Structure · Built 1852 · Demolished 1899
William Richardson House
William Richardson House
| Address | 5 Shedd Rd |
| Built | 1852 |
| Demolished | 1899 |
| Other Lot Structures | Arnold Busi House (Built 1900) |
The William Richardson House was the farmhouse of Nathan Abbott (1790-1864), shown with his name on the Walling map of 1853 beside the farm lane that later became Shedd Road, east of Treble Cove Road in West Billerica. Nathan Abbot Jr., as the deeds call him, was the son of Nathan Abbot of Wilton, New Hampshire; he married Hannah Farmer, daughter of Oliver Farmer, in 1825, and they had two daughters, Hannah and Catharine.
He bought the farm on November 2, 1824 from William Richardson of Billerica, gentleman, for $1,100. The deed conveyed a lot of 54 acres "with the buildings thereon standing," beginning "at the road leading from the dwelling house on the premises to Charles Cutlers," bounded by Charles Cutler, Jesse Manning, land formerly of Zacheus Shed, Stephen Parker, Oliver Crosby and Nathan Abbot Senior, and by "the road leading from Zebediah Rogers to Billerica Meeting house"; a second tract of 25 acres "with the buildings thereon" across the road, between Amos Carlton, Charles Cutler and Zebediah Rogers; and 21 acres more by the Carlton, Parker and Brown lands. Richardson's own source has not been found; he had bought into the Danforth family estate, whose widow Dorcas later married a Winning, and Abbott took a release of dower on "the Old Winning Place" in the same year.
Abbott farmed there for forty years and died intestate on December 25, 1864. On March 23, 1866 his widow Hannah and daughters Hannah F. and Catharine sold the farm for $1,550 to Samuel Shedd of Chelmsford and Mary E. Shedd, wife of Warren Shedd: 25 acres "with the Buildings thereon," beginning "on the road leading from the Dwelling House to Charles Cutler," the 29-acre lot across the road "with the Barn standing thereon," and two smaller lots on the Middlesex Turnpike. The estate itself was not administered until 1870, when the daughter Hannah was appointed administratrix of an estate under $1,000. The farm then passed through Lott Easty (1868), Warren Shedd (1872), Amos S. Brown (1873) and back to Mary E. Shedd (1878 and 1884), and the Shedd family kept it for the next seventy years: Mary to her husband Warren in 1906, and Warren to their son Warren C. Shedd in halves in 1907 and 1913.
On October 26, 1923 Warren C. Shedd sold Alexander H. Mitchell about 16.1 acres "on the northeasterly side of the Middlesex Turnpike," reserving for his remaining land a 40-foot right of way "extending from said Middlesex Turnpike in a general easterly direction across the granted premises." Mitchell laid the tract out as Pine Knolls in July 1932 (Plan 58-40), with the right of way as Shedd Road and the turnpike frontage taken by the county for Treble Cove Road. No buildings appear on the corner lots, and when Mitchell sold Blocks A and B to Arnold Busi of Malden, trustee, on May 26, 1934, Busi's declaration of trust described them as "a parcel of unimproved land in Billerica." The old Abbott house was evidently gone from this corner by then.
Busi built the present house at 5 Shedd Road. When he sold a 19,200-square-foot lot to Milton M. and E. Romayne Rhodes on October 13, 1948, it carried "the buildings thereon," drawn on Merrill A. Brown's plan of September 15, 1948 (Plan 74-38A). The house has been privately owned since then, and by 1980 the rest of Block B on the Treble Cove Road corner had been joined to it. In 1993 the executrix of the estate of Peter H. Robeck sold both parcels, 1.3 acres in all, to the present private owner. The assessor's date of "about 1900" for the house is too early: it was built between 1934 and 1948.
