USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > History of the town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1868, with a genealogical register of Lexington families > Part 39
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MERRIAM'S HILL, situated about eighty rods northeasterly of
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the village, is elevated seventy or eighty feet above Main street, and affords a good view of the central part of the town. The village from this eminence presents a fine appearance. The lofty elms and other ornamental trees, which skirt the streets and shade the dwellings, give to the village an aspect peculiarly rural ; and when the trees are in full foliage the prospect is one of great beauty, exhibiting in one view neat, commodious, and even stately dwellings, embowered in shady groves, with fertile fields and wooded hills in the back ground.
HANCOCK HEIGHT. About one hundred and twenty rods northeasterly of Merriam's Hill, and forming a part of the same swell of land, rises abruptly one of the most conspicuous eleva- tions in the town. The altitude of this hill is greater than any other in the township, except the highest portions of the range between Monument and Lincoln streets ; and, rising from a lower level, and standing out isolated and alone, on the margin of the valley of Vine Brook, with an elevation of about one hundred and seventy-five feet above it, this hill has a grand and imposing appearance, and affords a magnificent prospeet. Stand- ing on its summit, you have almost the whole northern and eastern part of the town in full view. At the base, and almost under your feet, is spread out the valley of Vine Brook, showing its broad meadows, here in a high state of cultivation, and there covered with a growth of oak and maple, while on the other side is the village in its leafy beauty. Beyond, you have the plains waving with grass or grain, hill-sides adorned with orchards, or crowned with forests, - the whole dotted over with farm houses and barns to show the presence of industry and thrift. Here, too, you behold the streamlets meandering through the meadows, the roads winding among the hills, together with the school houses and the churches, showing that the mind and the heart, no less than the face of the earth, are designed for cultivation and improvement.
Nor is the prospect confined to the township. The villages of Burlington and Woburn, with the high grounds beyond, bound your prospect on the northeast. On the east you have the hills in Winchester, Mount Gilboa, and other high lands in Arlington in view ; and between these, a part of Somerville, the towering shaft on Bunker Hill, and a portion of the city of Boston may
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be seen, reflecting the rays of the rising or setting sun. To the southeast, the eye takes in the Blue Hills in Milton, the elevated lands in Newton, Prospect Hill in Waltham, and the high grounds in Weston. Towards the west and northwest the pros- peet is still more extensive. Passing over the village of Bedford, the high lands of Westford, Groton and the intermediate towns, the eye rests upon the lofty Wachusett in Princeton, the first land which meets the eye of the mariner as he approaches the coast. Farther to the north, you behold the Watatiek in Ashby, and the hills in New Ipswich ; and still farther, in the State of New Hampshire, the grand Monadnock, with brow half seen, and half concealed in clouds, fixes and bounds the view.
This hill is nearly devoid of wood, having only a few stinted pines and cedars upon it. But it has one feature which is some- what characteristic of a mountain, -a pond of lasting water upon its side, about twenty feet below its summit, containing from one to two acres. The whole of this hill has been purchased by Francis B. Hayes, Esq., of Boston, who has constructed a road nearly to its summit, cleared out the pond, and greatly improved the ground around it, thereby rendering this eminence more accessible and attractive. This hill had acquired the insig- nificant name of Granny Hill, but the inhabitants in town meeting assembled, in November, 1867, gave it the more worthy name of "Hancock Height," in honor of their first permanent minister, and his grandson, Hon. John Hancock, of Revolutionary memory, whose association with, and regard for the town, are well known and recognized.
DAVIS'S HILL, situated about half a mile northwesterly from the Common, is a fine elevation of land, rising about one hundred and forty feet above the meadow which lies at its southeasterly basc. This hill is less abrupt and broken than Hancock Height, having in many parts a tolerably good soil, which has been cultivated nearly to its summit. This elevation, like the others in the neighborhood, overlooks the village, and affords much the same prospect toward the north and west as the one last men- tioned. This range of high land continues to the southwest, and though it has several depressions, it rises, after passing the road to Concord, to an elevation greater than any land in the town. The highest parts are covered with a good growth of wood.
