USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Topsfield > History of Topsfield Massachusetts > Part 11
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THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD
others. It began at the bridge "begun to be built over Ipswich river" and extended to the road leading by the house of David Perkins. The street at different parts was relocated and straightened and these changes were all accepted by the County Commissioners.
A ROAD FROM HIGH STREET TO THE OLD J. AR- THUR TOWNE HOUSE was accepted March 6, 1839. It extended from Henry Towne's house to the County Road, through land of Ebenezer Towne.
A ROAD LEADING FROM HIGH STREET TO CEN- TRAL STREET was laid out "from the dwelling house of Thomas Perkins, junr. to the Town road Southerly from the dwelling house of Ephraim Perkins."
HILL STREET extends from Salem Street to Rowley Bridge Street. So called from its hilly nature. In the early days it was referred to as the road by Jacob Townes. The first mention of this street is found under date of March 2, 1668/9, and was part of the road mentioned in the lay out of Copper Mine Road. The old way led from what is now Salem Street, through Hill Street into Copper Mine Road to the Middleton Town line.
ROAD LEADING OFF HILL STREET. The exact loca- tion of the following lay out is not known but it may have been either of two ways extending from Rowley Bridge Street to Hill Street. One started near the Towne-Peterson farm and the other nearly opposite the Pike house. Both can still be traced through this land now owned by Richard Wheat- land: "Agreeable unto a Petition by Thomas Mower & others Desiring a Road to be laid out Convenient for trans- porting hay & other. Effects we have Laid out a privet Road from the Country Road Leading from Middleton to Tops- field in Land of Jacob and Joseph Towne, said Road Be- gining & Running on near where ye ancient way was, through land of Samuel Cummings to land of Samuel Towne, Junr."
HOWLETT STREET extends from the Common to Per- kins Street. So called from the Samuel Howlett family that lived on the hill on the right hand side of the road, a short distance beyond the Capen House. This must have been one of the oldest streets in the town for the Rowley villagers passed along this way on their way to the meeting house be- fore 1663, and probably as early as 1640. A lay out does not appear, however, until March 21, 1692/3 when Sergt. Hovey and Daniel Redington were chosen to view the old way from John Wildes house to Mile brook and stake it as it may answer the end according as it was first laid out. They
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were further ordered to lay it out from Samuel Howlett's by John Wildes to William Howlett's. It was laid out as follows : "Beginning at the county road and a long on the south side of Samuel Howlett's land and between Mr. Capen's land . . . and so on to the south side of muddy spring . . . along the old cart way to John Wildes and so between Corp. French house and barn . . . to the north side of Daniel Reddington's bounds ... and so along the old way to William Howlett's brook." Under date of Dec. 11, 1730, the selectmen altered the highway and on Dec. 26, 1782, a town way was staked from the Training field through land of Lt. Thomas Emerson over Great Hill to Wildes Gate at Reddingtons corner. They were allowed to place gates on this highway April 5, 1785.
IPSWICH STREET extends from the junction of Main and Haverhill Streets to the Ipswich town line. That a way existed here very early is shown by the record under date of March 2, 1668 when "It is also ordered and agreed apon With Ensigne Thomas Howlett that they will make and main- taine a bridge ouer ye Brook by Ensignes house in ye way as wee goe to Ipswich." The first portion laid out was on Oct. 3, 1717, "through Mr. Peabody's Land & Jesse Dormans Land to Ipswich to the Bridg to Jacob Peabody's Land." This road, after passing Bird Swamp, curved toward the northeast and entered the present highway again near the barn of the late George F. Pevear. The next lay out was March 13, 1805, from Boston Stret to the house at the top of Manning's hill. The lay out to North and Oak Streets and the Ipswich line was not made until 1836, though a way must have been used before that date. It was then laid out by the County Com- missioners. The date of the lay out from Manning's hill to the junction of Oak Street was December 11, 1856. No road existed before that time. In 1830, when a map of the town was made, the road did not extend beyond this hill.
ROAD OFF IPSWICH STREET. On March 2, 1756, the town accepted "a private town way from the Gate Between Mr. Nathaniel Bordmans house and Barn a Cross the Brook to the Gate in the road that Leads to the Meeting House."
