And Additional Family History
Randomly Select Houses
A survey was done in 1976 and since that time, some of the houses and buildings that were standing have been demolished. Little by little, Marlborough is losing it's Historical background in the name of progress.
Marlboroughs past disregard for historical sites.
In the early 60's
there remained a little white building on the corner of Concord Rd. and
Rt. 20., it was demolished. The building was once "school house number
10"; ( 
See picture) it had been later occupied by a gentleman who made cider and
later abandoned. The small building (approximately 16' X 30') was
in excellent shape and could have been moved to another spot had the Marlborough
City Fathers or the local Historical Society had the for thought to save
the building.
Several years later, a building which certainly would be recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places would be that of the old Rail Road Station on the Corner of Lincoln St. and Mechanic St.. It was a unique building in that it had in the center a circular or round section which must have been the waiting area, it had fancy windows which were arched. Off the section there were two sections opposite of each other which may have been for other activities required for the rail road. A grand plan was put into place by the City to save this building and many others with-in the City, however it was not to happen. A contractor (Fossile Construction) purchased the land and demolished the building. The land now stands empty now is a convenient dumping site and does nothing to enhance the area.
Marlboroughs recent disregard for historical sites.
Several years later, the City let escape the Old Post Office located at the West end of Main St.. Who ever bought the property let the building go into such disarray that it became a health and fire hazard. The building was sold again and it was promised that the property would be rehabbed and become an asset to the community, that was many years ago. It continues to stand empty with a chain link fence around it and has become a bigger eye sore than it previously had been. Many local residents think that this would be an excellent site for an art museum.
Now more recently, the Central Fire Station, built in 1909, has been abandoned due to the construction of newer and more efficient buildings. It once proudly held the Main Fire Department, The Police Department and on the second floor, the Court House. This building was recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. It now lays abandoned and is slowly meeting the fate of time and erosion as does it's other bookend, the Old Post Office at the opposite end of Main St.. Many residents think that this building should be retained by the City and used for Historical purposes and for the people of this City.
A picture of these two buildings as they are today can be seen under Buildings - Going, going, gone.
Since the early 60's, many old historic homes and buildings have fallen to the wreckers ball. The City of Marlborough's Administrations, both past and present, show a lack of concern for the preservation of Marlborough's Historical Sites. The Central Fire Station located at the corner of Bolton St. and Main St. is now up for sale to the highest bidder. This building was built in 1909 and was recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. It now lays abandoned and is slowly meeting the fait of time and erosion as does the Old Post Office at the opposite end of Main St.
The following descriptions were randomly selected from a collection of five volumes of books that were prepared by the Marlborough Historic Commission describing in detail houses that were built in the mid 1700's to the mid 1900's. The Architectural write-ups have been taken from this collection. Many of the homes described fall into the 1760's to 1860's range.
To better understand
the relationship with the area, you should print the map of 1803
Additional write-ups
will be added
The William/Soloman
Barnes House - Built late eighteenth century for use as a residence and
a farm.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes
This house is still standing and can be located on Ash Street. The house form and style clearly indicate that it was of late eighteenth century construction. Except for a replacement door and a late nineteenth century 2 over 2 window sash, it is perhaps Marlborough's best example of a late Gregorian through hall twin ridged chimney "double pile" house. The four room floor plan of these 2 1/2 story houses usually made them the largest house type in the community. This one is a wide, deep, five by three bay design with two massive ridge chimneys and a small one story ell abutting each rear corner of the main house. A rear wing extends back to a small barn. The house has a depressed granite foundation, an asphalt shingle roof and retains its wood clap board siding. The window sash is inserted in projecting enframements with molded surrounds. A 6 over 6 sash window remains in the east gable. The main center entry has a full late Georgian entablature with frieze and arches. A triangular pediment embellished with details, medallions and Doric pilasters. In the facade of each ell is a simple entry, with a four panel door and a multilit transom. The trim includes corner boards, a molded and boxed cornice with returns at the gable ends and a course of dental trim beneath. At the west end of the house, a sill board or "water table" appears at the base of the wall.
Out buildings on the property include two garages, two small sheds and a greenhouse.
The John/Gershom
Bigelow House - Built around 1690 for use as a residence and farm.
Also occupied by
Ephraim, Willard Bigelow and Elipahlet L. Fay.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes
This house is still standing and can be located on Farm Road. One of the largest and most well preserved of Marlborough's early colonial farm houses, this building actually grew in several stages during the 1700's from a small building that may date to as early as the late 1690's. It is obvious from the position of the chimney in front of the roof ridge that the rear of the house was raised to two stories, in this case over a lean to which was probably an early addition. The resulting building is a large center chimney "double pile" colonial house with five by two bays, with a two story "salt box" east wing and a one story ell extending to the rear. It stands on a granite foundation and is sheathed with synthetic siding. The windows are 6 over 6 sash and the main center entry, updated about 1800, has a solid elliptical fanlight over a surround of 2/3 length divided side lights. Alterations on this property include a tripartite "picture" window on the first story facade and a screened porch at the northwest rear.
There are two out buildings on the property, a shingled barn and a large wood shed.
