USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1858-1871, v. 2 > Part 4
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Of the land of Charles Wilder 531 sq.ft.
Of the land of John Shephard
737
Of the land of William Amory next north of Hyde Park avenue
1100
66
Next north of Samuel A. Walker's land 782 66
1882
66
Of the land of Henry Taylor
2265
Of the land of S. S. Ridgeway
1697 66
Of the land of John S. Wright
2092
Of the land of Samuel A. Walker
821 66
Of the land of Elias Merwin, assignee of S. Nicholson
1231 66
Of the land of E. Richmond .
1225 66
Of the estate occupied by Mrs. H. S. Crowninshield and belonging partly to her and partly to heirs of the late George C. Crowninshield, deceased
9275 66
And we have awarded to the following persons the sums placed against their names, as payment in full for land taken and any and all damages they may sustain by the laying out and grading of said town- way :
To Charles Stearns, Senior
$266 00
To Charles Stearns, Junior
55 00
To David Sears, Senior . 45 00
To owners of estate occupied by Mrs. Geo. Adams 425 00
To Samuel Fowle
26 00
To Mrs. H. S. Crowninshield and the heirs of George C. Crowninshield
775 00
To E. Richmond
100 00
To Elias Merwin, assignee of Nicholson
10 00
To William Amory
25 00
To Samuel A. Walker
.00
To John S. Wright .
11 00
To S. S. Ridgeway
7 00
To Henry Taylor
100 00
To John Shepherd
8 00
To Charles Wilder
25 00
To Mrs. G. W. Rives and David Sears, Jr., we make no award as they have agreed to release the town from all damages for the laying out of said townway.
Total amount of awards · And estimate the cost of the grading of said townway to be
$1,919 00
1,500 00
$3,419 00
39
Annual Meeting, March 28, 1859.
And we allow the several owners of the land aforesaid until the first day of June next to remove the loam, walls, fences and trees now stand- ing on the land so taken for said townway.
And the said townway is hereby reported to the town for their accept- ance, and when accepted and recorded is forever after to be known as a public townway.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHALL STEARNS, HOWARD S. WILLIAMS, W. A. HUMPHREY, THOMAS PARSONS, Selectmen of Brookline.
Voted, To accept and allow Pleasant street, as laid out by the Selectmen.
The Sixth Article :
To see if the town will accept and allow Cypress street, as laid out and widened by the Selectmen between Washington and Boylston streets.
The following report of the Selectmen, in relation to the laying out and widening said way, was then taken from the the table and read, to wit :
REPORT OF WIDENING CYPRESS STREET, BROOKLINE.
We, the subscribers, Selectmen of the town of Brookline, have ordered that the public townway known as Cypress street be widened as shown on a plan thereof dated Feb. 3d, 1859, drawn by Amos R. Binney, sur- veyor, and approved and accepted by us as Selectmen of the town of Brookline Feb. 7th, 1859 : By taking, on the southeasterly side of said street, land of Moses Jones, land of the Charles River Branch Railroad, land of Samuel A. Walker, land of the heirs of Searle, and land of James Edmond, so that the southeasterly line of said street shall be as follows :
Commencing at the northeasterly line of Boylston street at a monu- ment placed seven and one tenth (7 1-10) feet easterly from the old line of street and running northeasterly one hundred nine four-tenths (109 4-10) feet to a monument; thence running northeasterly seventy-three (73) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly fifty-one eight- tenths (51 8-10) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly fifty-three eight-tenths (53 8-10) feet to a monument; thence again more northerly ninety (90) feet to a monument on the southerly line of the location of the Charles River Branch Railroad; thence again running northeasterly twenty-six five-tenths (26 5-10) feet to a monument on the northerly line of the location of C. R. B. R. R. ; thence again running north- easterly eighteen two-tenths (18 2-10) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly one hundred forty-nine (149) feet to a monument placed on the old line of the street; thence again running northeasterly
40
Brookline Town Records.
along the old line of location six hundred thirty-two (632) feet to a monument placed on the southerly line of land of S. A. Walker; thence again running northeasterly one hundred and twenty-eight (128) feet to a monument placed in the southerly line of the land of the heirs of Searle ; thence again running northeasterly one hundred twenty-five (125) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly along the old line of street ninety-three six-tenths (93 6-10) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly one hundred forty one-tenth (140 1-10) feet to the face of the northeasterly granite post of the gateway of the estate of Edmond; thence again running northeasterly one hundred and ten four- tenths (110 4-10) feet along the old line of location to the southerly line of Washington street.