MAIN STREET runs through the centre of the town, from its junction with Haverhill and Ipswich Streets to Boston Street. A small portion of this street was laid out in con- nection with a part of Salem Street in 1656 when the road was laid out from the bridge near Wm. Towne's up to the meeting house on Meeting House Lane. The part from the present Common to Salem Street was laid out by the select- men, August 5, 1703, who "laid out a Country Road from our
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Meeting House to the Town Bridg over ye River and so on as the road now gose through out Town to Salem Line." The first mention of the portion extending from High Street to Haverhill and Ipswich Streets, is Oct. 3, 1717. That portion from Salem Street to Boston Street was laid out June 8, 1827, by the County Commissioners.
MAPLE STREET extends from Main Street across Boston Street to Central Street. So called from the fine maple trees which are on both sides of the street from Main to Boston Streets. This street was some time known as Frank's Lane. It was probably laid out in 1656 as part of the old road mentioned above. Uuder date of Oct. 26, 1699, a way was laid out from Thomas Perkins' to the way below Ens. Towne's. It began "at Thomas Pirkinsis . . . till we come behind his barn. and ye plaine beten path . . . to land for- merly Thos. Brownings . . . till we come ouer ffosters bridge : and then ye path that goes to Elisha Perkinsis ... through his field to ye causeway ouer ye meadow and brook . . . till we come to Sargt. Easties pasture . . . to ye Country Rode." That portion from Main to Boston Streets was widened and laid out Oct. 30, 1845 and to Central Street a year later.
McLEOD ROAD leads from Salem Street to the house of the late Norman McLeod. This was laid out about March 7, 1774, but was not accepted by the town until June 4, 1903.
MEETING HOUSE LANE runs from Howlett Street to Perkins Street. Tradition says that the first meeting house was located near the junction of Howlett Street and Meeting House Lane, hence its name. This lane was originally laid out in connection with Howlett Street, though an old way must have existed here sometime before March 21, 1692/3 when a highway was laid out, "from Sargt. Samuell Howletts by John Wildes his house."
MILL STREET runs from Washington Street to the Box- ford line. So called from the mill located at the Boxford end of the street. An old way existed here probably as early as 1670, as the iron works were located at the Boxford end before that time, but no record appears of a lay out until January 19, 1767. It was made as follows: "Beginning at Fishing brook bridge (so call'd) to land of the heirs of Danll Gould, and land of Joseph Gould to the County road near John Goulds Barn." Another lay out was made in 1786 and again in 1813. It was accepted Dec. 1, 1847, by the County Commissioners. At the regular town meeting held in March, 1939, by request of the selectmen of Boxford the name Mill Street was changed to Lockwood Lane.
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NORTH STREET extends from Ipswich Street to the Ips- wich town line. An early order for a lay out must have been made as would appear from the following entry : "At a Lawfull Towne meeting ye 9 of July 1667. The Inhabitance of ye Towne hath left to ye descretion of the selectmen or maior part of them to Lay out a hie way from ye Common ground Which Lys on ye south sid of mile brooke ouer againsts Goodman Dorman and sargt pebodys to Ensigne Howlett brooke notwithstanding any former towne order Whatsoeuer." This order was not carried out until June 22, 1714. It may have been a portion of the way named in a petition dated March 15, 1762. It stated that a great number of gates and barns "on the south Roade leading from Andover through Boxford and Topsfield to Ipswich" was a great hin- drance to travelling especially as it led to the Probate office in Ipswich. The way was laid out from the house of Amos Kimball at the Andover-Boxford line to the road to Ipswich town bridge. That part through what is now Ipswich and North Streets, began at the Topsfield meeting house, then passed by Rev. Mr. Emerson's and the common to Thomas Baker's, by land of Peabody, Bachelor, Thomas Symonds, Capt. Perkins, Hobbs and Howlett to the bridge on the Ips- wich line. From here it passed land of Israel Clark, Hobbs, and Lieut. Lamson to Gravelly Brook bridge and so on into the town of Ipswich. 2 The County Commissioners under date of March 8, 1836, in connection with Ipswich and Oak Streets, laid the street from its junction with Ipswich Street to its junction with Oak and Boston Streets and to the Ipswich line on October 14, 1856.
ROAD LEADING FROM NORTH STREET TO THE HOUSE OF FRANCIS C. FRAME. The following record presumably refers to this road : "Beginning at the corner of a wall by the Ipswich Road, said wall separating a field from an avenue leading to said Jacob Symonds house thence Northerly and Westerly by and with said wall as it now stands separat- ing said field from said avenue thirty-one and a half rods to a corner of said avenue to land of said Lydia Lord the said road to be and extend two rods Southwesterly of the above described line." November 18, 1845.
