Richardson Homestead
Richardson Homestead
| Also Known As | Middlesex Canal Boarding House |
| Address | 78 Gray St |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.138 |
| Built | 1764 |
The Richardson Homestead stands on Gray Street in East Billerica, near Content Brook and the bed of the Middlesex Canal, in the neighborhood that grew up around Richardson's Mill. The original house, two stories high but only one room deep, was built about 1764 by William French (b. 1738/9), who built a saw mill nearby at the same time. French did not stay. On Dec. 3, 1766 he and his wife Tabitha sold to his uncle by marriage, John White, gentleman, about twenty acres "with the House and barn the Saw Mill and all the Buildings thereon standing," beginning "at the Road at Jonathan Richardson's Meadow near Content Bridge" and running to "Andover Road so called."
In 1770 White sold the place to Thomas Richardson. Thomas answered the alarm from here on April 19, 1775, and after his father's death he returned to the family farmstead. On Feb. 4, 1778 he and his wife Judith sold "my homestead farm," 46 acres on the road to Tewksbury near Content Bridge, "with one quarter part of the saw mill thereon standing ... with all the other buildings," with meadow and swamp lots, to "my brother Oliver Richardson" for 266 pounds. Both brothers had just come home from long service in the Revolution. The deed was not recorded until 1786.
Oliver Richardson lived here until his death in 1836 and enlarged the house about 1798, when the Middlesex Canal was being dug; at times he boarded as many as fifteen canal laborers, and three of them later married Richardson daughters. His son John built a grist mill in 1793 nearby on the site of the French mill. After Oliver's death John took over the house, and the central chimney was probably replaced by two at about that time; John's son Albert Richardson (owner 1861-1924) added the porch and ell. The house stayed in the family under Albert H. Richardson, who rented it to tenants, until about 1944. The Richardson family built four other houses in the neighborhood. The original barn was destroyed by fire and replaced in the 1960s. The house is in the local historic district established in 1994 and remains a private home.
References
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 25, 1767 | Warranty | William French Jr. of Billerica, yeoman, and Tabitha French | John White of Billerica, gentleman | William French sells the house, barn and saw mill near Content Bridge to John White | 66/438 (South) |
For 200 pounds, "one Parcel of Land lying in Billerica aforesaid containing about twenty acres be the same more or less with the House and barn the Saw Mill and all the Buildings thereon standing & all Things belonging to said Mill," beginning at a heap of stones at the southerly corner "at the Road at Jonathan Richardson's Meadow near Content Bridge," northwesterly by Richardson's land to land White already had by deed, northeasterly "taking in said Mill" by land deeded to Joseph Hill, easterly by land deeded to White "to Andover Road so called," and by the road to the beginning. Dated Dec. 3, 1766, witnesses William French Sr. and Elizabeth French; acknowledged Feb. 24, recorded Feb. 25, 1767. Billerica town book 6, pages 233-235 (Southern Registry Book 66 Page 438). MACRIS says French built the house and a saw mill about 1764 and that White was his uncle by marriage; in 1770 White sold to Thomas Richardson (deed not read).
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| March 22, 1786 | Warranty | Thomas Richardson of Billerica, yeoman, and Judith Richardson his wife | Oliver Richardson of Billerica, husbandman, his brother | Thomas Richardson sells his homestead farm to his brother Oliver | 93/377 (South) |
For 266 pounds, "the several pieces of Land hereafter mentioned. The first is my homestead farm lying in said Billerica containing forty six acres," beginning "at the road to Tewksbury at the Southeast corner of said Land at Jonathan Richardson's meadow," by land bought of Jonathan French and of James Lewis, west on William Needham and the heirs of Benjamin Needham to the corner at the road "near Sheldons folly (so called)," on the road across the brook to Samuel Brown's land, "then on said road to the corner where we began near Content Bridge with one quarter part of the saw mill thereon standing with all the appurtenances thereto belonging with all the other buildings thereon standing"; also nine and a quarter acres "near my Dwelling House" bought of Josiah Richardson, bounded westerly on the road to Tewksbury, by Nehemiah Kittredge, John French and Samuel Baldwin; six acres by William Needham's lot and Jonathan Richardson's meadow; two thirds of a great swamp lot in Tewksbury laid out to Caleb Farley; and four acres in Mill Meadow by William Kidder, John French and the Long Pond brook. Dated Feb. 4, 1778, acknowledged March 11, 1778; recorded March 22, 1786. Billerica town book 8, pages 53-55 (Southern Registry Book 93 Page 377). The same day in 1786 was recorded Samuel Brown's deed to Oliver of Jan. 2, 1779, five acres of upland near the upper end of "Richardson's content meadow" (town book 8/52, S. 93/376).
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.