And that said Cypress street be widened on its northeasterly side by taking land of Moses Jones, land of heirs of Samuel Craft, and land of W. G. Appleton, so that the northeasterly line of said street shall be as fol- lows : Commencing at the northeasterly line of Boylston street at a point forty-two' six-tenths (42 6-10) feet westerly from the starting point of the previously described southeasterly line of street, and running north- easterly along the old line of location of the street to a monument placed at the southerly line of land of Moses Jones ; thence running northeast- erly one hundred and fifty-two (152) feet to a monument; thence running northeasterly six hundred sixty-two (662) feet to a monument at the northeasterly line of said Jones ; thence again running northeasterly two hundred twenty-two (222) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly one hundred twenty-two four-tenths (122 4-10) feet to a monument; thence again running northeasterly one hundred sixteen feet three-tenths (116 3-10) to a place on the old line of location at the northerly line of land of Appleton; thence again running northeasterly along the old line of location one hundred twenty-eight seven-tenths (128 7-10) feet to the southerly line of Washington street.
And taking of the land of the abutters on said townway :
Of the land of Moses Jones on the southerly side of
the street between Boylston street and the rail-
road
. 3809
sq. ft.
North of the railroad
795
4604
On the northwesterly side of the street
5364 66
Total of land taken from Moses Jones
9968
Of the land included in the location of the Charles River Branch Railroad
327
66
Of the land of Samuel A. Walker
230
66
Of the land of heirs of Searle (118 + 668) ..
786
60
Of the land of James Edmond
239
Of the land of William Craft, agent
898
66
Of the land of William G. Appleton
1442
Of land included in the location of the private way known as Cypress place
228
41
Annual Meeting, March 28, 1859.
And we have awarded to the following persons the sums set against their names as payment in full for land taken and for all and any damage they may sustain by the widening of said townway :
Samuel A. Walker .
$28 00
Heirs of Searle estate
30 00
James Edmond
35 00
William G. Appleton
75 00
William Craft, agent for the heirs of Samuel Craft
40 00
To Moses Jones we have made no award, he having agreed to release the town from all claims for damages from widening said road, provided the town will set back his fences and wall to the new line of street, and which we estimate will cost $144.00.
Amount of awards .
$208 00
Moving Mr. Jones's fences and wall
144 00
And grading said way to be
1,085 50
Total estimated cost of widening
$1,437 50
And we allow the several owners of the land aforesaid until the 15th day of May next to remove the loam, fences and trees now standing on the land taken to widen said townway, and the said widening of the said Cypress street is hereby reported to the town for their acceptance, and when accepted and recorded the land so taken shall forever after be included in said Cypress street.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHALL STEARNS, HOWARD S. WILLIAMS W. A. HUMPHREY, THOMAS PARSONS, Selectmen of Brookline.
BROOKLINE, February 7th, 1859.
Voted, To accept and allow the widening and laying out of Cypress street between Washington and Boylston streets.
Voted, That the thanks of the town be presented to those persons living on the line of Cypress street for their liber- ality in waving all claims for damages on the line where said street is proposed to be widened.
Seventh Article taken up :
To hear and act upon the order of notice from the County Commis- sioners on the petition of E. A. Wild and others.
Voted, That it is inexpedient for the town to take any action in the matter.
42
Brookline Town Records.
The Eighth Article was then taken up :
To see what action the town will take upon the subject of the support of the Mill Dam roads after they shall be given up to the Commonwealth.
On motion of William Aspinwall, it was-
Voted, That the Selectmen be and hereby are directed to apply to the General Court to make some provisions by law for the maintenance of the Mill Dam and the roads connected therewith belonging to the Boston and Roxbury Mill Cor- poration, after said corporation shall cease to take tolls there- on, and for this purpose to make a fund from the proceeds of the sales in the Back Bay belonging to the Common- wealth ; and the Selectmen are further recommended to com- municate with the authorities of Roxbury and Brighton with the view of enlisting their support of such an application.
Ninth Article :
To see if the town will lay out Park street, or any part thereof, as a public way.
Voted, To refer the subject of the article to the Selectmen.
The Fourth Article was then taken from the table, and the Selectmen presented the following report for the considera- tion of the meeting, it having been previously laid on the table :
REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN ON THE DRAINAGE OF WALNUT AND BOYLS- TON STREETS AT THEIR JUNCTION WITH WASHINGTON STREET.
