North Billerica Baptist Church
North Billerica Baptist Church
The North Billerica Baptist Church stands at the corner of Old Elm Street and Colson Street, at the south end of the triangle of land in North Billerica long called the Common. The church was built in 1869 and 1870 by Thomas Talbot, who gave it to the Baptist Society of North Billerica in 1871. The building was designed by the architect Alexander R. Esty and built by Mead, Mason and Co. of Concord, New Hampshire.
The land was part of the mill grant that the town made in 1708 to Christopher Osgood Jr. of Andover at the falls of the Concord River. After Capt. Christopher Osgood died in 1739 his estate was divided, and in 1749 the executors of his son Christopher, a miller, sold "about forty acres of Land ... on the west side of Concord River", bounded "westerly on a high way", with two thirds of "Osgoods Mills", to Nicholas Sprake. The mill farm passed to William Kidder in 1757 and to John Carleton of Boxford in 1759. After Carleton's death his heirs sold it in 1783 to Thomas Richardson, who in 1794 sold the forty acres and the mills to the Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal.
In 1851 the canal proprietors sold their Billerica land to the brothers Charles P. Talbot and Thomas Talbot. One of the parcels was the triangle between the county road (now Old Elm Street), the road leading to the canal (Colson Street) and the private way the canal had laid out (Lowell Street). In 1864 the town released to the Talbots, for $1,500, the conditions of the 1708 vote and "all obligation to maintain a gristmill". The church lot at the south corner of the triangle was still held by the brothers in common when Charles P. Talbot released his half to Thomas in December 1870, describing it as the lot "whereon the said Thomas Talbot has recently caused to be erected a Church Edifice".
The congregation had begun as a society organized in 1828, and by 1857 a Sunday school was meeting in the Middlesex Tavern. Talbot paid for the new church, at a cost of about $14,000. His deed of January 18, 1871 gave the Society "a certain lot of land with the Church edifice recently erected by me thereon", about 124 feet on the road to the middle of the town and about 179 1/2 feet on "Colson's Lane". It was a gift in trust: the Society was to keep the building insured and in repair and hold services each Sabbath "according to the usages and tenets of the sect or denomination of Christians known as Baptists", and if the church were abandoned or not rebuilt the land would "revert to and re-vest in the said Thomas Talbot his heirs or assigns".
A bell was added in 1884. In 1889 the Society leased the unfinished room over the vestry to the Thomas Talbot Lodge of Freemasons for twenty years at $50 a year, the lodge finishing a lodge room and ante room at its own cost; the lodge met there until about 1896. New windows were installed in 1911 and 1912, and new lights and pews in 1940. The town's reports record a fire in the church sheds in 1915, the "Colson Triangle" opposite the church in 1920, and the 1951 town meeting vote naming the plot at the junction of Colson and Elm Streets, in front of the church, the Lieutenant Joseph Raymond Fall Memorial Square. The church was valued at $26,000 in 1951. The Society also owned a parsonage on Colson Street, a separate lot.
The conditions of the 1871 gift remained in force for almost a century. In 1966 Thomas Talbot Clark of Andover, the sole surviving trustee under the fifth clause of Thomas Talbot's will, released all rights of entry and reverter to the North Billerica Baptist Church, formerly the Baptist Society of North Billerica, "so that said North Billerica Baptist Church shall have and enjoy full ownership". The church still owns the lot, about 0.46 acres, and the building is included in the 1983 National Register of Historic Places nomination for North Billerica.
References
- MACRIS BIL.96
- Billerica assessor, 39 Old Elm St (parcel 9-111-0): North Billerica Baptist Church, 0.459 acres, no sales history
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| 1740 | Administration and Division | Estate of Capt. Christopher Osgood of Billerica, intestate | His widow Elizabeth Osgood (thirds) and his eldest son Christopher Osgood, millwright, administrators | 1740: estate of Capt. Christopher Osgood, the mill land granted by the town in 1708 | Probate #16264 |
Administration granted October 26, 1739 to the widow Elizabeth and the eldest son Christopher. The committee's inventory of the real estate, April 17, 1740, values "one Gritt mill and mill pond with the River or Stream Called Concord River with the Dam & Sluces" at 800 pounds, a saw mill, half the iron works, a fulling mill, the dwelling house and barn, and "the Hom Sted Containing by Estimation forty one acres Bounded Southerly one Common land and westerly one the Road to Brod meadow and notherly by the way and mill yard to the River", in all 1,865 pounds. The widow's thirds were set off by metes and bounds, including a third of the grist, saw and fulling mills; the committee found that dividing the other two thirds "will discommode or spoile the whole", and they went to the eldest son Christopher. These are the two thirds of the farm and of "Osgoods Mills" sold in the 1749 to 1759 deeds. The land had come to Capt. Osgood by the town's grant of October 4, 1708 of the falls of Concord River for a mill.
