Talbot Textile Mill Worker Housing at 5-7 Lowell St
Talbot Textile Mill Worker Housing at 5-7 Lowell St
The Talbot Textile Mill Worker Housing at 5-7 Lowell Street is a two-family company house built about 1865 by C. P. Talbot and Co. for workers at the Talbot Mills in North Billerica. It stands on the northeast side of Lowell Street, one of the row of company houses between the street and the mill, and its rear ell was enlarged when sewers were put in about 1902-3.
The land was part of the mill grant made to Capt. Christopher Osgood in 1708. Thomas Richardson bought about forty acres of it from the Carleton heirs in 1783 and sold it with the mills to the Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal in 1794. The canal laid out a private way, now Lowell Street, across its land, and in 1851 it sold its Billerica land to Charles P. Talbot and Thomas Talbot. Parcel F of that sale ran along the private way, and the Talbots built their row of worker houses on it after opening their mill in 1857. In 1884 Thomas Talbot and the heirs of Charles P. Talbot conveyed the village land to the corporation, The Talbot Mills, which rented the houses to its workers for the next fifty years.
When the company sold its housing in the 1930s, this house became Lot 64 of Plan B on the Monahan survey, 5,429 square feet with two courses of 82.74 feet on Lowell Street and a right of way behind it to Elm Street that was to be "forever kept open for the common use". The Talbot Mills sold it on November 12, 1936 to Rose A. Poirier of Billerica, "with the buildings thereon", keeping the common sewer that ran under the lot. She mortgaged it to the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank, then to the B. F. Butler Co-operative Bank, whose 1938 mortgage describes the buildings as "now supposed to be numbered 5 on said Lowell Street", and in January 1939 to the Woburn Co-operative Bank for $2,000.
The Poiriers fell behind on the Woburn loan, and in October 1940 the bank entered on the premises and sold them at a foreclosure sale, buying them in itself for $1,800. A week later, on October 25, 1940, the bank sold the house to Forrest R. and Violet Stickney of Billerica. The Stickneys owned it for nearly sixty years; Forrest R. Stickney died in 1983, and in 1999 his widow passed the house to their family while keeping a life estate. It has stayed in the family since. The house is a contributing building in the Billerica Mills National Register district (1983) and the local historic district (1992).
References
- MACRIS BIL.265
- Billerica assessor, 5-7 Lowell St (parcel 9-98-0): Lot 64, Plan Book 60 Plan 28, two-family
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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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 the Carleton heirs sell the Osgood mill land west of the river to Thomas Richardson | 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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| 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 sells about forty acres at the mills 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 sells its Billerica land to C. P. and Thomas Talbot; parcel F runs along the private way (Lowell St) | 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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| October 16, 1884 | Guardian's Deed | Harriet Talbot et al., by their guardian | The Talbot Mills, Billerica | 1884 Talbot heirs (by guardian) to The Talbot Mills, the fifth parcel, which included Lot 64 | 169/468 |
Known from the grantee index 1881-1900 (Talbot Mills-Billerica, index page 82): received October 16, 1884, "N Billerica. Several parcels, water rts, mill privileges &c, see record", recorded with the deed of Thomas Talbot et al. (Book 169 Page 472). Book 169 images are unavailable at the registry; not read.
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| October 16, 1884 | Deed | Thomas Talbot et al. | The Talbot Mills, Billerica | 1884 Thomas Talbot and others to The Talbot Mills, the fifth parcel, which included Lot 64 | 169/472 |
Known from the grantee index 1881-1900 (Talbot Mills-Billerica, index page 82): received October 16, 1884, "N Billerica. Several parcels, water rts, mill privileges &c, see record." Later Talbot Mills deeds cite it with Book 169 Page 468 as the deeds "from the Talbot heirs" to the new corporation (one recites a deed of Thomas Talbot et als. dated Oct. 15, 1884). The registry shows "Image is Unavailable" for Book 169, so the deed itself was not read; that it covered the land of the future Oval, part of the C. P. Talbot and Company property west of Wilson Street on the 1881 plan, is inferred.