References
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| November 4, 1824 | Warranty Deed | William Richardson of Billerica, gentleman (Sally Richardson, his wife, releasing dower) | Nathan Abbott of Billerica, yeoman | Nathan Abbot Jr. buys the farm, "with the buildings thereon standing" | 256/483 (South) |
Dated November 2, 1824, for $1,100 (Billerica town book 13, pages 304-305). "One lot containing fifty four acres more or less with the buildings thereon standing," beginning "at the road leading from the dwelling house on the premises to Charles Cutlers," bounded by Charles Cutler, Jesse Manning, land formerly of Zacheus Shed, Stephen Parker, Oliver Crosby and Nathan Abbot Senior, and by "the road leading from Zebediah Rogers to Billerica Meeting house"; "one other tract with the buildings thereon standing" opposite, between Amos Carlton, Charles Cutler and Zebediah Rogers and "the road leading from said Rogers to Charles Cutlers," 25 acres; and 21 acres bounded by Amos Carlton, John Parker, Nathaniel Brown, Isaac Brown, the heirs of Thomas Brown and Charles Cutler. No title recital. The farm his heirs sold to the Shedds in 1866.
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| 1866 | Warranty Deed | Hannah Abbott, widow, Hannah F. Abbott and Catharine Abbott, singlewomen, all of Billerica (widow and daughters of Nathan Abbott) | Samuel Shedd of Chelmsford and Mary E. Shedd, wife of Warren Shedd, of Billerica | Abbott heirs sell the farm to the Shedds | 48/150 |
Dated March 23, 1866, for $1,550, "a certain tract of land with the Buildings thereon. Beginning on the road leading from the Dwelling House to Charles Cutler," bounded by land of Amos Carlton, Charles Cutler and Zebediah Rogers, 25 acres; 4 acres at the Middlesex Turnpike; a tract "on the opposite side of the road with the Barn standing thereon" (Cutler, Jesse Manning, land "formerly of Zaccheus Shedd," Anthony Jones, Haynes and Foster, Gardner Parker, John Baldwin and "land this day conveyed by us to Lyman Haynes et al."), 29 acres 102 rods; and 5 acres 120 rods at the old road and the Turnpike. Mary takes "to her sole and separate use free from the control or interference of her husband." Reserves rights of way for Lyman Haynes et al. and "the rights of Anthony Jones to go to his land bot of Nathan Abbott deceased." No title recital. Pages 150-152.
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| July 18, 1868 | Deed | Samuel Shedd of Billerica, and Mary E. Shedd of Billerica in her right, wife of Warren Shedd (Sarah W. Shedd and Warren Shedd joining) | Lott Easty of Billerica | Shedd farm | 63/150 |
Dated June 10, 1868, for $2,300, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon, Beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house to the Charles Cutler house," bounded by land formerly of Amos Carlton, Charles Cutler and Zebediah Rogers, 25 acres; a 4-acre tract "at the Middlesex Turnpike"; a tract "on the opposite side of the road, with the barn standing thereon," bounded in part by land "formerly of Zaccheus Shedd" and by the Turnpike, 29 acres 102 rods; and 5 acres 120 rods at "said Old road at the Turnpike." Reserving rights of way for Lyman Haynes and Anthony Jones. No title recital.
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| 1870 | Administration | Estate of Nathan Abbott of Billerica (died Dec. 25, 1864) | Hannah Abbott of Lowell, daughter, administratrix | administration of Nathan Abbott's estate | Probate #26067 |
Petition of July 19, 1870 by Hannah Abbott of Lowell: Nathan Abbott, late of Billerica, died December 25, 1864, intestate, leaving his widow Hannah F. Abbott and as next of kin his daughters Catharine Abbott and Hannah Abbott, both of Lowell. The widow and Catharine assented, and Judge William A. Richardson appointed Hannah administratrix the same day (Record Vol. 373, p. 297). The widow and both daughters had already sold the Turnpike farm to Samuel and Mary E. Shedd in 1866 (Book 48, Page 150).
