USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 35
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Katharine Pratt, a talented silversmith artist, delights in showing the artist at work in the making of beautiful things, after original designs which are both useful and ornamental.
Louis M. Guild, long associated with the art department of a Boston paper, is an artist who paints in oil and water colors. The
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walls of his home are adorned by a variety of subjects including marine, rural and botonical scenes. His son, F. Harvey Guild, still a student in art, specializes in pencil drawings and charcoal stud- ies. A charcoal drawing, when treated with a liquid fixer, is said to be the most durable and lasting of all types of pictures.
SCULPTORS. Alexander Doyle. An internationally known sculptor had a studio in his house in Dedham. He was born in Steubinville, Ohio. As a youth he accompanied his parents to Italy where he received a part of his early education in music, painting and sculpture. He returned to the United States and graduated from the Louisville, Kentucky High School after which he again went abroad and continued his studies in the academies of Carrara and Florence. Although under twenty years of age at the time he won a prize for the design of a public monument under the severe conditions that govern Italian competition.
Mr. Doyle returned to America in 1878 and located in New York City. Commissions for work began to pour in and at the age of thirty three he had erected one fifth of all the public monuments and statues in the United States. Among his prominent work are the heroic seated bronze statue of Horace Greely in New York City, the Soldiers Monument in New Haven, Connecticut, a bronze statue of General Robert E. Lee, the National Revolutionary Monu- ment at Yorktown Virginia, the bronze statue and monument to Henry W. Grady in Atlanta, Georgia. In the Statuary Hall of the National Capitol he is represented by statues of Thomas H. Ben- ton, Francis P. Blair and John E. Kenna. He made the marble portrait with pedestal at the grave of John Howard Paine. In 1912 Mr. Doyle took up his residence in Dedham. Here was made the model of his equestrial statue of General Jackson which was cast in bronze and now adorns the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Although declining to accept commission he was so devoted to his art that for several years he worked on a heroic statue of Presi- dent Lincoln which he completed in 1922 "to be erected somewhere in Europe after the close of the World War." Alexander Doyle designed for the National Monument at Plymouth, the statue of Education which is placed beside the panel representing the "Sign- ing of the Compact." The Dedham Community House has a bust of Lincoln designed by Mr. Doyle which he regarded with special favor. The bust was presented to the Community House by Mrs.
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Doyle after his decease.
ARCHITECTS. The ability, judgment and good taste of architects have added to the attractiveness of Dedham as a place of residence. Among resident architects have been the following: Robert M. Bailey, Prescott C. Hopkins, Luther Greenleaf, Harry B. Alden, Moses E. Baker and Frank C. Brown.
SURVEYORS. The Court having requested that a copy of all grants of land be delivered to the Court and a copy of the same kept in the town, on April 6, 1638, Edward Alleyn was "desired" to take a survey of all lands laid out and deliver a transcript to the Court. Whether he was a "mathematician" as the early surveyors styled themselves, or simply the recorder of land assignments is not known. Lieut. Joshua Fisher was an early surveyor who made many surveys for the colony and town. In December 1663 he made a plan of Pine Swamp in Medfield and Black Swamp in Millis and Medway dividing the land between each of the proprietors of Medfield. He received for his work 22 bushels and one peck of Indian corn and one bushel of rye. His assistant, the Indian Ab- solon received two bushels of Indian corn and 4 shillings 6 pence in cash. The plan still exists in Medfield Town Hall and several of the original lots are still held by the descendants of the original grantees and some of the ancient bounds still exist.
When Pocumtuck (Deerfield) was set off to Dedham, in ex- change for the land assigned to the Indians at South Natick, Lieut. Joshua Fisher was employed to make the survey and was paid for his "art."
Jonathan Jones, a surveyor of the Revolutionary period, made many surveys in Dedham. He was succeeded by Lemuel Badlam. Eliphalet Pond, a man of many professions, Registrar of Deeds, etc., was succeeded by William Ellis of Dedham. Mr. Ellis was long employed as a surveyor in Norfolk County and made the surveys for many early maps. His large collection of notes and plans are now deposited with the Dedham Historical Society. Frederic Endicott of Canton succeeded Mr. Ellis and likewise was county surveyor.