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| 1748 | Will | Christopher Osgood of Billerica, miller | His executors William Stickney and Thomas Kidder, to sell; widow Sarah Osgood | 1748: will of Christopher Osgood, miller, ordering the mill farm sold | Probate #16268 |
Will dated August 25, 1748. He leaves his personal estate to his wife Sarah and directs "that all my Real Estate be Sold by my Executors unto the best advantage", the proceeds to be divided among his children as the law directs in intestate estates, his wife having a third, and "that the timber at the mill be sawed" toward his debts. Executors William Stickney and Thomas Kidder of Billerica; witnesses Zachariah Shed, Nathaniel Davidson and Joseph Ruggles, the clothier to whom Osgood had sold land and water for a fulling mill in 1747.
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| June 1, 1752 | Executors' Deed | William Stickney, yeoman, and Thomas Kidder, gentleman, of Billerica, executors of Christopher Osgood (Sarah Osgood, widow, releasing dower) | Nicholas Sprake of Billerica, clothier | 1749: Osgood executors to Nicholas Sprake, about forty acres west of the river, westerly on the highway | 50/578 (South) |
Billerica town book 5, pages 249-252. Dated January 25, 1748/9 under the power of sale in the will. For 1,500 pounds in bills of credit, "about forty acres of Land ... on the west side of Concord River ... Easterly on said River westerly on a high way it being about two Thirds of the land which was granted by the Town of Billerica unto Capt. Christopher Osgood", "two thirds of the Mills commonly known by the name of Osgoods mills" and two thirds of the dam and stream "together with the Buildings thereon", as set off by a committee and accepted by the Judge of Probate. Conditions: whatever the town's vote of October 4, 1708 "granting said Land and Stream to Christopher Osgood the Father of the Testator" required, "a proper Passage for Fish", and the agreement with Joseph Ruggles. Acknowledged 1750, recorded June 1, 1752.
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| June 1, 1752 | Mortgage | Nicholas Sprake of Billerica, clothier | Oliver Farmer and John Pollard of Billerica, his sureties | 1752: Sprake mortgage of the mill farm (related) | 50/580 (South) |
Billerica town book 5, pages 252-255. Dated June 1, 1752. Sprake conveys "about Forty acres which was Christopher Osgood's late of Billerica decd and bounded Easterly on Concord river westerly by a highway leading to Broad Meadow and two thirds of the Mills Dam and Stream and the other Buildings", excepting the widow Osgood's thirds "as described in the settlement of her late Husband's Estate" and the privileges granted to Joseph Ruggles, with about 267 acres more toward Chelmsford and 36 acres from "the old Bridge place by the Ford way", on condition that he pay William Brown of Salem, Esquire, 1,243 Spanish milled pieces of eight and William Stickney 713 pieces of eight, for which Farmer and Pollard had become bound with him. John Pollard discharged it January 13, 1757.
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| January 13, 1757 | Deed | Nicholas Sprake of Billerica, miller (Judith Sprake releasing dower) | William Kidder of Billerica, gentleman | 1757: Sprake to William Kidder | 53/541 (South) |
Billerica town book 5, pages 373-376. Dated January 10, 1757. For 706 pounds 13 shillings 4 pence, the same "about forty acres of Land ... on the west side of Concord River", two thirds of "the Mills commonly known by the name of Osgoods Mills" and two thirds of the dam and stream "together with the Buildings thereon standing", on the conditions of the 1708 town vote, the fish passage and the Ruggles agreement, "And all the Real Estate that the said Christopher Osgood died seised and possessed of (excepting two thirds of a Pew and old stable and about twelve acres of Land it lies in a swamp called Captn Danforth's valued at two Pounds)".
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| June 11, 1759 | Deed | William Kidder of Billerica, gentleman (Sarah Kidder releasing dower) | John Carleton of Boxford, Essex County, miller | 1759: Kidder to John Carleton, miller | 56/413 (South) |
Billerica town book 5, pages 463-465. Dated March 9, 1759. For 800 pounds, "about forty Acres of Land ... on the west side of Concord River ... Easterly on said River Westerly on a high way it being about two Thirds of the Land which was granted by the Town of Billerica unto Captn Christopher Osgood", "Two Thirds of the Mills commonly known by the Name of Osgoods Mills" and two thirds of the dam and stream with the buildings, on the same conditions, with all the real estate Christopher Osgood died seised of except a pew, an old stable and twelve acres in Capt. Danforth's swamp. The mills were afterwards called Carleton's Mills.