OAK STREET runs from Boston Street to Ipswich Street and sometimes known as Camp Meeting Road, from the fact that a Methodist camp meeting was held beside it over sixty years ago. This was the old way to Ipswich and was laid out in
2 Records of Court of General Sessions.
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connection with North Street, in accordance with a vote passed at a meeting held July 9, 1667, though the actual lay out did not take place until June 22, 1714. This street was altered somewhat by the County Commissioners, March 8, 1836, when they laid it out in connection with Ipswich and North Streets.
PARK STREET extends from Main Street to Summer Street. At a town meeting held September 27, 1872, it was voted that the Commissioners finish the roads prayed for before January 1, 1873. This was laid out in connection with Summer Street. "Beginning near the house of the heirs of T. P. Munday and running parallel with the railroad 60 feet wide to the next new street.
PEMBERTON STREET was laid out in 1926. It is not a through way and extends from South Main Street toward the Turnpike.
PERKINS STREET runs from High Street, at the junction of Central Street, to Ipswich Street. So called from the fact that a portion of the street was called Perkins Row as the ad- joining land and houses were owned by people bearing that name. The easterly part of this street is sometimes known as Bonny's Feather Bed Road. The portion from Meeting House Lane to Ipswich Street must have been the old way to Ipswich, and was probably the first road laid out in the town. As early as March 2, 1653, in connection with a transfer of land from William Paine of Ipswich to John Redington of Topsfield, mention is made of a way, probably some portion of what is now Perkins Street. The first mention of this street in the town records is not till March 7, 1692-3. It extended "from Sargt Samuell Houlets by John Wilds to William Houlets brook." That portion sometimes known as Perkins Row was laid out to connect with the above road on May 29, 1694, when the "selectmen stated a way from Thomas Pirkins his house to ye roade to old father Wilds." That part of Perkins Street extending from Meeting House Lane to Howlett Street was laid out September 15, 1843.
A ROAD FROM PERKINS STREET TO THE COLLEGES, sometime known as College Road, was laid out March 27, 1791. Nathaniel Averell "Shewing that he Labours under a great disadvantage in getting to meeting and to market for want of a convenient way to pass in without Trespassing on his Neigh- bours, after Viewing said way and consideration thereon have Laid out a way from Averell's house through land of John Bradstreet, Moses Bradstreet and Robert Perkins Junr to the road by said Perkins' tan house." This way was discontinued by vote of the town March 7, 1904.
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A ROAD LEADING FROM PERKINS STREET TO THE BRADSTREET HOUSE NOW OWNED BY THOMAS E. PROCTOR was accepted by the town at a meeting held May 8, 1793. The selectmen's return reads, that, "Whereas John Bradstreet and Dudley Bradstreet of Topsfield by their peti- tion to the Selectmen of said Town Shewing that they Labour under a disadvantage in getting to mill to meeting and to Market for want of a Convenient way to pass in, after viewing said way and Consideration thereon have Laid out a way near the dwelling house of the Said John and Dudley Brad- street to the Road near the tan yard of Robert Perkins Jnr. Said way is Laid out through Land of the heirs of Samuel Bradstreet decsd with Liberty to keep up a good gate for the term of three years." This road was discontinued by vote of the town at a special meeting held April 17, 1899.
PINE STREET extends from Ipswich Street to Haverhill Street. It was petitioned for April 23, 1872, and laid out by the County Commissioners.
POND STREET runs from Haverhill Street to Ipswich line. So named from Hood's pond, which lays to the south of the street. The westerly portion of this street was laid out orig- inally in connection with Haverhill Street. Under date of March 16, 1668-9 a highway was laid from, "Topsfield meeting house, along vnder the No. East syde of the Hill called bare Hill, along as the trees are marked, over the brooke by Eph- raim Dormans House and so along the plane called the Pine plaine, trees being marked to the end of Baker's Pond, and over the brooke at the pond end, by William Pritchetts house, as the trees are marked, vnto the highway yt comes betwene Andover & Ipswich." The easterly portion, lying in Ipswich, was laid out in 1652, by order of the General Court. This street was laid out by the County Commissioners on June 28, 1821.