Of local "civil engineers" Nathaniel Smith offered his services to the public in 1848 and for more than half a century continued in the work. He was succeeded in 1900 by William F. Whitman who soon sold Mr. Smith's notes and plans to the office of Erastus
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Worthington. Mr. Worthington early associated himself with Percy M. Blake under the firm of Percy M. Blake & Co. In 1885 he established an office of his own and since 1900 has been located in the Norfolk Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Building, where he has maintained a fully equipped office. The accuracy of his work and the efficiency of departments has earned for his business an envi- able reputation. Mr. Worthington's professional services are not confined to the limits of the state.
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CHAPTER XXIII
TOWN AFFAIRS
BILLS OF CREDIT. Dedham having been notified in 1721 that its share of the £50,000 of bills of credit, issued by order of the General Court, was ready for delivery, the town accepted the same and appointed a board of trustees to receive and dis- perse the money. A number of by-laws were passed regulating the funds. The trustees were instructed to let the money out on interest for four years, in sums not exceeding twenty pounds, or less than five pounds, to any inhabitant of the town.
DEDHAM VILLAGE IN 1795. This view of Dedham Village was painted by the Rev. Jonathan Fisher* in 1795 from a point near the northeast corner of Lowder and Highland streets on Federal Hill. The view shows the recently completed county buildings, the Episcopal Church before the removal from its first site, the meeting house of the First Church and other buildings. The key to the painting shows the location of the following build- ings:
Haven House Jail
Meeting House
John Miller's House
Court House
George Wakefield's House
Woodward Tavern
William Gawthorpe's House
Fisher Ames' House Alexander Hodgdon's House
Samuel Doggett's House
James Barry's House
Episcopal Church
Old Burial Place
Gay Tavern
The Post Road
DEDHAM VILLAGE IN 1817. This view follows a water- color sketch made by Daniel Bingham in 1817 from the old Bing- ham House now standing on East Street near the Electric Light Station. This picture shows the development of the village of Dedham in the years that had elapsed since Mr. Fisher made his picture in 1795. The pictures of the village are used by the courtesy of the Dedham Historical Society.
* Mr. Fisher taught the winter term of the Dedham Low Plain School (Read- ville) in 1787-S.
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INCORPORATION OF NEEDHAM. Forty persons living on the territory which is now Needham and Wellesley asked on November 27, 1717 to be set off into a township. The reasons given for this separation was that they could not enjoy the advantages for schooling and religious instruction, and being a minor part of the town did not enjoy equal rights in other res- pects. Dedham consented to the separation on the condition that the grant should be confined to less territory than was demanded. The legislature, however, granted the full prayer of the peti- tioners and Needham became the third incorporated town to be set off from Dedham.
INCORPORATION OF NORWOOD. An effort to set off the Second and Third Parishes as a separate town was made by petition of Samuel Dean and others in 1817. On a notice from the General Court the town refused their consent to such a sepa- ration by a vote of 78 to 27 and instructed their representative to oppose the measure in the General Court.
On November 25, 1871 some residents of South Dedham sent a notice to the Secretary of State notifying the public of the intention of George B. Talbot and others to petition the Legis- lature to be set off as a new town to be called "Lyman". On December 22, 1871 measures were adopted to secure a separation and a committee was appointed to appear before the Committee on Towns of the Legislature.
The cause of the movement for a separation was a warm controversy over the question of establishing a high school in South Dedham and the mounting expenses of the town. The people of that village asserted their remoteness from the Dedham High School as a reason for their action. The inhabitants of the other villages maintained that there were not enough pupils in South Dedham, of the proper age and qualifications to neces- sitate the establishment of another high school.