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| 1782 | Will and Division | Estate of John Carleton of Billerica, yeoman (Hannah Carleton, widow, executrix) | His widow Hannah (thirds) and children Nathan, John, Moses and Solomon Carleton, Elizabeth Todd, Hannah Laws and Lydia Mears | 1782: John Carleton estate divided | Probate #3943 |
The committee appointed by Judge Oliver Prescott appraised "the Homsted being by estimation Sixty Acres with a Dwelling House & barn a Grist mill & Saw-mill a shop also thereon standing Westerly by the Road or way Leading from the Fordway throu Concord River to Broad Meadow so called and on all other parts by said River" at 1,175 pounds, with meadow, woodland and a share of a Sabbath-day house, and set off to the widow Hannah her thirds, including the east end of the dwelling house and "one full third part of the [mills] ... for her natural life". The heirs gave Hannah Carleton, executrix, a discharge for their shares of the two thirds on December 21, 1786 (accepted March 12, 1787).
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| March 31, 1794 | Deed | Solomon, Moses and Nathan Carleton, Jesse Manning, Thomas Todd, Thomas Laws and Thomas Mears, heirs of John Carleton, with their wives | Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman | 1783: Carleton heirs to Thomas Richardson, about forty acres westerly on the highway | 115/271 (South) |
Billerica town book 9, pages 87-91. Dated April 17, 1783, recorded March 31, 1794. For 818 pounds "lawful Silver money", "about forty Acres of Land ... on the West side of Concord River ... Easterly on said River, Westerly on the highway it being about two thirds of the land which was granted by the Town of Billerica unto Capt. Christopher Osgood", two thirds "of the Mills commonly known by the name of Osgoods or Carletons Mills" and two thirds of the dam and stream with the buildings, "as the same was set off by the Committee for the Widows Thirds", "meaning to convey two thirds of the Homested and Mills and Buildings thereon standing and the Shop is wholley conveyed". Richardson takes on two thirds of the 1708 town conditions, the Ruggles agreement and the repair of "the Bridge or Road" below the dam. Richardson later bought the widow's dower interest (S.115/274 and others) and in 1794 sold the whole as Richardson's Mills to the Middlesex Canal.
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| March 31, 1794 | Quitclaim | Solomon Carlton of Fitchburg, yeoman, heir of John Carlton | Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman | 1783: Solomon Carlton releases his share of the widow's thirds | 115/274 (South) |
Billerica town book 9, pages 91-92. Dated September 1, 1783. For 36 pounds 5 shillings, Solomon Carlton quitclaims his share in "that part of the real Estate of my Honoured Father John Carlton late of said Billerica Yeoman deceased, which was set off to my Honoured Mother Hannah Carlton as her Thirds or Dower", the reversion of the widow's third of the mills and homestead. Richardson bought the other heirs' shares of the dower in the same way (index: S.98/75, 1786, from Moses Carleton; S.105/315, 1789, from Nathan Carleton), and took a lease of the Carlton Mills from the widow (S.115/256), so that by 1794 he held the whole of what he sold to the canal as Richardson's Mills.
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| April 21, 1794 | Deed | Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman (Judith Richardson releasing dower) | Ebenezer Hall of Medford and Samuel Jaques of Wilmington, a committee for the Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal | 1794: Richardson to the Middlesex Canal | 115/259 (South) |
For 1350 pounds, "about forty acres of Land" bounded easterly by Concord River, westerly by the highway and northerly and southerly by the road; the reversion of half the dower of the widow Hannah Carlton, conveyed to him by Solomon, Moses and Nathan Carlton; five sixths of a small piece at the northeast end of the mill dam, bounded easterly "by Timothy Sprague's Ditch that conveys Water to the Fulling mill"; "together with all the Buildings ... including the Mills Mill priviledges ... commonly known by the name of Richardson's Mills being the same which was formerly granted by the Town of Billerica to Christopher Osgood together with the Mill Dam and Stream", on the conditions of the town's vote of October 4, 1708, a passage for fish, and his 1791 agreement with Timothy Sprague. Dated March 25, 1794; recorded April 21, 1794. Billerica town book 9, pages 81-82. The Canal Mills land from which the proprietors sold their small house lots.
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| October 23, 1851 | Deed | The Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal, by Ebenezer Chadwick, President | Charles P. Talbot of Lowell and Thomas Talbot of Billerica, manufacturers and copartners | 1851: the Canal to C. P. and Thomas Talbot; parcel G, the Common, includes the church corner | 618/97 (South) |
Billerica town book 19, pages 136-147. Dated September 22, 1851. For $20,000 the canal corporation releases "eleven pieces or parcels of land lying in the town of Billerica", each lettered on a plan by R. H. Eddy dated September 12, 1850 "hereto annexed and herewith to be recorded": the mill land at the falls, the wharf, the canal lands on both sides of the county road at Billerica Mills, and the Pollard and Rogers purchases of 1795 and 1799. Parcel C runs from the bridge over Concord River near the milldam past the sawmill and "the Dye-house and Canal waste-way", "crossing the Canal and partly by land of John Mixer" to "the County road leading to the Mills" and east along the road 270 feet to the canal bridge, 98,436 square feet "with all the buildings thereon standing"; this is where the Canal Block stood. The deed also releases the water rights of Thomas Richardson's 1794 deed (subject to the earlier grants to Francis Faulkner and Nathan Mears), reserves the canal for navigation until discontinued, and binds the Talbots to keep the flashboards on the stone dam and, after the canal closes, to keep up the two canal bridges or fill the canal into a roadway. Directors Ebenezer Chadwick, William Appleton and William Sturgis.
