PROPOSED NEW HISTORIC DISTRICTS
		Albree-Lawrence-Hall Farmhouse, c.1780 353 Lawrence Road In 1720 John Albree, an English immigrant, purchased a thirty-two acre tract of land containing at least one dwelling house, outbuildings, and a mill. By 1777, when his grandson John took over the property, the acreage totaled sixty-seven acres. Previous to his ownership Albree served in the Revolution in two different regiments, and also contributed financially to its support. The property remained in the Albree family until 1799 when John's brother Samuel sold the property, then containing seventy-two acres, to Nathaniel Hall. Suffering from financial reverses, Hall mortgaged and then deeded the property to his brother-in-law Peter Chardon Brooks. In 1817 Brooks made a gift of the property to his sister Joanna Hall, Nathaniel's wife. In 1819 Hall had moved from his house in Medford Square to the farm. In the mid-nineteenth century the house was owned by Peter C. Hall, whose heirs leased the property to a pig farmer. Offended by this use of the property, Samuel Crocker Lawrence purchased the farm by 1889 and incorporated it into his neighboring estate. Lawrence, Medford's most prominent citizen of the period, gave the use of the house to his property manager and kept the grounds open to the public on Sundays.
		Benjamin Hall House, c.1790 41 Mystic Avenue Built in 1752, the Benjamin Hall House originally stood on High Street at Governors Avenue and was one of five houses built for the Hall family in that location. In the 1880s, when Governors Avenue was being planned as a grand residential avenue (following the example of Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, although on a much smaller scale), the Hall House was sold and moved to its present location. On the death of his father, Andrew Hall, Benjamin Hall took over the management of the family's rum distilling business and other interests. Hall and his brothers were active in their political and financial support of the Revolution. In the nineteenth century the house was sold to Daniel Swan, a local doctor, who owned it until his death in 1864.
		Clisby-Mitchell House, c.1787 182 Forest Street Based upon exterior proportions, enclosed entry porch, and its interior, asymmetrically placed chimney, it is likely that the Clisby-Mitchell House was constructed in the 1780s. The facade is of a type sometimes referred to as one-half colonial. Although it pre-dates the adjacent Clisby-Mitchell Cottage, both houses were located on the same parcel of land which was owned by a Clisby in 1855; by Nahum Mitchell, a ship's carpenter, in 1869; and by Edward Mitchell, son of Nahum, a watch repairer in Boston, around 1900.
		Cotting-Bigelow House, c.1760 34-36 Thomas Street In its original form, the Cotting-Bigelow House resembled the Benjamin Hall House (now located at 41 Mystic Avenue) and was locateded at the corner of Salem and Forest Streets on the site of the Bigelow Block. Its center entrance was framed by fluted pilasters and a pediment similar to that of the Isaac Hall House. In the late nineteenth century, the house’s first floor was altered to accommodate stores. The house was moved to its present site sometime shortly before construction began on the Bigelow Block, around 1885.
		Edward Oakes House, c.1729 5 Sylvia Road Thought to have been built by Edward Oakes in 1728 or 1729 on land purchased from Peter Tufts, Junior, the Oakes House was originally located on Riverside Avenue near the intersection of Fourth Street. Once a fairly common building type in Medford, the city's 18th-century timber-frame houses with gambrel roofs have nearly all been demolished or significantly altered. The Oakes House, in its good state of preservation, is one of Medford's two best examples of its type, the other being the Jonathan Brooks House at 2 Woburn Street, and is the city's only remaining authentic 18th century saltbox house.
		Hatch-Sawyer House, pre-1800 306 Riverside Avenue Purchased by Nathan Sawyer from a Mrs. Hatch in 1836, the Hatch-Sawyer House is a central-chimney one-story house of a type commonly known as “Cape Cod” type houses. In Medford both this building type and period of building have few survivors, and the Hatch-Sawyer House represents the most well preserved. Although the house originated in the agrarian economy that preceded shipbuilding in Medford, its major known historical association comes from its ownership by Nathan Sawyer, whose iron working shops provided the neighboring Sprague, James, and other shipyards with various iron parts. Nathan Sawyer lived in the house until his death in 1873; his wife owned the house as late as 1889; and descendants of the family continued to occupy the house as late as 1936.
		Isaac Hall House, c.1720 43 High Street The Isaac Hall house is the last surviving 18th century building visible in Medford Square, which formed the core of the 18th century settlement in Medford. It is also the last surviving example of this area’s scale and development. Constructed at the time of Isaac’s marriage to Abigail Walker (c. 1720), this house was the first of five built next to each other by Andrew Hall and his sons. Andrew was born in 1698, the son of John Hall Jr. of Medford. He became involved in real estate dealings as early as 1721 and eventually became the owner of much of the former estate of Major Jonathan Wade, including the brick house on Bradlee Road. In 1735, Andrew purchased a rum distillery from his brother John Hall III and later became involved with barrel making, shipbuilding on the Mystic River, and a slaughter house. At Andrew’s death in 1750, his business interests came under the control of his son Benjamin Hall. The house was occupied by Andrew’s widow until her death in 1785, and by his son Isaac. In 1775, Isaac went into partnership in his brother’s rum business. The building’s major historical association derives from a stop made there by Paul Revere on his midnight ride. Isaac was captain of the Medford Minutemen and led them to the battles of Lexington and Concord on the 19th of April. He also participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill. In 1789 he sold his business in Medford to set up shop in Boston. The home was later owned by the Lawrence family for a number of years, until it was sold to Gaffey’s Funeral Home, the present owner.