The Samuel Brigham
II House - Built before 1689 for use as a residence and a farm.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes
This house still stands and can be located on what is now known as Brigham St.. Captain Samuel Brigham was born in the house January 25, 1689. He married Abigail Moore on August 23, 1716. He was one of forty who bought Grafton off of the Indians in 1727. His father, also named Samuel, was one of the original petitioners for the grant of this Plantation. In 1711 this house was designated as Garrison Number 4 and was one of the 26 Garrisons established to protect the citizens from Indians attacks. (See History of Marlborough)
Samule Brigham II erected the first part of this house. In spite of some alterations, including a new main entry, this house is significant both for the probable very early date of one of it's "ells" and as an illustration of a rare house type that has several representatives in Marlborough, the eighteenth century non symetrical "three quarters" house. The main part of the building is a two room deep, 2 1/2 story house with a large chimney placed off center at the roof ridge. Its four bay facade arrangement reflects a two windowed room on one side of the door and a room with one window on the other. Although all sections of the house are clap boarded, the upper story of the main house is clad in patterned shingles, possibly an alteration of the 1890's. The windows of the main part of the house are 6 over 6 sash (2 over 2) at the first story and 6 over 9 sash in projecting frames at the second.
Abutting the rear northwest corner of the main house is a succession of ells. The first, which may well be an earlier house, is 1 1/2 stories, two bays wide, with 3 over 6 sash windows at the upper story and 6 over 6 sash at the first. To it's west is a lower one story, two bay ell, with a shed roofed extension on it.
The John Cotting
House - Built about 1825 for use as a residence.
Picture
Doctor Amos Cotting came to Marlborough from Waltham in 1769 and established himself as a physician, he died in 1807. Of his ten children, John Cotting is the son that built this house about 1825. He married Sally C. Brigham and opened a tavern on the corner of what is now Cotting Ave. and main St.. Ella Bigelow (the writer of Historical Reminiscences of Marlborough) stated that the tavern was well known for over 100 years and was still operating in 1910. The Cottings had a grist mill located on what is now known as Wilson St..
The house is one of the few Greek Revivals left in the city and the only one left on the south side of Main St.. It stands opposite the Town Common where the John Brown Bell now hangs. At the time of the survey, the building was up for sale and it was feared that it to would fall to the wrecking ball when the new owners bought the land. Fortunately, the new owners did not do that and have rehabbed the building to it's now pristine condition.
The Eager
House - Built late 1800's as a residence
Occupied by William,
Zachariah, Aaron, Bayley (Bailey) and Hollis.
Picture
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes
This house still stands today and can be seen on Eager Court. Probably the second oldest surviving house in this residential neighborhood, the Eager house is a one room deep, 2 1/2 story, side gabled house with a long 1 1/2 story ell on the east end. Abutting the rear west end of the ell is a short one story ell. The building may be a hybrid of several periods and the result of many expansions and remodeling. It is believed that the east ell may predate the rest of the building and may possibly have been built as early as the late 1680's. The main part of the house, with it's pair of rear chimneys is likely to have been built in the late eighteenth century. A long porch on lath turned posts (which were formerly bracketed) wraps around from the main facade to the front of the side ell. Most of the windows, many of which have been replaced, have molded surrounds. The main entry has a replacement door with a molded surround. A late nineteenth century glass and paneled door appears in the ell facade. The main part of the house is clad in wood shingled (since covered by vinyl siding), and stands on a granite foundation. The ells are clap boarded and the east ell has a field stone foundation
The Lewis Hapgood
House - Built mid nineteenth century for use as a residence.
Also occupied by
Lyman Hapgood, the Curtis family and the Hightman family.
Picture
The house still stands today and is located on Hosmer St.. The house is significant for it's association with members of two important Marlborough families, the Hapgoods and the Curtises. It is located just east of the sites of where the old Maynard Saw Mill (see map) on Fort Meadow Brook, and it's property which was once 130 acres may have belonged to the Maynards. After a brief period of ownership under another family in the 1930's, the property was sold to the Hightman family. Mr. Hightman was one of the Directors of the Christian Science Church in Marlborough and during their occupancy the property was used as a retreat for members of the church. The current owners continue to maintain this old home and it still stands today.
Many renovations involving highly skilled installations of period or reproduction details, an architectural assessment of this house is difficult to make. Its appearance is that of an enlarged 5 bay, 2 1/2 story side gabled house of the Federal period, however records show that it was actually built closer to the middle of the nineteenth century . The windows are 6 over 6 sash with flat surrounds. The trim includes a wide sill board, corner boards and a molding under the front edge of the roof. There is an absence of an over hang on the gable ends. One tall chimney rises from the rear center plane of the main roof and an exterior chimney abuts the east end of the south east extension. An historic sketch shows that the house may of had originally twin ridge chimneys. To the rear of the main house is a large wing three stories high at the rear because the ground slopes sharply downward toward the back of the house. Abutting the east end of the main house is a two story porch enclosed at the second story and opened and screened at the first story. The main center entry has an elliptical, louvered fanlight over fluted pilasters. The elliptical arch has been repeated in recent years which surrounds a recessed entry which also has a 6 panel door and divided sidelights. Beside it is a second door also 6 panel. A fourth entry, on the west end has a 6 panel door with 5 pane divided side lights and recessed paneled pilasters under a molded frieze and projecting molded lintel.
