AT the junction of Central Avenue and Nehoiden Street in Needham, there stands on rising ground far back from the highways, one of the old colonial mansions of Norfolk County. Built in 1720, it dates back to the days when the first monarch of the House of Hanover had but recently ascended the British throne, and when the profligate Philippe of Orleans governed France, as regent, during the minority of the young King, Louis XV. Rev. Jonathan Townsend, the first occupant of this house, and the first settled minister in Needham, was born in Boston, January 1, 1697, and was son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Waltham) Townsend. The latter was daughter of Samuel, and granddaughter of Rev. William Waltham of Marblehead. Rev. Mr. Townsend graduated at Harvard College in 1716, and May 26, 1720, married Mary, daughter of Captain Gregory Sugars, a prominent citizen of Boston, who had commanded a squadron. of thirteen sail in the expedition against Canada in 1690, the other naval forces consisting of two squadrons of nine vessels. each. Mr. Townsend was ordained the first minister in Needham, March 23, 1719-20, and for him his father-in-law, Captain Sugars, built the house now occupied by the writer. CARTON PUKUOS LINEAE the writer. The house was of two stories, with a hip roof, and had two large rooms on the northeast side fronting the road which is now Nehoiden Street, with a large front door midway between the rooms. The northwesterly side was similar, the great kitchen, with its huge fireplace, forming a portion of this side and facing towards the road called Central Avenue. These large rooms were the only ones on the lower floor, the ground plan resembling a quadrangle, minus its southerly quarter. The windows contained "diamond" panes, and the fireplac's were adorned with beautiful tiles; and the house was long considered one of the finest in the locality. Two long driveways with trees on either side, led to the house, as at the present time, from the two roads before mentioned. Here Mr. Townsend lived till the close of his useful and active life, and here his children were born, of whom I have obtained the following account, chiefly from the Town Records: 1. JONATHAN, born October 18, 1721; minister at Medfield. 2. MARY, born January 7, 1724; married, February 9, 1748-9, Nathaniel Mann. 3. ESTHER, born August 12, 1725; married, February 16, 1748-9, Captain Caleb Kingsbury. 4. JANE, born January 10, 1728; married, June 19, 1757, Robert Butler of Boston. She died May 11, 1762 (gravestone). 5. SAMUEL, born May 15, 1729; married. June 21, 1757, Ruth Tolman of Stoughton; had a family born in Needham, and removed to Tyringham, where he was a farmer. 6. stone). SARAH, born May 5, 1731; died November 1, 1763 (grave 7. GREGORY, born November 28, 1732; a prominent loyalist in the Revolution. (See Sabine's American Loyalists.) Mr. Townsend and his wife were buried in the old graveyard at the Centre, not far from the road, and their gravestones may still be seen, but have been moved from their original place. The inscriptions read: Here lies interd ye Remains who Died ye 30th Day of Sept Earths highest Station ends in "here he lies" Here lies interr'd the Mary Townsend Relict of the Reverend Mr Jonathan Townsend. She departed this Life An Angels Arm can't snatch me from the Grave, After the decease of Mr. Townsend the house was occupied by his heirs till sold by them in 1769 to Rev. Samuel West, his successor in the ministry, afterwards pastor of the Hollis Street Church in Boston. From a copy of Mr. West's diary I quote the following:* The I did not commence housekeeping until the next April: in the meantime I finished the purchase of the old Mansion belonging to the heirs of my Predecessor, which I had previously engaged & for which I had engaged to pay £200. I had saved but little either of my settlement or salary which went to answer the purposes already mentioned. But as I dealt with generous People who gave me extensive credit I found no difficulty in making good my Contract. On the 17th of April I brought my wife home to my own house. We were contrary to custom but agreeable to our own inclination entirely alone. situation was gloomy. The house was large, old, & much out of repair. But my Wife young as she was appeared to be in good spirits. Our nearest neighbor was towards mile from us. The weather was cold & a fire was necessary. I went to the next house to procure fire, leaving her alone in the dreary mansion. The fire was soon kindled & we found ourselves comfortable & happy in our own habitation. We commenced housekeeping on thursday & the next monday the Carpenters came to begin the repairs of the house, which was so much decayed as to render the repairs almost as much as building a *This copy is in the possession of Mr. Charles C. Greenwood, the present Town Clerk, a learned and untiring local antiquary, to whose extensive information and rare collection of documents the writer, in common with many others, is much indebted. new house. I employed 4 men & sometimes increased the number to five or 6 for about two months. It cost me nearly £100 which was as good then as £200 would be now. Rev. Mr. West also states in his diary that, on the morning of April 19, 1775, the East Company, Captain Robert Smith, came here after their "stores," which were kept in the parson's house, and at 10 o'clock they departed in good spirits for the scene of action, from which several of them never returned alive. Mr. West married, February 23, 1769, Priscilla Plimpton of Medfield, Rev. Jonathan Townsend the younger, officiating, and had three sons and a daughter born here. Of the sons, Samuel graduated from Harvard College in 1788, and Nathan Plimpton in 1792. After Mr. West's removal from town in 1788 the place was owned by Thomas Hubbard Townsend, who does not appear to have been nearly related to the former family, and in 1794, after much negotiation, it was sold by him to Rev. Stephen Palmer, then the settled minister, for about £425, and March 10, 1794, Mr. Townsend and family removed to Weston, and Parson Palmer took possession. Mr. Palmer possessed a taste for historical research, being a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the author of a historical sketch of Needham, preached as a sermon to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the settlement of the town, which, until the appearance of the History of Norfolk County, was the only printed account of the town. He lived here until his death, and his children were born in this house. His wife was Catherine, daughter of Rev. Jason Haven of Dedham. Mr. Palmer was corpulent, fine looking and extremely courteous to all. He never entered the meeting-house till the people were seated, and passed up the aisle bowing to the right and left. He always prayed with his eyes wide open and fixed on the top of a certain window. His head and eyes were large, and he wore "toggery" on his neck.* * These facts were obtained chiefly from a letter of Michael Mackintosh, in the possession of Mr. Charles C. Greenwood, who has a copy of Mr. Palmer's diary. |