77 Bailey Street, the former Bailey estate house

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No. 11965 77 Bailey Street, photograph April 14, 2005, from Andrew Saxe.

Date of construction: by 1824

Now a three-family house, 77 Bailey Street at one time had frontage on Dorchester Avenue.  James B. Conant, later President of Harvard University, was born here.  Subdivision of the lot and development of housing between 1910 and 1918 encroached on the front yard, so that the house now has its Bailey Street address.  Four three-deckers were built on the former front yard—three facing Dorchester Avenue and one facing Bailey Street between the other three and the old house.

20368 Detail from Bromley Atlas 1910 showing Conant property before subdivision

20369 Detail from Bromley Atlas 1918 showing property after subdivision

The following is from the book Ashmont by Douglass Shand Tucci

p 72 citing the Dorchester Beacon in 1897

J.S. Conant of the firm of J. S. Conant & Co., the well-known wood engravers … took [a] barren tract of land, about two years since, which faces Bailey Street, and … besides building a number of nice residences there himself, he has sold several lots to other good builders. … Mr. Conant, for the past 16 years, has occupied that grand, old-time mansion at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Bailey Street. [This historic house, now neglected, alas, is today 77 Bailey Street, visible from Ashmont Station.]

Owners from maps and atlases:

1831 Bailey

1850 no name

1874 Manuel Silva

1884 J.O. Conant

1889 Jeannette Conant

1894 Jeannette O. Conant; the house is now numbered 1937 Dorchester Avenue

1898, 1898, 1904, 1910 Jeannette O. Conant

1918 subdivision has occurred and the old house is now owned by Flora E. Blaisdell; house is numbered 85 Bailey Street

1933 Guardian Co-Op Bank

Deed

September 22, 1871 from Benjamin B. Newhall of Boston to Frances D. Silva, wife of Manuel Silva, of Boston 1070.274

consideration $12,000   parcel with the buildings thereon

being part of the premises conveyed on

December 1, 1869 from Alexander C. Washburn and Ellen M. Washburn, Frank Moore, Laura M. Moore   to Benjamin B. Newhall 990.69

consideration $13,500    9 and 848/1000 acres  parcel with the buildings thereon

being the estate of Hon. John Bailey by descent to his three children John A. Bailey, Ellen M. Washburn and Laura M. Moore

November 15, 1862 from John Bailey to Ellen M. Washburn and Laura M. Moore  310.199

about 9 1/2 acres  parcel of land with the buildings thereon

being the estate of which 2 undivided third parts were conveyed to me by the said Ellen M. Washburn and Laura M. Moore and their husbands

Nov. 25, 1862 from Frank Moore and Laura M. Moore to John A. Bailey 310.129

undivided third part  Frank Moore Alexander Washburn appear to be executors/administrators

Nov. 25, 1862 from Alexander Washburn, Ellen M. Washburn Frank Moore to John A. Bailey 310.129

undivided third part

Sept. 14, 1824 from Edward Richmond to John Bailey of Canton 72.234

consideration $1,300   6 acres 1/4 and eleven rods with all the buildings thereon

September 10, 1819 from Samuel Perkins to Edward Richmond 61.146

consideration $600 6 acres 1/4 and eleven rods   no mention of building

Subdivision plan is at 1008.212.  This property is included in the subdivision without a lot number.

Dorchester Blue Books

As 1937 Dorchester Avenue:

1894, 1896 Mr. & Mrs. J. S. Conant

1900, 1902, 1904 Mr. & Mrs. J. S. Conant, Sum. Res. Danbury, N.H.

1906, 1908, 1910  Mr. & Mrs. J. S. Conant

1913 no entry

1915 no entry

Boston Directory

1870 Benjamin B. Newhall, 34 Old State House, house Dorchester ave, c. Ashmont, Wd 16

1871 Benjamin B. Newhall, 5 Pemberton square, house Dorchester Avenue, cor. Bailey, wd.16

1872  Benjamin B. Newhall, 5 Pemberton square, house Dix, near Harrison sq wd 16

1873 Benjamin B. Newhall, 5 Pemberton square, house Centre, between Adams and Dorchester Avenue

1874 Benjamin B. Newhall, 28 School rm 54, h. King between Adams and Dorchester ave, wd.16

1875 Benjamin B. Newhall, 28 Schoo., room 54, h. King, ward 16

1876 Benjamin B. New Hall, h. King, Dorch.

1877 no entry

Skills

Posted on

August 2, 2020