The village of South Dedham being four miles from Dedham Village, and railroad connections having been discontinued, there was little community interest between the two villages, except on election days and town meetings. Dedham, therefore, made no opposition to the separation, further than its proposal to take more territory than had been included in the South Parish. On
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February 23, 1872 the act of incorporation was approved and on March 6, the citizens celebrated the birth of the town. With the exception of a small portion taken from Walpole, the territory of the newly incorporated town was taken from Dedham which was a great loss in valuation to the town. The valuation of Norwood in 1872 was $1,618,556, and the number of acres of land was 6,275. It is estimated that Dedham lost one-fifth of her valuation and one-third of her territory by the incorporation of Norwood into a town. The legislation in the charter provided for a division of the public property according to the taxable value of the property of each town the previous year. It was further provided that if the towns could not agree on the division of the property, application could be made to the Superior Court for the appointment of a commission, outside of Norfolk County, authorized to make such a division as equity and justice required. The towns failed to agree and the Superior Court appointed the Hon. George Marston of New Bedford, the Hon. Leonard Hunt- ress of Tewksbury, and the Hon. John Kimball of Salem. After many hearings the Commissioners awarded to the town of Norwood $6,365.58. Norwood's claim to a valuation of $2,000 in the public common; $1,200 on the land near the town pump, which was laid out for public use, and a fair valuation of the land on which Memorial Hall stands, which was given to the town by citizens of Dedham village for the purpose of building a Memorial Hall in honor of the soldiers who fell in the Civil War, were disallowed by the Commissioners who held that Norwood had no claim upon these properties. The findings of the Com- mission was approved by the Superior Court.
NAMING THE TOWN. The inhabitants and voters of South Dedham assembled on January 23, 1872 for the purpose of select- ing a name for the new town. Eight names were proposed, the most popular of which were "Ames" (suggested in consideration of the public service of the Hon. Fisher Ames) and "Norwood". On the second ballot Ames received 74 votes and Norwood 46. As many thought it best not to go back to Dedham for a name after leaving the town, there was a change on the third ballot when Norwood received 65 votes and Ames 59. Norwood was declared the "unanimous" choice, although not quite so by the vote. In
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DEDHAM IN 1795
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DEDHAM IN 1817
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1868 Henry Ward Beecher published his novel "Norwood", a work descriptive of New England life, and it is believed that this book suggested the name for the new town.
INCORPORATION OF HYDE PARK. This town was in- corporated April 22, 1868. It was made from the territory of Dorchester, Dedham, and Milton. The number of acres taken from Dedham was 866, having a taxable value May 1, 1867 of $475,854. It was estimated that Dedham lost by the annexation about one-tenth of her population, and one-eleventh of her valu- ation, and one-twentieth of her territory. For many years this part of the territory of Dedham had been known as Readville. During the Civil War the plains at Readville were used as a place of rendezvous for the regiments about to depart for the seat of war. For nearly four years these plains were almost constantly occupied by the camps of the newly raised regiments and pre- sented a very warlike appearance.
INCORPORATION OF WESTWOOD. The formation of a separate town by the division of the town of Dedham was sug- gested in November 1896, not on the ground of any grievance against the town of Dedham, but solely on the ground of unlike development and dissimilar interests of the parts separated by the proposed line of division. Accordingly a petition was filed with the Secretary of State asking for the incorporation of the new town with the name of "Nahatan". The Committee on Towns of the Legislature, on March 4, drove over the territory in a tallyho and unanimously reported in favor of the incorpora- tion of the new town. No opposition to the passage of the bill appeared until it reached the House, when the representative from Nahant objected to the proposed name on the ground of similarity to the name Nahant. Therefore, to remove any trace of friction, the name was changed to Westwood. The bill incor- porating the town of Westwood was signed by Governor Wolcott on Friday, April 2, 1897.
In accordance with the provisions of the act of incorporation, the matter of settlement between Dedham and Westwood was left to the Selectmen of the two towns. As the Dedham Board of Selectmen were more in number than those of Westwood, J. Everett Smith, David Neal, and Lester A. Newcomb were chosen
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to act for the Dedham Board. The town of Westwood was repre- sented in the settlement by the full Board of Selectmen: Henry Weatherbee, John L. Fisher, and Benjamin Fisher. The joint board met in the Selectmen's rooms in Dedham, May 26, 1897.
