Structure · Built 1900
Richardson Rental House (50 Concord Road)
Richardson Rental House
| Address | 50 Concord Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.65 |
| Built | 1900 |
This house at 50 Concord Road was built about 1900 as one of a row of three rental houses (with 52 and 54 Concord Road) that the family of John O. Richardson put up on vacant land just south of the Center. It and the house at 54 Concord Road are nearly identical twins. The land had been part of a three-acre tract on the road to Bedford, north of Charnstaff Lane, "formerly of Harriet Whiting," which the widow and children of Jonathan Hill held in 1874. That year Laura W. Hill, James W. Hill and Susan L. Hill released their shares to Laura Hill of Boston, the "Miss L. Hill" of the 1889 map.
On April 24, 1894, Laura Hill sold the tract, together with the house lot next north (now 46 Concord Road), to John O. Richardson for $3,000. No buildings stood on the three acres then. Richardson, whose sawmill fortune built many tenant houses around the Center, died in 1897, and his will left his land to his son John A. Richardson and his daughter Fannie P. R. Colby. The house is first recorded in 1914, when the two heirs sold Mrs. Isabella J. Benson of Billerica "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, situated near the center of said Billerica," with 81 1/2 feet on the road and Mrs. Colby's own lot on the south. Whether John O. Richardson built it before his death or his heirs built it a few years later is not shown by the records.
Isabella J. Benson, widowed earlier in 1914 when her husband Andrew died, kept her own home on Boston Road near Lexington Road and owned this house until her death in November 1918, when it passed to her daughter Grace M. Benson, a stenographer. Grace was later placed under guardianship. In 1931 her guardian, Annie M. Sweet of Foxborough, sold the house under a probate license to Samuel E. and Mary H. Isnor for $3,800, taking back a $3,500 mortgage; in 1934 the Isnors deeded it back to the guardian. A later guardian, Ethel M. Bevan of Worcester, sold it in 1948 for $5,000. It has been a private home since, changing hands in 1966, 1992 and 2008. The 1973 survey recorded 81 feet of frontage and the house set about 25 feet back from the road; a small garage stands behind it.
References
- MACRIS BIL.65
- Billerica assessor, 50 Concord Rd, parcel 61-43-0: 0.372 acres, sales history 1983-2008
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| 1870 | Will | Jonathan Hill of Billerica (d. May 17, 1870) | Laura W. Hill, his widow and executrix (legacies to son James W. Hill and daughter Laura Hill) | will of Jonathan Hill, whose widow and children held the tract | Probate #34235 |
Will dated Sept. 10, 1869, witnessed by William B. Stearns, Dudley Foster and Louisa P. Foster: $100 each to his son James W. Hill and his daughter Laura Hill, and "all the rest and residue of my property and estate" to his wife Laura W. Hill, executrix without bond. He died May 17, 1870; the will was proved at Lowell on July 19, 1870 (Judge William A. Richardson), the estate sworn at not over $37,000. Jonathan Hill had bought the grist mill from John Nichols in 1835, began the leather-splitting machine business there, and sold the mill and shop to Charles H. Hill in 1853, taking back a mortgage that was assigned in 1858. Middlesex probate case 34235.
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| December 7, 1874 | Quitclaim | Laura W. Hill of Boston, widow (of Jonathan Hill); James W. Hill of Boston; and Susan L. Hill of Billerica, single woman | Laura Hill of Boston | the Hill heirs consolidate the tract in Laura Hill | 106/559 |
Dated Nov. 19, 1874, recorded Dec. 7 (pages 559-560). For $2,250, release of "two certain tracts of land situate near the centre of said Billerica, on the road leading from Billerica to Bedford": the first, 82 feet on the road and 136 feet deep, bounded by the Whiting land on the south and Samuel Sage on the east and north, "with the buildings thereon"; the second adjoining it on the south, about three acres, along the Bedford road and Churnstaff Lane to land formerly of Jonathan and Samuel Bowers; "Intending to convey three undivided fourth parts in said two certain tracts of land". Signed months after the death of Lucretia (Stearns) Bowers, the grantors and grantee being her sister Susan Lane Hill and the family of her late brother Jonathan Hill, who between them held the four shares. Witness Dudley Foster.
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| May 14, 1894 | Warranty Deed | Laura Hill of Boston, single woman | John O. Richardson of Billerica | Laura Hill sells the vacant three-acre tract to John O. Richardson | 254/234 |
Dated April 24, 1894, recorded May 14 (pages 234-235). For $3,000, "two certain tracts of land, situate near the centre of said Billerica on road leading from Billerica to Bedford": the first beginning at the southwest corner "at land formerly of Harriet Whiting, now the second tract in this deed", 136 feet deep along land of Samuel Sage and 82 feet on the road, "with the buildings thereon"; the second adjoining on the south, about three acres, running 18 rods along the road to Bedford and back along Churnstaff Lane to land formerly of Jonathan and Samuel Bowers. No title recital. The house lot and the Whiting land to its south, later divided by John O. Richardson's heirs.