The Thomas Keyes
House - Built possibly in 1705 as a residence and a farm.
Also occupied by
Supply Weeks and John Weeks.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes.
Architectural Description to be added. It is not sure of the writer that the house still stands. It is supposed to be located on the corner of Concord Road and Hemenway. It may have been demolished as of late.
The Newton/Dadman
House - Built possibly before 1700 as a residence and a farm.
Occupied by Daniel,
Daniel Jr., Daniel III and William Newton. Martin, Elijah, Lucy Dadman;
Sarah Dadman Nourse, Hariet Nourse Dudley, Helen Nourse Jackson and Miss
Catherine Pierce.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes.
This house is still standing , location unknown at this time. Although much of the charm of this house comes from work done in a 1930 restoration, this is still one of the most intact farmsteads in Marlborough. The building consists of many parts of different construction dates from the First Period through the Federal era. The original, possibly pre 1700 Newton House is evidently the east half of the main block which attained its large one room deep, 5 by 2 bay 2 1/2 story, side gabled center chimney configuration by about 1740. The former 2 over 2 sash windows were replaced in the 1930 renovation with the present 6 over 6 sash. In the main house they were replaced by 6 over 9 sash. The original center entry, which had a side lighted nineteenth century door with horizontal, projecting lintel, was taken out and the entire entry from the Bachellor House on Cordis St. in Wakefield was inserted. This entry is mid century Georgian type, with a door with four raised field panels and a builders guide type of classical surround with triangular pediment and fluted Doric pilasters. On the interior, the main house has a considerable amount of vertical feather edged and beaded sheathing on both walls and doors. The east first story room, believed to be the earliest part of the building, possibly dating to the late seventeenth century, has a summer beam with beveled chamfer with tapered stops. Still in place in its front walls is the original frame and opening of a small casement window.
Abutting and overlapping the main house of the southwest front corner, is a long 1 1/2 story ell with it's own center facade entry. According to family tradition, when it was built (between 1816 and 1821) "Uncle Billy" Newton insisted that it be built at a slight angle to the main house. This section has the typical "high shouldered" proportions of the early nineteenth century. It has 6 over 6 and 9 over 6 sash windows in flat surrounds, a four paneled door with applied moldings and a sill board at the bottom of the wall. The small room at the west end of the addition is known as the "milk and cheese " room.
Abutting the rear of the main house is a one story north ell apparently the Elijah Dadman house, moved from a location nearby sometime between 1816 and 1830. This is a small 1 1/2 story house that pre dates 1800 and may have been constructed as early as the first quarter of the eighteenth century. In it's rear section is a rare, very wide door with six raised field panels which came from Maynard/Peters house at 1 Boston Post Rd and was apparently installed during the 1930 restoration. On the interior, a mantel from Miss Pierces family home (Bancroft house) in Dana, Mass. which was inundated when the Quabbin Reservoir was created, was installed in what is now the dining room. The entire house is clap boarded and has a wood shingled roof. It maintains its rural, agricultural character on a reduced scale.
The Uriah/Ephraim
Maynard House - Built close to 1800 as a residence
Occupied by Ephraim
II, Ephraim III and John Maynard. John E. and Charles W. Curtis were
later occupants.
Recommended for
listing in the National Register of Historic Homes.
This house is still standing and can be seen on Hosmer St.. It is possible the the 2 story, hip roofed Federal mansion conceals an earlier building inside. This is suggeted at least by the asymetrical facade, which is seven bays long and the assortment of three types of chimneys; one in the southwest end wall, one at the center rear and a narowere one on the northeast hip of the roof. Most of the windows are 6 over 6 sash. Apaired, multi lighted casement "French " door occupies the third bay from th ewest on the second story, an a triple 6 over 6 appears on the first floor facade; both probably represent alterations of the early twentieth century. The windows of the northeast are all paired, again implying a date early in this century. The front plane of the foof has a apir of symetrically placed narow, gabled roofed dormers with round headed multi lighted sash. The main entry appears to be a combination of Federal and Federal Revival elements. Its door has six raised panels and is flanked by a wide surround with narrow 3 pane side lights and a very narow tapered pilasters with high capitals. The presence of a second pair of capitals beside the door implies that there was once another pair of pilasters. The entry is sheltered by a turn of the century balcony, Tuscan portico, its columns and delineated cornice matching that in an open porch abutting the north east end of the house. A second entry on the south west end has a 4 panel door, 2/3 lenght divied side lights and a plain surround. Other architectural detail consist of a molded, boxed cornice and narrow corner boards.
The house retains its wood clap board siding. Many of the clap boards on the south east end wall are as short as four feet in lenght, indicating that many may be original to the building. The foundation is largely field stone, much of it paged with concrete. A period sketch in Ella Bigelow's ook, shows that in 1910 the house had a roof balastrade, and an open balastrade terrace across the facade. Two early twentieth century sleeping porches, one on the north end and one over the front balcony, have been removed since 1961.
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