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Hill, Deacon Samuel, House, photograph from the federal nomination
Hill, Deacon Samuel, House, photograph from the federal nomination

Photographs from the nomination case file, National Park Service records.

Hill, Deacon Samuel, House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

“US, to prevent our plantation from breaking up or brealiing in peicess, after all that charge we have been at, And hazards that we have run, to keep our ground hitherto & not broke wliolly in piecess. We still asert, as we did before, our case is Honest.”

History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register (1883). Machine-read text.

one of 1100 National Register listings in Middlesex County · listed in 1990 · category: Building · one of 3 National Historic Landmarks in Middlesex County.

Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 33 Riverhurst Rd., Billerica, 01862
  • When was it listed? 1990-03-09
  • Category. building
  • Also known as. First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR
  • Township. Billerica town
  • National Register reference number. 90000165 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Billerica town, The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register, published 1883 - Billerica Town

Crosby

14. Josiah, son of Josiali. 5, b. 1704, Aug. 5; m. 1729-30, Feb. 3, Elizabetli French, dau. of William, 7. She d. 1739, Nov. 27. He d. before 1743. Killed by the Indians says tradition. Ch. Josiah. b. 3730, Nov. 24. He was in the military service in 1747, on the C-onnecticut river, and narrowly escaped with his life by swimming the river from the anibusead(» in which French.

Read the rest of this passage

The ground it stands on

263,743 words

The chapter on Billerica Town in History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register, published 1883 names Billerica. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

For encouragement and aid in tlie work, thanks are due to friends more nuraei'ous than I can mention. Many, not named, are not forgotten, if I refer to a few, whom it Avere unpardonable to omit. The kindness and cooperation of each member of the Historical Committee have been constant and unstinted, and I record it here most gratefully ; while to Mr. Foster and his good wife (whose recent death makes their pleasant home desolate) , I am specially indebted for the lists of town officers, and for the useful alphabetical copy, made by thein, of the Baptisms found in the records of the First Church. Mr. Franklin .Taquith copied the inscriptions in the South BurjMng Ground, and those in the Old Corner Burj'ing Ground were as kindly copied by Mrs. Holt. Mr. Jaquith also prepared with great care the list of soldiers from Billerlca in the late war. Dr. C. E. Hosmer rendered important aid in preparing the Map of Ancient Billerica. The use of valuable surveys and papers has been generously granted by Mrs. Samuel Sage, Mr. Leander Crosbj% Mr. Merton Simonds, of Bedford, Peter E. Vose, Esq., of Dennysville, Me., and the Rev. Henry M. Dexter, D. D., of New Bedford. Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Cutler, of Bedford, have most kindly given me every opportunity to use the invaluable Lane Papers in their possession. The Hon. Samuel A. Green, M. D., Mayor of Boston, has not only given free access to the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society, but, by constant and valuable suggestions, aided me very materiallj'^ ; and Mr. John Ward Dean, of the New England Historic, Genealogical Society, has been not less helpful. The Congregational Library, rich in local history and genealogy, has been always at mj^ service, while to IMiss Mary E. Stone, its assistant lil)rarian, especial thanks are due, for invaluable aid, most cheerfully rendered, in reading proof of nian^y of these pages. In n)y researches among the Massachusetts Archives in the Secretarj' of State's office, the aid of Dr. Edward Strong has been of great service ; and thanks are due to Mr. David Pulsifer, of the same office. Others, who should be named in the same spirit, are, Mrs. Bennett and Mr. W. W. AVarren, Dr. Augustus Whiting, of Charlestown, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Faulkner, Mr. C. H. Hill, Mr. E. J. Hill and Dr. F. V. Noj^es ; and the volume might have an appropriate dedication to the memory of Cai)t. Charles A. Kanlett, to whose historic interest much was due in the inception of the enterjti-ise.

Passage source: History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register, published 1883.

Indian deeds, 123; sale, of Wamesit, 124; the Winthrops seek lo recover, 125; military company, 125; Canada expedition; Dunstable assailed; Lt. Wilson at Cocheco, 126; Billerica's first massacre, 127; second massacre, 129 ; Mrs. Toothaker, 130 ; militai-y life and trials, 132 ; Hunt's garrison, 134 ; Col. John Lane, 135 ; Queen Anne's war, 136 ; soldiers from Billerica, 137 ; Dunstable attacked, 140 ; Lovewell's expedition, 141 ; Louisburg, 142 ; service on Connecticut river, 143 ; sad day for Billerica, 143 ; Josiah Crosby, 144 ; French and Indian war, 145 ; soldiers from Billerica, 147 ; the French neutrals, 151.