The committee appointed at the meeting of the citizens of the town of Brookline, held on the ninth day of December last, A. D. 1858, to whom was referred the Fifth Article in the warrant calling said meeting, to wit : "To see what action the town will take in relation to draining the water from Walnut and Boylston streets at the junction of Washington street," and report thereon at a future meeting. Your committee have attended to that duty, and would report as follows, to wit:
We find that the water coming down Walnut and Boylston streets passes over a small point of land belonging to Samuel A. Walker lying at the junction of Boylston and Washington streets, and thence passes through a culvert in the railroad bridge made by the Charles River Rail- road Company, thence along a paved gutter to the brook, which is the natural passageway of the water from that point, and to which we con-
43
Annual Meeting, March 28, 1859.
sider the town has a perfect legal right; but we do not consider that the town has any right to drain over the point of land at the junction of the streets.
We would therefore recommend the town to purchase a small piece of land at that point for the purpose of draining and widening the street, and we would recommend the following vote :
Voted, That the town raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars for the above purpose.
JAMES BARTLETT, Chairman Selectmen.
Voted, To accept the foregoing report.
Voted, To raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars for the purpose recommended by the Selectmen in the foregoing report.
The Chairman of the Selectmen, James Bartlett, presented the following report on the drainage of Washington street, viz. :
REPORT.
The Selectmen, to whom was referred the Fifth Article in the warrant calling the meeting of the town held on the 9th day of December last, A. D. 1858, to wit: " To see what action the town will take in relation to draining Washington street between the Town Hall and School street," would report that they have attended to that matter, and would lay before the town the various ways by which it can be done, and the price annexed, as follows, to wit :
1st. By an underground drain, taking the water to the School street drain, for the sum of $533.50.
2d. By an underground drain, taking the water to the cesspool on Harvard street, for the sum of $797.50.
3d. By grading Washington street as per the red line on the profile of said street as made for the town by the Messrs. Whitwell and Hanks, for the sum of $1,700.
Should the town decide to alter the wall in front of the Town Hall, as shown on the plan, and grade and fence the Town House lot, the cost thereof will be about $2,600.
The above modes we submit to the town for their consideration, and to adopt such plans as they think best.
Respectfully submitted,
BROOKLINE, March 26th, 1859. JAMES BARTLETT, Chairman.
Voted, To take up the Fourteenth Article, to wit :
To see if the town will take any action in relation to altering the grade of the street and changing the wall in front of the Town Hall, agreeable to plans of the same made by Amos R. Binney.
44
Brookline Town Records.
The merits of the different modes of draining the streets above named and the altering of the grade of the street and changing the wall in front of the Town Hall, were discussed at considerable length, without arriving at any definite plan, when it was-
Voted, That the further consideration of the subject of the drainage of the streets, the altering of the grade, and the changing of the wall, be laid over to the next meeting.
The Tenth Article was then taken up :
To see if the town will make any appropriation for building a school- house to accommodate the Pierce primary school.
Voted, To refer the matter of building a school-house to a committee of five persons, to be appointed by the chair.
The chair appointed the following gentlemen, viz. : Messrs. F. W. Prescott, Thomas Parsons, George F. Homer, Charles Follen, and Samuel Philbrick.
The Eleventh Article taken up, to wit :
To see if the town will take any action in relation to widening and grading Heath street.
Voted, To refer the subject of the Eleventh Article to the Selectmen as Surveyors of Highways, to take such action as they may deem proper.
The Twelfth Article taken up, to wit :
To see if the town will accept the "Act to amend an Act to authorize cities and towns to establish and maintain public libraries."
Voted, That the Act above mentioned be and hereby is accepted by this town.
Voted, To indefinitely postpone the Thirteenth Article, to wit :
To see if the town will take any action relating to building a Town Hall.
Fifteenth Article taken up, to wit :
To see if the town will take any action in relation to purchasing the whole or a part of the lot formerly occupied by the Baptist society at the junction of Harvard and Washington streets.
45
Annual Meeting, March 28, 1859.
Voted, To refer the whole subject to the Selectmen to inquire how much it will be necessary to take of the above- named lot to widen the streets in that locality, and report thereon at the adjourned meeting, and what terms the part can be obtained for.
On motion-
Voted, To reconsider the vote passed relative to the Four- teenth Article.
Voted, That the subject of the Fourteenth Article be referred to the Selectmen as Surveyors of Highways, to report thereon at the next meeting, and especially on the subject of damages.
The Sixteenth Article was then taken up, to wit :
To raise and appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
The meeting then voted the following appropriations, viz. :
To make, grade, and widen Pleasant street $3,419 00
To widen and make Cypress street 1,437 50
For the support of schools
16,275 00
For the support of poor .