The corporate town property in Dedham was found to be $251,709.47; that of Westwood $34,639.86; a total of $286,349.33; current liabilities $17,838.89, leaving a net asset of $268,510.44. The assessors of Dedham and Westwood having determined that the assessed value of Westwood was eleven per cent of the total value of the town of Dedham before division; it was therefore agreed that for the purpose of adjustment, Westwood was en- titled to receive as her share of the corporate property eleven per cent of the net assets, namely, $29,536.14. Westwood having within its limits corporate property to the amount of $34,639.86, the town of Westwood owed the town of Dedham, on account of their adjustment $5,103.72. The funded debt of the town of Dedham on April 2, 1897, was $96,500. The adjustment of this indebtedness was made by the agreement that Westwood should pay to the town of Dedham eleven per cent of the interest, when due, and the notes as they matured. Dedham lost by the incor- poration of Westwood, one-eleventh of her corporate property; one-sixth of her population; and more than one-half of her area (6,768 acres).
DEDHAM RECORDS. All persons interested in Colonial times have welcomed the publication of early Dedham Records. In this work too much praise cannot be given to the late Don Gleason Hill, Esq., who with painstaking care, undertook the work of Editor of the several volumes as a labor of love. Dedham records are conspicuous for their fullness and show the utmost care of the Town fathers in preserving all the minutes of their meetings. Not less complete are the references to the customs of the times. These records to the student of Colonial history are most timely and valuable.
The town of Dedham at its annual meeting in 1935, authorized the Dedham Historical Society to publish, from existing funds, the Ninth Volume of Town Records beginning with the year 1706.
TOWN SEAL. At the annual town meeting held on April 1, 1878, the town of Dedham established a common seal, designed
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by Erastus Worthington, Esq., and approved by the Dedham Historical Society with the following device, to wit: In the center of the foreground, a shield, upon which is inscribed the represen- tation of an ancient oak; on the right of the background the rep- resentation of a factory building; on the left, the implements of agriculture; above, the sword and scales of justice; and beneath, in a scroll the motto Contentment. In the upper semi-circle, Plantation begun 1635 *; Incorporated 1636.
As explanatory of the design, Mr. Worthington made the following statement.
"I have desired to embody two features, viz. : significance and simplicity. The device should be something characteristic of the town, either some land-mark, something indicative of its age, of its business pursuits, or some distinguishing feature in its cor- porate character. The design is intended to comprehend all these things. The Avery Oak was selected as a well-known land-mark and as a symbol of age and strength, as well as of present life and vigor. It is believed, upon good evidence, that this tree is older than the settlement which began almost under its very shadow. It is undoubtedly one of the original forest trees, and standing as it does in a most conspicuous place, it may justly be called a land- mark. It impresses the passer-by with its great age, and also with its vigorous life at the present time. It seems, therefore, an appropriate symbol of the life of the town, and forms an attrac- tive device upon the shield. Upon the right, the mill, and upon the left, the implements of agriculture, signify that Dedham is both agricultural and a manufacturing town. Above, the scales and sword signify that Dedham is the seat of justice, the place where the laws are administered and executed. The motto Contentment is the name first given to the settlement, and was inserted in the petition to the General Court by the first settlers. It also appears upon the first pages of the records. The name seems also to be a characteristic motto for Dedham. The legend in the border,
. In the register of Births and Deaths in Dedham are recorded the birth of two children in June and July 1635, which has been accepted as proof that the plan- tation was begun in that year as stated on the seal of the town. It is now believed however, that these children were born in Watertown instead of Dedham.
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gives the date when the General Court first ordered the plantation, and when undoubtedly settlers first came here; and also the date of the grant, giving the settlement the name of Dedham, which may properly be termed its incorporation."
WARRANT COMMITTEE. A warrant committee of twenty- one members, whose duty it is to pass on all articles in the town warrant, and make recommendations thereon, was first appointed in accordance with the town by-law, by the moderator of the town meeting in 1913.
