I think we should call it your grave!
Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!
Ha ha ha, mine is an evil laugh, now die!
I've always been interested in history, and part of my being the "outside person" is a fascination with how societies have used land over the past few centuries. So before we made an offer, I spent several hours researching the town of Mendon.
For example, I went to the Worcester County Registry of Deeds and reviewed all the real estate transactions on Miscoe Hill Rd since 1960. There are always fascinating stories behind the cold paperwork of deeds and liens and foreclosures and sales. The land on both sides of the road was part of the Davenport Farm. In the 1950s, the town built a high school there. The flat pastureland south of the road was turned into a subdivision between 1998-2003. The northern section is heavily wooded, hilly, and has wetlands.
Trish and I spent an hour in the town library, and then I went back for a second visit. Lots of memorabilia and historical documents there. As it turns out one of the librarians grew up in the farmhouse on North Road. She is married to one of the local archivists, Richard Grady, and he sent me the article below.
The Davenport
Family: Leaders in Farming, 1764 - 1900
Seth Davenport built a farmhouse in
1793 that became the family homestead and the center of a very
productive and profitable agricultural business that would last for
several generations. The Davenports were superb farmers and
marketers. Through hard work, intelligent business dealings, and the
good fortune to own 212 acres of rich North Avenue farmland, they
provided food for the region and distant cities. Their excellence in
agricultural endeavors rewarded them with substantial wealth and high
social status in the Mendon community.
The farmhouse at 133 North Avenue was a
symbol of the family's prosperity. It was large scale with many
rooms and a granite foundation. It was located across the street
from the head waters of Muddy Brook, and it overlooked the long
stretch of pastures and meadows that gradually sloped to the south
flowing brook. Its land extended from the Upton town line to
Northbridge Road on both sides of North Avenue. For many years, it
remained as a cornerstone of agricultural success.
Farming was the family business of the
Davenports. Seth was born in 1739 in Milton. His family moved to
Mendon in the 1740's. He married Chloe Daniels in 1764, and it is
believed that their first home was located at 30 Miscoe Road. They
established a successful farming operation and raised several
children. By 1793, the new farmhouse was completed. It remained as
a Davenport home and center of farming activity for many years. As
the families grew, more farmhouses were built, and new business
practices expanded. Seth Jr. married Betsy Godfrey in 1797. He
promoted fruit growing and specialized in Rhode Island greening
apples that were very popular in Boston markets. Benjamin built a
farmhouse for his family at 73 North Avenue in 1820. His specialty
was dairy farming. Seth Jr.'s son, Joseph, built a house at 101
North Avenue. George constructed farmhouses at 85 and 100 North
Avenue. Austin, who lived at the homestead, was a dealer in dairy
cows, horses, and cider. The cider refined at his farm was sold in
markets as far away as California. The family business of farming
was healthy and prosperous.
The 1793 homestead and other Davenport
farmhouses on North Avenue and Miscoe Road are symbols of Mendon's
economic strength from the 1700's through the early 1900's. By 1920,
the economy had been changed by the trolley and the automobile. Farm
land was sold. Houses were built, and later, a regional school was
constructed. The last Davenport farm was Sunnyside Farm, operated by
George Godfrey Davenport and Sons. The existing houses, barns, and
stone walls are subtle reminders of a great family that was the
backbone of Mendon's agricultural way of life. They call to mind the
town's great history of glory days gone by.
Richard Grady
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