Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 209
The description given in Mr. Lothrop's will of the situation of
the house in which he then dwelt and "the ground belonging thereunto,"
applies to the lot recorded in 1661 as the property of his son
Joseph. Between Rendevous Lane and Mr. Lothrop's first lot there
were three houselots, the western is called Joseph Lothrop's, and the
other two, in 1654, were the property of James Neighbors. Up to
the year 1703 no house had been built on either of the two last
named lots near the present County road. The Russell house, now
owned by Mr, Frederic Lewis, built about the year 1723, was the
first erected on the road between the two houses named in Mr. Loth-
rop's will. July 21, 1666, James Neighbors sold these two lots to
Thomas Lothrop, and describes them as bounded westerly by the
land of Joseph Lothrop and easterly by the ancient highway to Rendevous
Landing. The western boundary was the raiige of fence
running north and south between the dwelling house and estate of
Mr. Walter Chipman and the Sturgis estate. He conveys three
acres of meadow adjoining on the north, bounded easterly by Barnard
Lumbard's meadow, and westerly by Joseph Lothrop's. The
northern boundary is not named in the deed ; but in the record of
Joseph Lothrop's meadow he states that he is bounded on the south
by the meadow that was Goodman Neighbors and north by Mrg.
Lothrop's, and easterly by Rendevous Creek. This is an indirect
mode of arriving at a conclusion, yet it is perfectly conclusive, for
no other lot of land but that called in the records of 1654 and 1661
Joseph Lothrop's had a lot of meadow on its east side, extending to
Rendevous Creek, as stated by Mr. Lothrop in his will.
He did not build his second house on either of the lots owned
by James Neighbors, nor did he build on the lot of his son Thomas
on the west of Rendevous Lane ; because the meadow attached to
that lot was not bounded by Rendevous Creek, and was a long distance
from the "island" named as a part of the boundary of Mr.
Lothrop's meadow. It is unnecessary to continue the examination
of the records. A plan of the lots as originally laid out would make
it apparent that Mr. Lothrop's new house was built on the land described
in the records as Joseph Lothrop's.
That the house now known as the Sturgis Library building was
the new house named in Mr. Lothrop's will and built about the year
1644, hardly admits of a doubt. Its history from year to year cannot
be traced by written records ; but we have equally good evidence.
It was built in the style in which all the first settlers built,
not in the style of 1680 or' of any later period. It was better built
than any of the old houses which I have examined. The workmanship
was better. It was larger, being about 25 feet in front and
deeper in the rear. Its large sills, sleepers of the lower floors, originally
laid on the ground, thirteen feet posts, with cock tail tenans,
its inch and a quarter matched boarding, sharp roof with legers
across the rafters, are the unmistakable characteristics of the frame