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FISKE HILL, situated on the road to Concord, about a mile and a third from the village, is elevated at least one hundred feet above the valley with which it is surrounded, and furnishes an extensive view to the north, west, and south. The old road over which the British passed in their expedition to Concord in 1775, wound its way up the sides of this hill, and passed the ridge not far below its highest elevation. Near the summit of this hill, Colonel Smith attempted to rally his flying troops, and make a stand against his pursuers. But his efforts were fruitless. His troops were soon put to flight, and he was severely wounded.
There are several hills of considerable elevation in the southerly part of the town, near the old Concord turnpike, which command views more or less extensive. One on the farm of Mr. Webster Smith, known as the Phinney Place, furnishes a prospect from northwest to southeast of seventy or eighty miles, from the Blue Hills in Milton to the mountains in New Hampshire.
LORING'S HILL, about half a mile southerly from the centre of the town, rises somewhat abruptly from the meadows which skirt Vine Brook, to the height of about one hundred and fifty feet. It is covered with wood ; and the underbrush having been removed, it affords a delightful ramble for those who seek the cooling shade, to meditate upon the beauties of nature. An Observatory has been erected on the hill, from which a fine view is presented in every direction.
There is a range of high lands on the southerly side of the great road leading to Boston, commencing a little southeasterly of the Town Hall, which, though interrupted by several depres- sions, extends into Arlington. The swell above the old Munroe . Tavern is considerably elevated, and overlooks the village and a large portion of the town. It was on the northern declivity of this hill, that Lord Percy placed one of his field pieces on the 19th of April, 1775 ; and from this spot threw his shot in every direction, where he could discover any of the Americans assembling, - one of which perforated the meeting house on the Common. The elevated portions of this range, southwest- erly of the Roman Catholic church, command a prospect of great extent and rare beauty. Not only the northeasterly portion of the town, but the village of Medford with its numerous dwellings and public buildings, are displayed to view. Nor
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rests the prospect here ; the city of Lynn, and the dark blue ocean beyond, whitened by the sails of the hardy fishermen and the enterprising merchants, give variety and grandeur to the scene. -
MOUNT INDEPENDENCE, near the East Village, rises abruptly about one hundred and thirty feet above the main street. It is nearly opposite the church, and commands a full view of the village, and the high lands on the opposite side of the broad meadows which spread out on each side of Mill Brook. But while Main street, on which are situated the principal houses in the village, lies at the foot of this eminence, and the eye of the beholder on the summit can observe every movement in the village, a more distant prospect attracts the attention ; and in the openings among the hills in Arlington, the growing village of Medford rises in full view. The prospect from this hill is truly delightful, and the people in that part of the town have shown their good sense in giving it a name worthy of its character, and the town where it is situated. On the 4th of July, 1824, a piece of ordnance was presented by a citizen of the village, for the use of the inhabitants ; and the name of "Mount Indepen- dence " was given to this hill, under the folds of the Stars and Stripes, and amid the roar of cannon and the huzzas of the citizens. It was near the foot of this hill, that the British on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, committed one of their first acts of aggression, by disarming one of the Lexington Militia, (Mr. Benjamin Wellington,) who was on his way to join his fellow townsmen in arms at the Common.
Farther to the south, this elevated range rises still higher, with a more extended prospect, particularly to the south and east, enabling the eye to take in the villages of Newton, and the great extent of beautiful country intervening. At the lower end of the East Village, this range is considerably depressed, but soon rises again as it approaches the line of Arlington, giving a good view toward the north.
There is one peculiarity common to almost every elevation in town. We have seen that the rock formation was greenstone, which generally cropped out upon the sides of these hills. The feature to which we now refer is, that on or near their summits are masses of greenstone quite unlike, in form and appearance,
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what is found on their sides. While the latter are rough and angular, the rock upon the summit is more compact and smooth, having the upper surface flattened, as though it had been ground off by some immense power. This appearance of the rock is ascribed by geologists to the glaciers which, during what is denominated the " drift period," passed over this portion of the country, and by their enormous weight ground down the tops of these rocky elevations, carrying away the loose and broken frag- ments, and leaving the solid summits flattened and comparatively smooth.