800 00
For the support of highways
3,700 00
Voted, To adjourn to meet at this place on Tuesday even- ing, the fifth day of April next, at 72 o'clock in the evening.
In the voting the check-list was used, and no one was allowed to deposit his ballot until his name was found and checked.
Adjourned.
Attest : . B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
In conformity with the laws of this Commonwealth, the Town Clerk forthwith made out his warrant and delivered it to Constable Elisha Stone, requiring him to summon, within three days, all officers chosen and not already qualified, to appear before the Town Clerk within seven days from this
46
Brookline Town Records.
date and be qualified for their respective offices ; to be sworn where an oath is required by law, and to signify their acceptance or refusal of the offices to which they have respectively been chosen.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
NORFOLK, SS. BROOKLINE, April 4th, 1859.
Then personally appeared the following-named persons and were sworn at the time set against their names, or sig- nified their acceptance or refusal of the office to which they had been chosen.
School Committee. Edward A. Wild, accepted March 30, 1859.
Cemetery Committee. ( John Dustin, accepted March 31, 1859. R. A. Chace, accepted April 4, 1959.
Aaron Whitney, declined March 31, 1859.
Fire Wards. Alfred Kenrick, Jr., declined April 1, 1859.
Trustees of
Public Library.
B. F. Baker, accepted. J. Murray Howe, accepted. John N. Turner, accepted. William A. Wellman, accepted. Thomas Parsons, accepted March 30, 1859. George F. Homer, accepted March 29, 1859. William Aspinwall, accepted March 29, 1859. T. P. Chandler, accepted April 4, 1859. William I. Bowditch, accepted March 30, 1859. Amos A. Lawrence, accepted April 4, 1859. F. H. Hedge, accepted April 4, 1859. E. C. Emerson, accepted April 4, 1859.
Auditors. Charles D. Head, accepted March 31, 1859. Charles W. Scudder, accepted April 1, 1859.
Constables. § Aaron Whitney, sworn March 31, 1859. Samuel A. Walker, declined April 4, 1859. Charles Craft, sworn March 31, 1859.
Field Drivers. Charles Smith, sworn April 2, 1859. W. H. Jameson, sworn April 4, 1859.
Fence Viewer. Clark L. Haynes, sworn April 4, 1859.
Truant Officer. J. Davenport, sworn April 4, 1859.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 5, 1859.
Pursuant to adjournment, the citizens of the town of Brookline assembled in the Town Hall in said town, on Tuesday evening, the fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, and were called to
47
Adjourned Annual Meeting, April 5, 1859.
order at fifteen minutes of eight o'clock, the Moderator, William I. Bowditch, in the chair.
The first business in order being the filling of any vacan- cies in the officers chosen, by reason of their declining, was then taken up, and the following action was taken by the meeting, to wit :
Voted, To reconsider the vote whereby the town voted to have eight Constables for the ensuing year, and that the seven persons already chosen and qualified for that office be the number for the year ensuing.
Voted, To reconsider the vote whereby the town voted to have four Field Drivers for the ensuing year, and that three, the number already chosen and qualified, be the num- ber for the ensuing year.
Voted, To reconsider the vote whereby the town voted to have two Sealers of Leather for the ensuing year, and that the one already chosen and qualified be the number for the present year.
Eben W. Reed was chosen Pound Keeper.
Samuel Clark was chosen Cemetery Committee.
Philip S. Allen, John Gibbs, and Thomas S. Pettengill, were chosen Fire Wards.
Charles Pope was chosen Truant Justice.
F. W. Prescott, for the majority of the committee to whom was referred the Tenth Article in the warrant, pre- sented the following report, viz. :
REPORT.
The committee to whom was referred the subject of providing addi- tional accommodations for the Pierce Primary school would respectfully report. It is clear, from the School Committee's report, that such addi- tional accommodation is now very desirable, and will become indis- pensable after the usual addition of schools to the Pierce Grammar and Primary schools at the term following the annual examination in July.
The committee, for various reasons, would not recommend the erection of another school-house at present, and they incline to the opinion that the addition of another story to the Pierce school-house is practicable and would afford the requisite accommodations for the present and prob- ably for several years. It was impossible, in the short time allowed the committee, to agree upon any plan in detail of the proposed addition to said building, or to obtain an accurate estimate of the cost thereof ; but
48
Brookline Town Records.
1
they think, from such inquiries as they have been able to make, that the whole expense will not exceed fifty-two hundred dollars. We would therefore recommend that the sum of dollars be appropriated for the purpose of building an additional story to the Pierce school-house; that a building committee of five be appointed to take charge of the work, and that the building be done, as far as possible, during the midsummer vacation.