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| 1872 | Deed | Lott Easty of Billerica (Mary S. Easty, his wife, joining) | Warren Shedd of Lowell | Shedd farm | 85/545 |
Dated April 1, 1872 (as recited in N 133/90), for $2,500, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon," the same four tracts as in 1868: 25 acres on "the road leading from the dwelling house to the Chas. Cutler house," 4 acres at the Middlesex Turnpike, nine acres and 102 rods on the opposite side of the road to the Turnpike, and 5 acres 120 rods at the old road and the Turnpike, subject to "a mortgage of five hundred dollars, running to Hannah Abbot," which the grantee assumes. Runs onto page 546.
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| 1873 | Deed | Warren Shedd of Billerica | Amos S. Brown of Lowell | Shedd farm | 94/596 |
Dated June 30, 1873 (as recited in N 133/90), for $3,500, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon, Beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house to the Chas. Cutler house," bounded by land formerly of Amos Carlton, Charles Cutler and L. Rogers, 25 acres, and the adjoining tracts on the Middlesex Turnpike, as in the 1872 deed.
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| April 4, 1879 | Deed | Amos S. Brown of Lowell (Emeline E. Brown, his wife, releasing) | Mary E. Shedd of Billerica | Shedd farm | 133/90 |
Dated Aug. 12, 1878, recorded April 4, 1879, for $2,500, "a certain tract of land with buildings thereon," the same 25 acres, 4 acres, 9 acres 102 rods and 5 acres 120 rods "all situated in said Billerica," with the Haynes and Jones rights of way. "Being the same premises conveyed to Shedd by Lott Easty deed dated Apr. 1st 1872 ... Book 85, Page 545 & the same as was conveyed to me by Shedd by deed dated June 30th 1873 ... Book 94, Page 596," free of encumbrances "except two certain mortgages" to heirs of Nathan Abbott.
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| June 7, 1882 | Mortgagee's Deed | Alanson Folsom, assignee of the mortgage of Amos S. Brown to B. F. Batchelder | Lurana A. Grover of Lowell | Shedd farm | 153/35 |
Dated May 25, 1882, for $775, under the power of sale in Brown's mortgage of Feb. 13, 1877 (Book 122, Page 391), assigned to Folsom March 7, 1877 (Book 122, Page 394), after notice in the Lowell American Citizen and auction on May 24, 1882: "A certain lot or parcel of land with all the buildings thereon," the 25 acres "beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house to the Chas. Cutler house," the 4 acres at the Middlesex Turnpike and the two tracts across the road, "Reserving certain rights of Warren Shedd his heirs and assigns to pass and repass with teams on said Turnpike road." With Folsom's affidavit. Runs to page 37.
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| September 28, 1906 | Warranty Deed | Mary E. Shedd, wife of Warren Shedd, in her own right, of Billerica (Warren Shedd releasing curtesy) | Herbert A. King of Billerica | Shedd farm | 396/33 |
Dated June 11, 1906, for $1 and other considerations, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house formerly of Charles Cutler," bounded by land formerly of Amos Carlton, Cutler and Zebediah Rogers, 25 acres, with the 4 acres at the Middlesex Turnpike, 29 acres 102 rods across the road and 5 acres 120 rods at the old road and the Turnpike. "Reserving all rights of way granted by deed of Hannah Abbott et al to Mary E. Shedd dated March 23 1866 ... Book 48 Page 150." Acknowledged before King as justice of the peace. A straw deed: King reconveyed to her husband the same day (Book 396, Page 34).
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| September 28, 1906 | Quitclaim | Herbert A. King of Billerica (Lucy M. King releasing dower and homestead) | Warren Shedd of Billerica | Shedd farm | 396/34 |
Dated June 11, 1906, for $1 and other considerations, the same four tracts "with the buildings thereon" and the same reservation of the 1866 rights of way (Book 48, Page 150). "Being the same premises as conveyed to me by Mary E. Shedd by deed of even date." With the deed before it, this moved the farm from Mary E. Shedd to her husband. Pages 34-36.