Such is the topography of Lexington, and it may with truth be said, that few towns within thirty miles of Boston contain so much to attract the attention, please the eye, and gratify the taste, so far as natural scenery is concerned. Though it is within half an hour's ride of the city, it is as rural, as quiet, and apparently as retired, as though it were fifty miles in the interior. Though the village is well settled, having more than a hundred dwelling houses within half a mile of the Common, five minutes' ride in almost any direction brings you into scenery entirely rural, and leads you to fancy yourself far in the country. Having no manufactures in the town, there is but little of that floating population found in many of our towns. The inhabitants being mostly farmers, or gentlemen doing business in Boston, we have less of tumult and commotion than most places in the vicinity - the only bustle being a few minutes in each day on the departure and arrival of the cars.
Being an elevated township, the water is pure and the air salubrious ; and hence Lexington in all periods of her history has been regarded as one of the most healthy places in the vicinity. This fact is so well known and acknowledged, that invalids from the city frequently resort here for the improvement of their health. The topography of the country, the rural scenery, the orderly quiet of the place, and the purity of the atmosphere, render Lexington a desirable place of residence.
The sanitary character of the town may be seen in the longevity of its inhabitants. In 1776, among the recorded deaths were one person aged 88 years, one aged 84, three aged 83, and two aged 79. Between 1779 and 1790 inclusive, there were one aged 96, one aged 95, one aged 93, two aged 92, three aged 90,
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one aged 88, and four aged 85. Nor was this longevity confined to the last century. In 1819, there were among the recorded deaths, one person aged 99, one aged 94}, and two aged 94; and in 1822, two aged 92. In the Church Records of 1835 is the following entry : "Deaths during the preceding fifteen years, three hundred and twenty-one. Over 80 years of age, forty ; over 90, ten ; 95, one ; 99, one.
In 1854, there died in Lexington persons of the following ages : one of 80, one of 87, one of 90, one of 92, and one of 95 ; in 1855, one of 86, one of 88; in 1856, one of 93, one of 81, one of 80; in 1858, one of 82, one of 83, one of 88, and one of 91; in 1860, one of 82, one of 83, and one of 88; in 1861, two of 80, one of 81, one of 86, and one of 92; in 1862, one of 85, and two of 86; in 1863, one of 83, and one of 87; in 1864, one of 83, and one of 87 ; in 1865, one of 80, one of 82, and two of 84; in 1866, two of 80, one of 91, and one of 93. One other case deserves mention. Mary Sanderson, great- grand-daughter of William Munroe, the original emigrant, died October 15, 1852, aged 104 years and 5 days. By the State Census just published, it appears that Lexington, in 1865, with a population of 2,220, had the following number of persons of the ages there specified : Between the ages of sixty and seventy, 127 ; between seventy and eighty, 83; between eighty and ninety, 32 ; between ninety and one hundred, 3.
We have already seen, that Lexington was incorporated, March 20, 1712, Old Style, which, by our present mode of reckoning, would be March 31, 1713. It took its name from Robert
1 It may be interesting to some to state the occasion for the change from Old to New Style. The Julian Year consisted of three hundred and sixty-five days and six hours - making the year too long by about eleven minutes. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII attempted to reform the Calendar. From the time of the Couneil of Niee to the time of Gregory, this excess of eleven minutes amounted to ten days. In order to obviate this error, it was ordained that the year 1582 should consist of only three hundred and sixty-five days, and that ten days, between the 4th and 14th of October, should be thrown out of the Calendar for that year ; and also to prevent any further irregularity, that no year commenc- ing a century should be leap-year, excepting each four hundredth year ; whereby three days are abated every four hundred years, that being nearly equal to eleven minutes for every year during that period, leaving an error of only one day in five thousand two hundred years.
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Sutton, who bore the title of LORD LEXINGTON. The family of Lexington, of which Sir Robert was, in the female line, the representative, was of considerable antiquity and note in Eng- land. Robert Sutton, Baron de Lexington, lived in the time of Henry III. and died June 4, 1250, without issue. John de Lexington, a younger brother of Robert, was four times appointed Keeper of the Seal by the King. Another brother, Henry de Lexington, was Bishop of Lincoln in 1254. With this generation the line of Lexington became extinct. But a sister, Alice, married Roland de Sutton, from whom descended Robert, Lord Lexington. His father was made Baron of Lex- ington by Charles I. and died 1688. Robert was his only son, and sustained several important offices, the duties of which he discharged with ability and honor. In 1698, he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary to the Imperial Court of Vienna, where he remained till the peace of Ryswick, when he returned to England, and was appointed one of the Lords of the Bedcham- ber. He was, in 1712, selected to conduct the negotiations with Spain. He died in 1723.