BROOKLINE, April 5th, 1859.
F. W. PRESCOTT. SAMUEL PHILBRICK. GEO. F. HOMER.
Voted, To accept the foregoing report.
Charles Follen submitted the following minority report from the same committee, to wit :
REPORT.
Admitting, in accordance with the opinion of the School Committee, that it may eventually be necessary to build another school-house, I be- lieve that at present and for several years to come the want may be suf- ficiently met in a less expensive way. I recommend that the present Grammar school building be enlarged by the addition of a roof story to replace the present roof. I consider it inexpedient to attempt to raise the present roof, because, though very thoroughly built, it is, from its design, from its great weight, and from the difficulty of getting a suf- ficient number of safe points of bearing, peculiarly difficult to raise, and, further, because nearly the same amount and quality of room may be got at a far less cost, the difference being according to estimates made at our request from thirteen to fifteen hundred dollars (the cost of story, with raised roof, being five thousand two hundred and sixty-five dollars), while the external appearance of the building will be much improved.
CHARLES FOLLEN.
Mr. Follen also offered the following votes in connection with his report, viz. :
Voted, That it is expedient to add to the Grammar school- house a roof story rather than either to raise the present roof or to build a new school-house, as being least expensive, affording good and ample accommodations, and improving the appearance of the building.
Voted, That the sum of four thousand dollars be appro- priated to meet the expense of building. Voted, That be a committee to super- intend the work ..
Voted, To lay the work on the table.
49
Adjourned Annual Meeting, April 5, 1859.
On motion of W. A. Wellman-
Voted, That the sum of five thousand two hundred dollars be raised and appropriated for the purpose of building an additional story to the Pierce school-house.
Voted, To reconsider the foregoing vote.
Voted, To reconsider the vote whereby the Thirteenth Article in the warrant was indefinitely postponed.
Voted, To refer the Tenth Article to a new committee.
Voted, To refer the Tenth Article to a new committee of five persons, to take the matter into consideration and report thereon at a future meeting.
Voted, That said committee be appointed by the Moder- ator.
The Moderator accordingly appointed the following gen- tlemen, viz. : Messrs. William Dwight, John N. Turner, Ginery Twitchell, Charles Follen and F. W. Prescott.
After some discussion by the meeting in reference to sub- mitting the further consideration of the Thirteenth Article to the above committee, it was-
Voted, To lay the Thirteenth Article upon the table.
The Fourteenth Article was then taken up, viz. :
To see if the town will take any action in relation to altering the grade of the street and the wall in front of the Town Hall according to plans of the same made by Amos R. Binney.
Upon which James Bartlett, Chairman of the Selectmen, presented the following report, viz. :
REPORT.
The Selectmen, to whom was referred the Fourteenth Article in the warrant calling the annual town meeting held March 28th, 1859, to wit: " To see if the town will take any action in relation to altering the grade of the street and changing the wall in front of the Town Hall, according to plans of the same made by Amos R. Binney." The Selectmen have attended to the above-mentioned business, and would report as follows : After carefully considering the subject and examining the ground, we find that the most effectual way of draining Washington street south of School street would be by lowering the grade opposite the Hall estate about eighteen inches, to raise the grade in front of the Leeds estate about thirty-six inches, and then again by lowering the grade opposite
4
50
Brookline Town Records.
Holden street about twenty-four inches, thus carrying the water over the surface of the street to the brook at the railroad bridge, according to a plan and profile of the same as made by Amos R. Binney. We have estimated the expense of grading and filling said street, including the damages to the estates of the abutters, and we think it will not exceed the sum of twenty-one hundred dollars. We therefore recommend to the town to adopt said plan of drainage. We find that in order to drain the water as aforesaid into the brook it will be necessary after crossing the railroad track to pass over ground claimed by Samuel A. Walker, as also in taking the water from Boylston and Walnut streets, and we would recommend the town to take such steps as are necessary to secure the drainage as above mentioned into the brook. We would also recommend to the town to finish the grading of the Town House lot, to fence the same, and to alter the wall in front according to plans of the same made by Amos R. Binney ; the whole expense not to exceed the sum of thirteen hundred dollars. We would state that the subject of damage to the estates of the abutters on the line of the street where the grade is altered cannot be definitely settled before such grading is finished unless the town is pleased to give whatever persons owning such estates see fit to ask, and we think that often persons ask to be paid damages when their estates are really benefited by the improvement.
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