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| April 15, 1907 | Warranty Deed | Warren Shedd of Billerica | Warren C. Shedd of Billerica | Warren C. Shedd, one half | 402/370 |
Dated April 12, 1907, for $1 and other considerations, "one undivided half of the following described lots of land with buildings thereon": the 25 acres "beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house formerly of Charles Cutler" and "three other lots of land adjoining," as conveyed by Herbert A. King to Warren Shedd June 11, 1906, Book 396, Page 34. "Intending hereby to convey ... one half part of all the above named real estate." Pages 370-371.
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| November 1, 1922 | Warranty Deed | Warren Shedd, widower, of Billerica | Warren C. Shedd of Billerica | Warren C. Shedd, other half | 668/573 |
Dated January 29, 1913, recorded November 1, 1922, for $1 and other good and valuable considerations, "One undivided half interest in the following named tracts of land with the buildings thereon": the same 25 acres "beginning on the road leading from the dwelling house formerly of Charles Cutler," the 4 acres at the Middlesex Turnpike, 29 acres 102 rods and 5 acres 120 rods, reserving the 1866 rights of way (Book 48, Page 150); "the same premises as conveyed to me ... by deed of Herbert A. King dated June 11, 1906 ... book 396, page 34." With the 1907 half, Warren C. Shedd now held the whole farm. Pages 573-574.
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| December 10, 1923 | Quitclaim | Warren C. Shedd of Billerica (Cora M. Shedd releasing dower and homestead) | Alexander H. Mitchell of Billerica | Pine Knolls tract sold to A. H. Mitchell, no buildings | 698/281 |
Dated October 26, 1923. "The land in the westerly part of said Billerica containing about sixteen and 1/10 acres, situated on the northeasterly side of the Middlesex Turnpike," from a drill hole in a wall at land of Lucy B. Collier and Frank Foster, along the Turnpike about 1,014 feet, by other land of the grantor and land of Rollins, on a plan made for A. H. Mitchell July 25, 1923. "A portion of the premises to me conveyed by Warren Shedd by two deeds" (Book 402 Page 370, Book 668 Page 573). Shedd reserves for his remaining land "the 40 foot right of way shown on said plan extending from said Middlesex Turnpike in a general easterly direction across the granted premises," the later Shedd Road. No buildings mentioned. Pages 281-282.
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| May 26, 1934 | Quitclaim | Alexander H. Mitchell of Billerica (Blanche S. Mitchell releasing dower and homestead) | Arnold Busi of Malden, Trustee under a Declaration of Trust of May 26, 1934 | Block B to Arnold Busi | 845/90 |
Lots 1 to 10 in Block A on the east side of Treble Cove Road and "lots Nos. 1-16, inclusive constituting Block B" on the July 1932 plan of Pine Knolls (Plan Book 58, Plan 40), Block B bounded "Northerly by said Shedd Road two hundred seventy-six and 8/10 feet," easterly by Norman Street and other land of Mitchell, and westerly by Treble Cove Road, with "the right to use the pond situated southeasterly of lot 8A for the purpose of bathing and fishing and to keep ducks therein." Recorded after Blanche S. Mitchell released the same lots from her mortgage. Pages 90-91.
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| May 26, 1934 | Declaration of Trust | Arnold Busi of Malden | Arnold Busi, Trustee, for the beneficiaries named | Busi trust: unimproved land | 845/91 |
Busi had set aside $1,000 "to invest said sum of money in a parcel of unimproved land in Billerica," and since "it may become desirable to improve the said land with buildings," any improvements paid for with his own money were to remain his, free of the trust. He held under it the land conveyed to him by Alexander H. Mitchell the same day. Shows that Block B was vacant in 1934. Margin: revocation Book 1114 Page 4.
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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.