When the Precinct of North Cambridge was incorporated as a town in 1713, Lord Lexington was in the very height of his popularity, and his name was familiar among all who stood near the throne. A custom is said to have prevailed in Massachusetts in those days, when a town was incorporated, to pass the Order or Aet, and send it to the Governor with a blank for the name
The Calendar before the days of Gregory was called the Julian, after Julius Cæsar, who regulated it, and has since the change been commonly denominated Old Style, and the Calendar of Gregory has been denominated New Style. Though the New Style was at once adopted in Romish countries, such was the prejudice of Great Britain to the Romanists, that it was not adopted by her or in her Colonies till 1752. Previous to that year, two methods of beginning the year prevailed in England; the ecclesiastical and legal year beginning on the 25th of March, and the historical year on the 1st of January. The change of Style adopted by England in 1752, fixed the 1st of January as the commencement of the year, and abolished the distinction between the legal and historical year.
This difference in the commencement of the respective years, led to a system of double dating from the 1st of January to the 25th of March - thus : January 10, 1724-5 or 1723, the 4 denoting the ecclesiastical, and the 5 the historical year. From 1582 to 1699 the difference in the Styles was ten days; from 1700 to 1800, eleven days; and since. 1800, twelve days. In changing Old to New Style, care should be taken not to confound the centuries. Many mistakes have arisen from not regarding the century in which the event occurred.
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to be filled by him. Joseph Dudley was at that time Governor of the Province, and the fame of Lord Lexington would naturally suggest his name to any Chief Magistrate as a suitable one for the town. But there is another reason why Governor Dudley should wish to do honor to the popular English negotiator, viz. they were distant relatives ; the Dudleys being of the Sutton family, and taking the surname of Dudley from the Barony of that name. So that the name of Lexington given to this town, would, if given by the Legislature, be a compliment to the Governor, and if given by the Governor himself, would be a compliment to his friend and relative.
But little thought they when they were honoring a British Lord, by giving his name to this township, that LEXINGTON was to become a watchword for freemen throughout British America. It has been stated elsewhere that the deeds of the 19th of April so warmed the hearts of the hardy hunters in the wilds of Ken- tucky, that they baptized their camp by the name of Lexington. The veneration for this town, and for the associations which cluster around it, has been such, that the authorities of remote States have recurred to the opening scene of the Revolution, and have given to a portion of their territory the name of our own beloved town. Hence, we have twenty-two counties, cities, and towns by the name of Lexington, scattered over every section of our wide, extended country, including the Pacific States - a fact of which the inhabitants of old Lexington have just reason to be proud.
The Public Buildings are not remarkable for their size or beauty. The number of churches in the town is five, - three in the Centre, and two in the East Village. The church of the First parish, situated on Elm Avenue, which separates it from the Common, is a neat edifice, sixty-eight feet long by fifty- four feet wide, with a vestibule twenty-two by twenty-cight fect. The steeple is about one hundred and thirty feet high, and its architectural proportions have generally been admired by critics in such matters. The view on the opposite page, taken from the Common, with the dwelling of Mr. Bowen Harrington on the right, and that of Mr. S. W. Robinson on the left, with the trees and monument in front, shows the church and its surroundings to good advantage.
CHURCH OF THE FIRST PARISH.
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The Follen Church, as it is frequently called, from Dr. Follen, who furnished the design, situated in the East Village, is a singular structure. It is an octagon in form, and had a steeple of lattice-work, presenting an appearance rather peculiar, but not unpleasant to the eye. This house has recently been remodelled, and the lattice steeple superseded. The three remaining churches are rather small, though respectable in their appearance. The School Houses in the town are all compara- tively new, having been erected within the last eighteen years, and contain the improvements of modern houses. The house recently erected in the East Village is a good specimen of architecture.