PROSPECT STREET extends from Main Street to River Street. So called from the fine view from the hill over which the street runs. This way was not laid out as a public road until 1835, but a way was laid back of the hill March 4, 1706-7. It was to extend "from ye lift in ye fence between Zacheus Perkinses Land & Henry Lakes Land over ye Brook to ye lift where Zacheus Perkinses goes out of his own Land." The way was accordingly laid out, "but Zacheus Perkins being very obstinate in the matter; and ye Selectmen not willing to do that which would bring great charge upon ye Town; Have lay'd the above mentioned Way in another place; viz; where Zacheus Perkins was not only ffree that it should be;
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but did promise to make the Causey upon his own cost from the side of ye Brook to ye upland on ye side of said Brook. It began at ye Road where the Line runs between Zacheus Perkinses Land & John Robinsons Land; then throu Sd Per- kinses ffence ; doth turn of to ye right ; upon ye land of Widow Hanah Clarke and Henry Lake; to ye way whic comes down Billingsgate Hill from Henry Lake to Zacheus Perkinsis House." This last mentioned way might have come down through the pasture on the right as you now go up Billings- gate Hill. Traces of an old road at the extreme center of this pasture were discovered some years ago. The way probably went along under Billingsgate, or as it is frequently called, Price's hill, and so by the Stanley cellars, and out into what is now River Street near Slough brook. This way was altered somewhat March 3, 1740-1. On October 14, 1835, a petition was presented to the town asking that the bridle way over the hill be laid out according to law, and it was accepted.
REA ROAD runs from the former residence of Thomas W. Peirce to Boston Street. Israel Rea formerly lived in this house, hence the name applied to the road. The laying out of this road was agitated at different times, but the only rec- ord of any importance is the record of a meeting held May 15, 1827, when it was voted: That the way laid out the 30th day of April last by the Selectmen on the petition of Israel Rea be accepted on condition that the Selectmen can agree with Sylvester Cummings to take a reasonable sum for damages, but it was not accepted until Aug. 23, 1856.
RIDGE STREET, so called from the fact that it runs along a ridge for some distance, runs from Ipswich Street across Boston Street to Perkins Street. The record of this lay out is the earliest upon the town records, though only a portion of it was laid out at first. March 19, 1666-7, "Thomas perkins ffrancies pebody and John Gould are Chosen to Vew and a gree with Daniel Borman for a hie way betwene William Auerill hous and the mill throw his ground as they shall see most Convienyant." Another mention of this way is on March 14, 1678-9 when the "selactmen haue ordered and here by declare that wher as there was a way layd down bettwene Mr perkenes orchard and William Averis land which thay Conceue to be Coman Land no man shall fence it in for thare proper vse but it shall Remain Coman still tell the towne do order it other wase." The entire lay out was made in 1694 when: "The Selectmen of Topsfield being desired to renew and state a horse way from ye roode as lyeth by old father Wilds his house to goe along by ye mill," met and agreed.
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RIVER STREET, so called from the fact that the road follows the Ipswich river for some distance, extends from Salem Street to the Boxford town line. March 27, 1771, the selectmen laid out the road: "Begining at an ancient Town way, between land of David Balch and Henry Bradstreet, from thence to land of Eliezer Lake, thence west . . which comes a little below the gate near to Zaccheus Goulds house, thence the way is to Extend on westerly . .. to the Town way that leads to fishing brook bridge, with Liberty to hang convenient cart gates, and we have allowed no Damage to any persons for land, but as the stone wall against the land of Henry Bradstreet and the stone wall against the land of John Cree & Elijah Porters as they now stand, are in some places within the line of said way, and in case any Surveyor shall at any time hereafter think proper to remove said wall, it shall be removed and rebuilt on line, on the Towns cost, and in our opinion in the same way and manner as the In- habitants work out their highway Rat." Again under date of June 19, 1799 is recorded : "Whereas Roger Balch of Tops- field has made application to us the subscribers Selectmen of said Topsfield to lay out a Private way for him to pass and repass in to a certain tract of Pasture and tillage land owned by said Balch which he cannot pass and repass to and from without trespassing on his Neighbours after viewing the prem- ises and consideration thereon have Layed out a way as follows (viz) beginning at the Southwest corner of Rogers & John Balch dwelling house by the County Road . .. and we have Estimation the damages as follows . . . also referring to said John all the potatoes that shall grow on said road the present year; Roger Balch not to improve the road for any other purpose than passing and repassing for one year."
ROWLEY STREET runs from Haverhill Street to the Ips- wich town line it being the old road to Rowley. This street was first laid out October 3, 1717 when the Selectmen "went and laid out a country Road from Ipswich line, near ye uper end of Mr. Bakers Pond so called along as ye way now goes to Lieut. Ephraim Dormans and so on as the Road now goes to Capt. John Hows." The County Commissioners laid out the street again on June 18, 1821, and it was straightened Sep- tember 26, 1876.