PLANNING BOARD. The town unanimously voted in April 1917 to accept the Act of 1913 establishing a Planning Board. At the annual town meeting in 1918, the following board was elected : Frank J. Gifford, Henry M. Carey, Frank W. Kimball, James F. Moran, and Michael H. McKenna. The Act under which the Planning Board was created provided that it should make a care- ful study of the resources, possibilities and needs of the town, particularly with respect to conditions that may be injurious to public health, or otherwise injurious in and about rented dwellings, and to make plans for the development of the town with reference to the housing of its people. To assist in this work, the Planning Board employed Arthur A. Shurcliff, a man of recognized ability in the profession of town planning. His studies offered a definite plan for the improvement and development of Dedham. Attention was early called to the importance of the adoption of a zoning by- law. At a special town meeting held May 5, 1924 a Zoning By- Law was unanimously adopted. This By-Law provides for the division of the town of Dedham into six classes or districts to be known as: (1) Single residence districts, (2) General residence districts, (3) Semi-residence districts, (4) Business districts, (5) Industrial districts, (6) Unrestricted districts. Of the adoption of the zoning by-law, the Planning Board said;
"It marks one of the most important events in the history of the town. It is a remarkable expression of the deliberate purpose of the citizens to enter upon a new chapter in the development of the town. It represents their decision that in the future, the gov- ernment of Dedham shall be guided in accordance with definite principles based upon the best interests of the whole community and the reasonable needs and desires of every citizen."
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PARK COMMISSIONERS* AND PARKS. On the recom- mendation of a committee appointed by the town at the annual meeting in 1893, "to see what action the town will take in the selection, purchase, and maintenance of public playgrounds and parks" Dr. Francis L. Babcock, Thomas T. Robinson, and Erastus Worthington were elected a board of Park Commissioners on August 6, 1894. From the start the Park Commissioners took an active interest in their work as it was believed that the general sentiment of the town was that the time had arrived when suit- able and adequate playgrounds should be provided for the children of Dedham, and small park areas maintained for the general public, which could be developed from time to time as the town saw fit. The Park Commissioners employed Aspinwall & Lincoln, well known architects, to assist them in a study of the playground and park problems. After much investigation the Park Commis- sioners took under consideration the development of three park areas : (1) Avery Park on Maverick street of 15 acres; (2) Pow- der Rock Park on Ames street of 20 acres; (3) Stone Park on Fairview Place of 49,897 sq. ft., and recommended the borrowing, on a long term at a low rate of interest, of $100,000 to be used for park purposes. At a town meeting held December 11, 1894, the matter of the purchase of Avery Park and Powder House Rock Park was referred to a committee of five. This committee made an exhaustive study of the subject, but did not find it possible to recommend the purchase of either Avery Park or Powder House Rock Park. Their report was accepted by the town. Happily Powder House Rock, and adjoining land, has become through bequest and purchase, the property of the Dedham Historical Society and the preservation of this historic spot is now assured.
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STONE PARK. This park was named in honor of Eliphalet Stone, for many years a resident and public spirited citizen of Ded- ham, who on June 2, 1884 deeded in trust to the Dedham Improve- ment Society a parcel of land containing 49,897 sq. ft., located on Penniman and Fairview Places, for the purpose of a park. The Dedham Improvement Society was an unincorporated society, and in case of dissolution, Mr. Stone provided that the property
* In 1918 the powers and duties of the Park Commissioners were vested in the Planning Board.
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should go, with all improvements, to the inhabitants of Dedham to be held as a public park. The Dedham Improvement Society failed to qualify, and at a special town meeting held January 2, 1895, the town accepted the land held in trust under the deed of Mr. Stone. At the same time it was voted to purchase adjoining land owned by Mrs. Louise M. Morse at an expense of $8,750, making a total of 6.26 acres. Subsequently, the area was still further enlarged and now contains 8.49 acres. Immediately after the special town meeting of September 16, 1895, an appropria- tion of $2,500 was granted for the development of the park, and work was taken up and continued until the park was substantially completed. A playground 250 ft. by 425 ft. was graded; the banks sloped, so as to be easy of access, and at the same time afford excellent opportunity for watching any game in progress on the field; a dressing shed was erected, and a cinder track, one-fifth of a mile in length around the playground, for the use of schoolboys in their games was built. The land deeded by Mr. Stone was especially developed for a playground for small children without obliging them to be upon the main playground. As developed, Stone Park is essentially a playground and not properly a park area. The freqency with which the park is used as a playground. together with the large number of spectators at all games proves that it meets a much needed want.
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