriff's deed of 1900, "Being the same premises to said Rosevelt Gelinas conveyed by the said Dorumen Gelinas by her deed dated May 24, 1919 ... Book 643, Page 252." Signed March 25, 1947 and recorded March 28, 1947, just after a Superior Court decree in Equity No. 13893, Dorumen Gelinas vs. Helen Gelinas, individually and as administratrix (recorded on page 9).
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| December 8, 1953 | Quitclaim | Heirs of Dorumen Gelinas (Middlesex Probate 310879) | A private owner | 1953: Dorumen Gelinas's heirs sell; later private and trust owners to 1987; house demolished 1990 | 1242/330 |
The heirs of Dorumen Gelinas (Middlesex Probate docket 310879) quitclaim "a certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Town of Billerica ... with the buildings thereon," with the same recitals back to the sheriff's deed of 1900 and to the 1947 deed (Book 1064, Page 10). Recorded December 8, 1953. The farm was reconveyed on November 25, 1953 to private owners (Book 1242, Page 331) and sold in July 1987 for $450,000 to a realty trust (Book 4146, Page 219), described as about twelve acres "with the buildings thereon," Assessors Plate 37, Parcel 10, today 136 Sullivan Road. The assessor records the building as demolished in 1990.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.