The Town Hall, situated partly between the two villages, for the purpose of accommodating both, but in fact accommodating neither, is a structure of rather fantastic appearance, having some elements of architectural beauty, but is on the whole poorly adapted to the purpose for which it was erected. It has one large and commodious Hall, but' the rest of the building is so constructed as to be of but little use. The site is a pleasant one, and the cost of the building was enough to have insured better accommodations than it now affords.
The dwelling houses in the town are generally good, and are for the most part kept well painted, and in a good state of repair. The largest and most attractive house was that owned by Dr. Dio Lewis, situated on Main street, in the centre of the town. It was erected for a Hotel, and for a number of years was well filled with boarders. It was a three story building, having two extensive wings, and was surmounted by a cupola. In 1864, it was purchased by Dr. Lewis, and fitted up for a school for young ladies. The buildings and grounds were greatly improved, and everything was done by the owner to make the place attractive. But on the 7th of September, 1867, it was burned down, to the great regret of the inhabitants.
There are several private residences in the village which would naturally attract the attention of a stranger, as they add mate- rially to the appearance of the place. The house owned and occupied by Mr. David W. Muzzey, some twenty rods easterly of Dr. Lewis's establishment, surrounded as it is by an extensive and beautiful lawn, makes a fine appearance.
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As you approach the Common from the southeast, on your right, three or four rods from the street, a large and commanding dwelling house, whose general appearance and style of archi- teeture betoken age, meets your eye. It is the old Buckman Tavern of the Revolution. Here many of Captain Parker's men congregated on the evening of the 18th of April, 1775; and here several of the wounded British soldiers were conveyed on the afternoon of the 19th. To this house a few soldiers fled when driven from the Common, and here they returned the British fire, a recognition of which by the foe is attested by the perforated elapboards still visible on the house.
THE MERRIAM HOUSE.
This place was long occupied as a tavern, and here was located the first Post Office in the town. The place is now owned and occupied by the heirs of Rufus Merriam, and though the house has stood for a long period, it is in a good state of preservation, and makes an imposing appearance.
Passing up Hancock Street, the residence of the late General Samuel Chandler would at once attract the attention of a stranger.
RUSSELLSC
LATE RESIDENCE OF MR. CHARLES O. WHITMORE.
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It is a large commodious house with a tower about fifty feet high, situated eight or ten rods from the street, on elevated ground, and commands a fine prospect. It is one of the hand- somest sites in the village. Its approach from the street is by a circular driveway, bordered by a hedge of arbor-vitæ, which partially hides the building as you enter from the street, and so produces a pleasant effect as you approach the house.
The cottage of Mr. James Sumner, nearly opposite the Chan- dler Place, though irregular, and a little fantastic in its appear- ance, is a neat and attractive dwelling, displaying fine taste, and is calculated to arrest the attention of a passer-by.
A few rods from General Chandler's, on the same side of the street, is situated the largest and most attractive dwelling house in the town. It was owned, and the grounds beautified and adorned by Charles O. Whitmore, Esq., of Boston, who occu- pied the place as a summer residence for several years. He sold it to Edward Lawrence, Esq., of Charlestown, who now makes it his summer residence. He has made further improvements upon the place. The grounds are handsomely laid out in drive- ways and paths, and ornamented with groves of forest trees. In the rear of the house are a fine garden with fruit trees and' flowers, a convenient stable and carriage house, with grass plats and a water pool, and whatever is pleasing to the sight and gratifying to the taste. There is also an elevation covered by a growth of pines, which affords a pleasant rural retreat.
On the opposite side of the street, a few rods above the house of Mr. Lawrence, is the residence of the late John Muzzey, now owned and occupied by Mr. Charles A. Fowle. It is situated on a point of land nearly level with the street, extending a few rods into the more depressed ground, and connected in the rear with a narrow ridge of land which our friends at the West would call an "oak opening," which makes a pleasant summer arbor. The house is tastefully constructed, and the grounds, though somewhat circumscribed, are handsomely laid out ; and the venerable and stately elms standing by the roadside, give the whole a fine appearance.
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