ROWLEY BRIDGE STREET extends from River Street to the Danvers town line. The street was named on account of the bridge across the Ipswich river which was so called from the fact that it was on the old way to Rowley Village, now Boxford. The earliest part of the road was probably that
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which was a portion of the old way from Balch's bridge to the Middleton line, being that section between Hill Street and Copper Mine Road. The eastern end of Rowley Bridge Street towards the Danvers line was first laid out February 20, 1727/8 as a part of the "way from Mr. Nathaniel Porters land to ye Southerly end of Mr. Jacob Towns House Lot," the latter being the southern end of Hill Street. It was laid out one rod wide on the southerly end of the lots of common land, then owned by David Balch, Widow Dorothy, Jacob and Jesse Dorman, William Rogers and David Cummings and Jacob Redington to what is now Hill Street and one rod on Porter's land.
At a meeting held March 3, 1740/1 the town accepted the selectmen's report "about the Difficulty of the way that was formerly Laid out for Mr. Nathll Porter to Come to Meeting in the Town Doe Now Agree to Alter the Said Way, from Mr. Porters till it Comes to the Southerly End of Mr. Jacob Townes & Mr. Jacob Redingtons Land viz. from Mr. Nathaniel Porters through Mr. Joseph Herricks Land and so into ye way Lately Laid out for Mr. Joseph Herrick and Nathaniel Porter Junr to Come to Meeting in." An old way was laid out much earlier than the present road. It began at what is now Copper Mine Road near the Joseph Town house, passed along to the west of the present street by the houses then standing on the way and came out near the bridge. A lay out was accepted by the town March 3, 1767, from near the Copper Mine Road into the present River and Washington Streets: "beginning at the way in Samuel Cummings land on the easterly side of said way in Land of Samuel Towne Jnr north . . . to land of Thomas Mower thence north . . . in land of Daniel Lake by land of Jacob Kimball . . . then North . . . in Land of Simon Gould ... then North in land of David Balch & Eliezer Lake . . to the River a little below the Bridge then North in land of John Gould, Simon Gould . . . Joseph Gould . . . and Zacheus Gould ... to the Road leading from fishing brook so call'd to Topsfield Meeting house." This street was laid out as a County Road on September 3. 1775. It was new run and accepted by the town June 16, 1802 and was again laid out April 14, 1829, in 1873 and on December 24, 1883.
SALEM STREET runs from Main Street to the Danvers town line. So called from the fact that it was the old way to Salem, though the road formerly went in by the Dwinell cellars, about six hundred feet in from the present way. The first part was laid out on "ye 4th of 5th month 1656" when it was "ordered and Granted that there shall be a way foure
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rod wide from the forde nigh to the House of William Towne, through the lands of sd William Towns, Wm. Howard, Jacob Towne, Edmund Towne and George Buncker as it is layd out by Francis Peabody, John Redington, Edmund Towne and William Howard: at the request of the Towne." This same portion was again laid out April 2, 1711. The first lay out of any importance was under date of October 22, 1657, when it is recorded that, "We hose names are Vnder written being apointed by the too Townes to lay out a cuntrie way be twine the too Townes Salem and Topsfield We began Vpon John Porters fairme acordinge as the trees ar marked and so alonge Vpon Daniell Raises farme of too pole brod and so thoroh the Woods to a fairme of John Porters which was formerly Mr ( ?) and so thoroh the Woods to a fairme of John Porters wich was formerly Mr. Downings and so thoroh the woods to the River agains Gudmans Townes house and this we haue Don accordinge to our best descresion." This way was allowed by the Court at Salem, June 29, 1658. Under date of June 1, 1675, "Isack Estey and John Robinson and Jacob Townes are chosen and apoiynted to Vew the Way on y south sid of ye Riuer and to a Low of it as they shall see good that Way as goeth to Salam that is complained of." In the court records under date of July 23, 1675, appears the following : "We present the town of topsfeild for a defective high way : Bettwenn Salem bounds and topsfeild Bridge: Wittness Na- thaniel puttman : and James Molten Junor dismist being in- formed ye way is mended." The first lay out of the entire road, on the Topsfield records is August 5, 1703, when the selectmen "went and laid out a country Road from our Meet- ing House to the Town Bridg over ye River and so on as the Road now gose through our Town to Salem line." This road was again laid out October 23, 1719. Under date of March 6, 1744, a way was laid out "at the Request of Michael Dwinel Junr . . . for ye said Michael to come to meeting." The street was again laid and accepted by the County July 13, 1807, and again June 8, 1827. This last lay out changed the road considerably, and the present road, in part, was made new road at this time.
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