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| April 23, 1864 | Release | Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica, by a committee (Joshua Bennett, Gardner Parker, Amos Spalding, Dudley Foster) | Charles P. Talbot of Lowell and Thomas Talbot of Billerica | 1864: the town releases the 1708 Osgood grant conditions to the Talbots (related) | 37/488 |
Dated March 25, 1864, acknowledged March 28, recorded April 23, 1864 (Book 37 Pages 488-489). For $1,500 the town "remise, release and forever quit claim" its right "in and to the real estate privileges, easements, provisions and conditions specified in a vote of said town passed at a general town meeting held October 4 1708 granting certain land and rights to Christopher Osgood Jr. of Andover", and releases the Talbots "from all obligation to maintain a gristmill as is provided in said last-named vote". No land is described; it frees the Osgood mill grant, including parcel G, from the 1708 conditions.
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| January 28, 1871 | Quitclaim | Charles P. Talbot of Lowell (Harriet E. Talbot, his wife) | Thomas Talbot of Billerica | 1870: C. P. Talbot releases his half of the church lot to Thomas Talbot | 77/397 |
Dated Dec. 28, 1870, for $1. Charles P. Talbot releases to his brother his half of a lot the two held in common at the south corner of the Common, on the east side of the road from North Billerica to the middle of the town, about 124 feet on the road and about 179.5 feet on Colson's lane, "the same whereon the said Thomas Talbot has recently caused to be erected a Church Edifice" (the North Billerica Baptist church of 1870, the southeast abutter of Lot 59).
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| February 10, 1871 | Gift | Thomas Talbot of Billerica (Isabella W. Talbot releasing dower and homestead) | The Baptist Society of North Billerica, in trust | 1871: Thomas Talbot gives the church and lot to the Baptist Society, in trust | 77/521 |
Dated Jan. 18, 1871, recorded Feb. 10, 1871 (Book 77 Pages 521-523). "In consideration of my desire to promote the objects hereinafter named and the public benefits to be derived therefrom", Talbot gives "a certain lot of land with the Church edifice recently erected by me thereon": from a stone bound on the easterly side of the road from North Billerica to the middle of the town, north on the road about 124 feet to "the highway or road called Colson's Lane", east on the lane about 179 1/2 feet, then by land of C. P. Talbot and himself about 94, 16, 6, 28 1/2 and 160 1/2 feet to the beginning. In trust forever for worship "according to the usages and tenets of the sect or denomination of Christians known as Baptists" or another Christian denomination; the Society to insure, repair and hold services each Sabbath, and if the church is not rebuilt or is abandoned the land "shall revert to and re-vest in the said Thomas Talbot his heirs or assigns". No title recital.
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| April 20, 1889 | Lease | The Baptist Society of North Billerica, by its trustees | Thomas Talbot Lodge F. and A. M., by a committee | 1889: the Society leases the room over the vestry to the Masonic lodge | 205/76 |
Indenture dated North Billerica, Feb. 23, 1889, recorded April 20, 1889 ("Lease and Agreement" in the index). The Society lets "that portion of the church edifice ... that is over their vestry, at present in an unfinished condition" for 20 years "should the time of occupancy by said Lodge continue that long", at $50 a year in quarterly payments. The Lodge is to finish "in a neat and substantial manner Lodge room and ante room", the cost counting as rent paid in advance, and the Society may use the ante room as a cloak room for festivals and entertainments in the vestry. Signed for the Society by its trustees, including James Ellis and John E. Rowell, and for the Lodge by Chas. H. Kohlrausch Jr., John E. Rowell and Robert Ritchie.
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| July 15, 1966 | Release | Thomas Talbot Clark of Andover, sole surviving trustee under clause 5 of the will of Thomas Talbot | North Billerica Baptist Church, formerly the Baptist Society of North Billerica | 1966: the Talbot trustee releases the reverter; the church owns the lot outright | 1759/343 |
Dated Feb. 8, 1966, recorded July 15, 1966. The trustee releases all rights of entry, possibilities of reverter and other rights reserved in Thomas Talbot's deed of Jan. 18, 1871 (Book 77 Page 521), "so that said North Billerica Baptist Church shall have and enjoy full ownership" of the church lot. No monetary consideration. The church still owns the lot (assessor parcel 9-111-0, 0.459 acres, no recorded sale).
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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.