8 Highland Street.
2/20/1824 Norfolk County Deed: 72:193
Executors
for Ralph Mann (deceased) to Elisha Cutler, gentleman
11.25 acres “beginning from the road which leads from the West
Parish Meetinghouse to William Adams by land of Amos Shumway (bottom of Highland), hence run north by said Shumways land to
a stake and stones by Timothy Mann
(top of Mechanic), hence running N83W approximately 66 rods to said Road, hence running
southeast by said Road to corner first mentioned”. No buildings listed.
This is one of the Cutler Row Houses. 8, 10, 12 Highland -
Cutler Row Houses built by Elisha Cutler before 1854. Cutler bought this land from Ralph Mann in 1824. These were
boarding houses for workers (mostly Irish) in the local factories.
In 1854, Elisha Cutler built the 3 houses at 8,10,12 Highland. He
housed individuals and families who worked in Medways factories. Elisha was a yeoman farmer who lived at 201 Main Street
from 1825-29. In 1854 he was 63 years old with one son and heir Nathaniel age 29. He was having money troubles
and mortgaged the Cutler Row Houses to the “West Medway Loan Association” which for the most part consisted of
his friends and neighbors. When he died in 1867, he only owned 8 Cutler.
11/07/1854 Norfolk County Deed: 232:221
Mortgage Elisha Cutler to the West Medway Loan Fund Association (AP Thayer,
Hiram Metcalf, Timothy A Partridge)
“certain tract of land with dwelling house” 15 rods deep by 6 wide, bounded
by Michael Welch on the south.
9/18/1865 Norfolk County Deed: 337:206
Trustees
of the West Medway Loan Fund Association to Elisha Cutler, yeoman “tract of land with dwelling house, Cutler Row House
No.1”
Elisha Cutler died 2/21/1867. (Probate 4947, 4948). Nathaniel Cutler
was his Executor and sole heir. The executors inventory listed this dwelling house on Cutler Row, Cutlers homestead
with farm and buildings thereon, a double house at the graveyard, 35 acres sproutland, and 15 acres meadowland.
In 1870, Nathaniel Cutler mortgaged this property to George W Newton;
three years later, Newton sold it to Charles H Deans. Deans still owned the property in 1888.
