Tag: Loring

Sometime in the mid-18th century, Moses Newell Senior (1716-1795) moved from Roxbury to West Newbury and purchased land, which is now Newell Farm on Main Street. His wife was Sarah Gerrish. In 1846, his son, Colonel Moses Newell, built the 25-room house now standing at 243 Main St.

This house was originally on the Newell property and stood closer to the street, with a well next to it. In 1820, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts allowed a petition by Col. Moses Newell, son of the earlier Moses, to divide his land in Parsons, which was the first, brief name of West Newbury. In the same year, half of the original house was moved across the street, and is today’s 238 Main Street. In August 1853, this lot, with this house on it, was sold to William F. Loring by Col. Moses Newell. It is said that the other half of the old house had burned.

For several decades in the 20th century, this house was owned by Norman and Ruth Moore, who moved to Newbury from Greenfield in 1944. Mrs. Moore wrote that the house was being used for guests and hired help, and half of the house burned while it was still on the farm.

Although little of the original framing of the house can be observed, the three-bay front facade and single-bay side depth of the front portion of this house indicate construction during the early Georgian era.

Sources:

• Wikipedia, Newell Farm
• MACRIS listing
• Letters and notes by Ruth Moore, who owned the house from 1946 to 1963
• West Newbury Assessors, Vision Government Solutions database

Early Deeds

• Februrary 28, 1799:
• 180:13: (9-8-1804) John & Lydia Orgood, heirs of Moses Newell, sold land, with this house, to Joseph Newell, for $220, all of the property of Moses Newell Sr., who had died.
• 206:230 (4-20-1815). Sale of 13 acres by Isaac Short to Joseph Newell, followed immediately by sale a sale of the same, by Joseph Newell to Moses Newell.
• 224:51. (3-25-1820). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows Moses Newell’s petition to divide his land in the town of Parsons. (*On February 18, 1819, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an act “to incorporate the town of Parsons.” On June 14, 1820, the legislature passed another act to change the name to West Newbury.)
• 224:51. (6-3-1820). Col. Moses Newell petitioned for land partition on a different piece of property. This house was then brought across the street.
• 485:150-52: (8-1853) Moses Newell sold to William Loring, “a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon,” for $325.00, bordered by the highway, beginning at the easterly corner of land owned by Joseph Stiles, with land of Moses Newell northwest. In the following deed, Loring received a mortgage from Joseph T. Gordon for $350.
• 820: 20-21: (August 12, 1871). William & Jane J. Loring took out a mortgage on the same lot of land. Sold back to Moses Newell. Joseph T. Gordon acknowledged full payment of the mortgage.

Twentieth Century Deeds

• 1946:142-144: Elizabeth M. Newell paid $1.00 to Charles H. & Bessie M. Danforth (executors?) and took over William F. Loring’s mortgage. 12-1-1908
• Book ?: page 741: (11-7-1966) George F. Briscoe & Judith A. Briscoe sold to Philip K & Eleanor R. Bragg.
• 3460: 534-525: (4-25-1946) M. Abbie Urie (widow) sold to Norman & Ruth Moore.
• 5040:132: George F. & Judith Briscoe bought from Norman C. & Ruth E. Moore, with a cesspool easement, 2-25-1963.
• 3263:332: Price and Smith to Edward L. and M. Abbie Urie.
• 3110: 16-17: Howard Atwood (trustee for Elizabeth M. Newell) sold to Marion N. Potter (4-23-1937).