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| January 14, 1937 | Warranty Deed | Talbot Mills, by Thomas T. Clark, Treasurer | Rose A. Poirier of Billerica | 1936 The Talbot Mills sells the house as Lot 64 to Rose A. Poirier | 895/85 |
Dated Nov. 12, 1936, recorded Jan. 14, 1937 ($1.50 in stamps). With warranty covenants, "the land in said Billerica with the buildings thereon situated on the northeasterly side of Lowell Street": SW by Lowell Street by two courses 82.74 feet, NW 48.25 feet (the deed says Lot 65, a slip for Lot 63), N by other land of the grantor along a right of way 93.50 feet, SE by Lot 65 79.41 feet, 5,429 square feet, Lot 64 on Plan "B" (Plan Book 60 Plan 28). "Being a part of the fifth parcel of land described in two deeds to the grantor" of Oct. 15, 1884 (Book 169 Pages 468 and 472). The right of way to Elm Street is to be "forever kept open for the common use"; the mill kept the common sewer.
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| January 14, 1937 | Mortgage | Rose A. Poirier of Billerica; Camille F. Poirier, her husband, releasing curtesy | The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank | 1937 Poirier purchase mortgage to the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank | 895/87 |
Dated and recorded Jan. 14, 1937. Mortgage of Lot 64, "the land in said Billerica, with the buildings thereon, situated on the northeasterly side of Lowell Street", for $600 in quarterly installments of $25, balance in one year, at six percent: "Being the same premises to me conveyed by Talbot Mills by deed dated November 12, 1936 and to be recorded herewith". A second mortgage to James E. Burns of Lowell for $400 follows (Book 895 Page 88). Discharged May 27, 1938 (Book 913 Page 422).
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| May 27, 1938 | Mortgage | Rose A. Poirier of Billerica | B. F. Butler Co-operative Bank of Lowell | 1938 Poirier refinances with the B. F. Butler Co-operative Bank; the house is "numbered 5" | 913/422 |
Recorded May 27, 1938, after the discharge of the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank mortgage on the same page. Mortgage for $1,200 of "the land in said Billerica, situated on the northeasterly side of Lowell Street, the buildings thereon now supposed to be numbered 5 on said Lowell Street", Lot 64 on Plan "B", about 5,429 square feet, "Being the same premises to me conveyed by the Talbot Mills" (Book 895 Page 85), with six shares of the bank's 135th series pledged.
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| January 16, 1939 | Mortgage | Rose A. Poirier of Billerica; Camille F. Poirier, her husband, releasing curtesy | Woburn Co-operative Bank | 1939 Poirier mortgage to the Woburn Co-operative Bank, foreclosed in 1940 | 925/237 |
Dated Jan. 3, 1939, recorded Jan. 16, 1939. Mortgage for $2,000 "in or within sixteen years" at six percent, monthly payments of $16.23 plus $7.43 toward taxes, of Lot 64, "the land, with the buildings thereon situated on the northeasterly side of Lowell Street": "Being the same premises conveyed to this grantor by Talbot Mills" (Book 895 Page 85). This is the mortgage foreclosed in 1940.
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| October 22, 1940 | Foreclosure Deed | Woburn Co-operative Bank, mortgagee of Rose A. Poirier | Woburn Co-operative Bank | 1940 the Woburn Co-operative Bank forecloses the Poirier mortgage | 953/119 |
Dated Oct. 19, 1940, recorded Oct. 22, 1940 ($2.20 in stamps). The bank, "holder of a mortgage from Rose A. Poirier" (Book 925 Page 237), "by the power conferred by said mortgage and every other power for Eighteen Hundred Dollars paid", grants to itself "The land with the buildings thereon, situated on the Northeasterly side of Lowell Street", Lot 64 with the 1936 bounds. Recorded with the directors' vote of Feb. 9, 1940 and the certificate of entry of Oct. 14, 1940 (Book 953 Page 118) and the treasurer's affidavit of sale.
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| October 28, 1940 | Quitclaim | Woburn Co-operative Bank, by Redmond E. Walsh, Treasurer | Forrest R. Stickney and Violet Stickney, husband and wife, of Billerica | 1940 the bank sells to Forrest R. and Violet Stickney; later family transfers summarized | 954/259 |
Dated Oct. 25, 1940 ($2.75 in stamps). "The land in said Billerica, with the buildings thereon, situated on the Northeasterly side of Lowell Street", Lot 64, 5,429 square feet: "Being the same premises described in a foreclosure deed to the Woburn Co-operative Bank, dated October 19, 1940". Purchase mortgage back to the bank for $2,100 (Book 954 Page 260). Forrest R. Stickney died March 16, 1983; in 1999 his widow conveyed the house to family members, reserving a life estate (Book 10362 Page 257), and later family transfers followed in 2002 and 2024.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.