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| June 18, 1898 | Assignment of Mortgage | Pamelia Richardson, Executrix of the will of John O. Richardson | Fannie P. R. Colby of Billerica, his daughter | John O. Richardson's executrix, 1898: his will passed the land to his children | 298/343 |
"I, Pamelia Richardson, Executrix of the will of John O. Richardson," for $1,000 paid by Fannie P. R. Colby of Billerica, assign to her the mortgage given to John O. Richardson by Barnet Schwartz of Tewksbury on August 27, 1896 (Book 277, Page 557). Dated June 1, acknowledged at Billerica June 10 before Frederic A. Morey, recorded June 18, 1898, after an assignment of another of his mortgages to Pamelia. The record shows that John O. Richardson had died with a will between 1896 and 1898, his widow Pamelia acting as executrix; she lived on in the front half of the house until 1917, and the homestead came to their daughter Fannie, whose will left it to her daughters Eva R. and Florence A. Colby (Book 925, Page 119).
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| 1914 | Warranty Deed | John A. Richardson and Fannie P. R. Colby, wife of Homer H. Colby, both of Billerica (Ella B. Richardson and Homer H. Colby releasing) | Mrs. Isabella J. Benson of Billerica | John O. Richardson's heirs sell the house lot "with the buildings thereon" to Isabella J. Benson | 525/453 |
Dated July 18, 1914 (pages 453-455). For $1 and other valuable considerations, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, situated near the center of said Billerica": from a stone bound on the easterly side of Concord road, "the road leading from Billerica to Bedford," by land of Fannie P. R. Colby, northerly on the road 81 1/2 feet, easterly 187 1/2 feet and southerly 84 feet by other land of the grantors, and westerly 205 feet along Colby land. "It being a part of the premises as conveyed to John O. Richardson by Laura Hill by deed dated April 24, 1894," the grantors "deriving their title under the will of John O. Richardson." The first deed to show the house on this lot, which was vacant in 1894.
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| June 24, 1931 | Guardian's Deed | Annie M. Sweet of Foxborough, Guardian of Grace M. Benson (insane) | Samuel E. Isnor and Mary H. Isnor, husband and wife, of Billerica | guardian of Grace M. Benson sells to the Isnors | 803/267 |
Dated June 8, 1931, under a license of the Middlesex Probate Court dated October 31, 1930. For $3,800, the same parcel "with the buildings thereon, situated near the center of said Billerica," 81 1/2 feet on Concord road between Fannie P. R. Colby and land of John H. Richardson et als. "Being the same premises conveyed to Isabella J. Benson by deed of John H. [sic] Richardson et als. dated July 18, 1914 ... Book 525, Page 453. For title of said Grace M. Benson see Probate records." Grace M. Benson inherited the house from her mother, Isabella J. Benson, who died November 7, 1918 (estate probated 1918).
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| June 24, 1931 | Mortgage | Samuel E. Isnor and Mary H. Isnor, husband and wife, of Billerica | Annie M. Sweet, Guardian of Grace M. Benson, of Foxborough | the Isnors' $3,500 mortgage back to the guardian | 803/268 |
Purchase-money mortgage of the same date, to secure $3,500 "in monthly installments of thirty-five dollars each including interest, all to be paid in five years," the first due July 8, 1931, on the same parcel "with the buildings thereon." "Being the same premises conveyed to us by deed of Annie M. Sweet, Guardian of even date."
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| July 5, 1934 | Warranty Deed | Samuel E. Isnor and Mary H. Isnor, husband and wife, of Billerica | Annie M. Sweet, Guardian of Grace M. Benson, of Foxborough | the Isnors return the house to the guardian | 847/431 |
Dated June 30, 1934, acknowledged before Albert H. Richardson, justice of the peace; no revenue stamp. The Isnors deed the same parcel "with the buildings thereon" back to the guardian, "Being the same premises conveyed to us by deed of the said Annie M. Sweet, Guardian," in place of a foreclosure of their 1931 mortgage. The house remained Grace M. Benson's under guardianship until 1948.
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| July 8, 1948 | Guardian's Deed | Ethel M. Bevan of Worcester, Guardian of Grace M. Benson, an insane person | Private owners of Billerica | guardian's sale; private owners since | 1096/14 |
Dated May 27, 1948, under a Middlesex Probate Court license of May 26, 1948. For $5,000, with warranty covenants, the same parcel "with the buildings thereon, situated near the center of said Billerica." "Being the same premises conveyed by Samuel E. Isnor et ux. to Annie M. Sweet, Guardian of Grace M. Benson ... Book 847, Page 431, dated June 30, 1934." The buyers gave a $5,000 mortgage to the City Institution for Savings, Lowell. Later, all private owners: sold 1966, family deeds 1983 and 1990, sold 1992 for $124,850 and 2008 for $329,500, always with the same 1914 description.
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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.