3
This property was later known as the James Hall estate and about fifty years ago as the Joseph Robertson farm.
The Furnace land remained intact for nearly two hundred years, with the exception of 41 acres near the Grove Street of today, which was conveyed by John Marsh to Ebenezer Crane.
The Furnace Land at the easterly end was called the Furnace Plain and contained approximately 80 acres and was probably used for agricultural purposes. The land lying on the westerly side of the present Willard Street containing 118 acres was known as the Furnace Wood Lots, these as their name implies furnished firewood to the inhabitants.
Three wood roads leading from the Country Highway furnished the means of entrance to these parcels. One being located near the present Bryant Avenue, one at the present Bryant Street, which continued northerly across the Highway and continued along nearly in the line of present Beale Street to the Farms Road (now Hancock St) in Wollaston Park.
The third road left the Country Highway near the present garage, operated by Mr. Badger, and running southerly across the Plain land and meadow in the same general location of Hall Place to the present Belknap Square; continuing along the present Willard Street to nearly the opposite Furnace Avenue, where it entered the woodland.
As near as I can ascertain no dwellings existed within the two hundred acres above described.
Historical marker near the crossing of Furnace Brook Parkway and Cross Street, West Quincy. Placed here by the Historical Committee during the Tercentennial celebration in 1925.
The tract lying between the Furnace Brook and the North Common was settled in the early days of the Colony by the Owens and Savil families. The 15 acres near Bunker Hill land being occupied by Barnabas Derrifall an early resident of Old Braintree.
These dwellings were located on a road which left the Country Highway, now Adams Street near the nine mile stake, and running in a southerly direction on the westerly line of the North Common and entering the present Common Street near the junction of Copeland, following the West and Willard Streets of today to nearly opposite the Purgatory Road where it ran in a more easterly direction to the estate known to the previous generation as the Dr. Simonds Place in Braintree.
In all probabilities this road was in existence from the early settlement of the town. In 1755 an article was inserted in the town warrant, to the effect that the road from the nine mile stake be declared an open way. When voted upon in town meeting it was passed in the negative. The inference drawn from this is that the way was closed at intervals, by gates or bars, and the petitioners desired these obstructions removed; evidently a majority of the voters present thought differently and the gates or bars were still to be in existence.
During the early settlement of the town practically all of the townways except the main thoroughfare were treated in this way for the purpose of protecting the inhabitants from the depredations of cattle and swine which were allowed to run at large.
This ancient road for some unknown reason has during the past few years been called the “Old Coach Road”, but where this name originated is not clear. It has been stated that this was a part of the old coach road from Boston to Plymouth, but as the records do not confirm this statement and as the road ended at the Simonds estate as previously mentioned; it seems doubtful if this road was ever used as a coach road.
In 1793 a new road about 500 feet westerly of the above described was laid out by the Town, [and] in 1835 was named Common Street. The older residents on this street probably erected their homes here soon after the laying out as a town road.
House on Northerly side of West Street near Center was owned and occupied about 1829 by Mr. Asa Nightingale who at that time owned a large tract of land in this immediate vicinity.
House on the northerly side of West Street near the present Copeland Street was occupied in the early 1800s by Mr. Elisha T. Crane, an owner of the land lying north of this house to the brook and included the land now occupied by the Willard School and the Fire Station and extending easterly to near the Rustic Place of today.