		Jonathan Wade House, c.1683 13 Bradlee Street The Jonathan Wade house with its surviving eighteenth century facades is a rare example of early New England brick architecture. The Wade house, along with the Peter Tufts House and the earliest section of the Isaac Royall House, are the only surviving brick houses of the six or more built in Medford in the seventeenth century. Born in 1637, the son of Jonathan Wade of Ipswich, Major Jonathan Wade, Jr. is known to have lived in Medford as early as 1676, when he and his brother Nathaniel were on the Board of Selectmen. Jonathan also served as the first recorded town clerk of Medford and was the captain of the “three country troop.” From an early date both he and his brother held titles of Major for reasons that remain unclear. It seems likely that both brothers had settled in Medford prior to the 1670s, as their father had purchased between 900 and 1200 acres of the original Cradock grant in 1656 from Richard Russell. At the death of Jonathan Wade, Sr. in 1683, his land and buildings in Medford were divided between Nathaniel and Jonathan, the buildings on Jonathan’s portion valued at 200 pounds. Upon the death of Jonathan Wade, Jr. in 1689, specific mention is made of the brick house and building on his farm, which were then valued at 350 pounds. An increase in value of land, as well as the notion of a brick house in court records suggest a construction date between 1683 and 1689 for the brick house. Because he died without a will, Jonathan, Jr.’s estate was divided among his heirs by court-appointed officials. Specific rooms and sections of the brick house were granted to Elizabeth Wade, his widow; Dudley Wade, his only son; and Prudence Swan and Elizabeth Wade, his daughters. The house continued to have multiple owners until it was consolidated by Andrew Hall in the 1730’s. It is thought that Hall lived in part of the house prior to the construction of his own house in the 1720’s at 43 High Street. Later in the eighteenth century, the house was occupied by Andrew’s grandson. Benjamin Hall, Jr., who, along with the rest of his family, was active in his financial and political support of the Revolution. In the mid-nineteenth century the property came into the possession of Daniel Lawrence and served as part of his estate until his death, at which time it passed into the hands of Samuel Crocker Lawrence, Medford’s most prominent 19th century citizen.
		Magoun-Whitney House, c.1750 7 Vine Street The Magoun-Whitney House was owned by shipbuilder Thatcher Magoun in 1855, whose ownership may represent attempts on his part to provide housing for workers at his shipyards. In 1875 its owner was Jophanus H. Whitney, who was a cigar manufacturer in 1875, a Boston Police officer in 1890, a military instructor in 1900, and a Chief of the Massachusetts District Police in 1907. This home pre-dates the shipbuilding industry and the surrounding street patterns. In the late nineteenth-century, the property on the corner of Franklin and Vine streets on which the house stands was owned by the Whitney family. The construction of an additional house on that corner, in front of the Magoun-Whitney House, obscured it from Franklin Street and necessitated its renumbering on Vine Street.
		Polly-Burrill House, c.1738 7 Revere Place The Polly-Burrill House is thought to have been constructed in 1738 by M. Polly on land now numbered 275 Salem Street. In 1789, the house was sold to W. Cutler, who sold it to Joseph Tufts in 1793. In 1795 it was sold again, this time to Francis Wood for 135 pounds. In 1847 the property was purchased by J.S.P. Burrill, whose family owned the house as late as 1927, when the heirs of J. Frank Burrill moved the house to its present location to allow for commercial development of the Salem Street site.
		Robert Eells House, c.1790 142-144 Riverside Avenue The Eells House at 142-144 Riverside Avenue appears to have been the product of several periods of construction. Prior to the construction of Route 93, this house was part of a cluster of 18th century and early 19th century buildings around Cross Street, the rest of which are all now demolished. Immediately next door to this house was a structure known as the Colleges, a dormitory house. It was also constructed of wood with brick ends and was probably related to the construction of the front portion of the Eells House at one time.
		Teel House, c.1785 411 High Street Constructed for use as a farmhouse in the late eighteenth century, in 1855 this house was owned by farmer Samuel Teel. By 1875, it had been passed on to George M. Teel, who was employed by J. Coburn and Co., a dry goods concern. In 1888 the property was owned by Sidney C. Johnson, a Boston fish merchant, by Mrs. J. A. Johnson in 1889, and by J. A. Johnson in 1898. A Samuel Teel, perhaps the home's owner or his father, is listed as being among the veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars who are buried in the Salem Street Burying Ground.