Passage source: History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register, published 1883.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Billerica Town - 263,743 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

42 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 42 fires within 5 miles of Hill, Deacon Samuel, House between 2008 and 2020, burning about 27 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning25
Missing data/not specified/undetermined14
Recreation and ceremony3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
17 August 2015Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
2 July 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
6 June 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
25 June 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
17 June 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
8 May 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
8 May 2015Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
6 May 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named

Every fire recorded in Middlesex County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 613 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 613 specimens collected within 10 miles of Hill, Deacon Samuel, House between 1898 and 1975: 263 Plantae, 260 Animalia, 77 Fungi, 6 Unrecorded, 4 Protozoa, 3 Chromista. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. B. Seymour, A. B. Seymour & M. D. Feigley, A. E. Feldman and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Trientalis borealis Raf.Trientalis borealis Raf.1900A. P. Chute
A photograph of the species Boletus griseus, not of this specimenBoletus griseus Frost1898H. Webster
A photograph of the species Dumetella carolinensis, not of this specimenDumetella carolinensis (Linnaeus, 1766)1898Collector(s): Will C. ColtLincoln
A photograph of the species Esox americanus, not of this specimenEsox americanus Gmelin, 17891898E. PrebleMaple Meadow Brook near Wilmington, Massachusetts
A photograph of the species Exosporium pusillum, not of this specimenExosporium pusillum P.Karst.1898King C. A.Stony Brook
A photograph of the species Lophodermium pinastri, not of this specimenLophodermium pinastri (Schrad.) Chevall.1898Hubbard F. T.; Hall G. G.Lincoln
A photograph of the species Pipilo erythrophthalmus, not of this specimenPipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758)1898not recordedLincoln
A photograph of the species Podura aquatica, not of this specimenPodura aquatica C.Linnæus, 17581898not recorded
A photograph of the species Rosa nitida, not of this specimenRosa nitida Willd.1898C. H. Knowlton
A photograph of the species Salix eriocephala, not of this specimenSalix eriocephala Michx.1898E. F. Williams
Araiospora pulchra Thaxt.1900Thaxter, R.Stony Brook
A photograph of the species Betula alleghaniensis, not of this specimenBetula alleghaniensis Britton1900E. F. Williams

All 613 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Hill, Deacon Samuel, House: 1 past producer, 1 occurrence. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Carlisle DepositCopperOccurrence
Cu ProspectCopperPast Producer

Every working recorded in Middlesex County

Storms near this property

24 since 1998

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Billerica, the town this property stands in, in 24 storm reports between 1998 and 2023: 11 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 3 heavy rain, 3 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
December 2008FloodBillerica$20,000Jones Brook in Billerica overflowed its banks flooding a home.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindBillerica$10,000Trees on Sterling Road and Pinewood Street were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindBillerica$6,000Trees on Charm Street and Howard Road were downed by thunderstorm winds. One tree fell on a house on Charm Street.
February 2016Thunderstorm WindBillerica$5,000A tree and a large branch on Baldwin Road in Billerica were downed by thunderstorm winds.
February 2016Thunderstorm WindBillerica$5,000A tree on B Street in Billerica was downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBillerica$5,000A tree and branches on River Street and Concord Street were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindBillerica$5,000A large tree was downed by thunderstorm winds onto Technical Park Drive.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindNorth Billerica$1,500In Tewksbury, a large tree branch was down on a house on Knollwood Road.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindBillerica$1,000At 12:28 PM EST, a thunderstorm over Billerica brought a large tree down between Friendship Street and Clinton Street.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBillerica$1,000A large branch on Concord Avenue was downed by thunderstorm winds.
August 2023Flash FloodBillerica-In Billerica, several basements were flooded.
August 2023FloodEast Billerica-In Wilmington, parts of Nichols St was flooded.
June 2017HailBillerica-At 405 PM EST, an amateur radio operator reported dime-size hail at Billerica.
April 2017FloodBillerica-At 4:10 PM EST, media reported that the Concord River in Billerica had risen above its banks. At 6:34 PM EST, flooding was reported on Elsie Avenue in Billerica from the Concord River.
May 2010HailBillerica-no account filed
July 2006HailBillerica-no account filed
March 2003Heavy RainBillerica-no account filed
August 2003HailBillerica-no account filed
September 2002Heavy RainBillerica-no account filed
July 2001HailBillerica-no account filed
July 2000Heavy RainBillerica-no account filed
July 1999Thunderstorm WindBillerica-no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindBillerica-no account filed
August 1998HailBillerica-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Middlesex County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

2,223 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is reproduced in full on its own page, word for word and never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

The whole case file for this property - 2,223 words, 10 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 90000165, 10 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Farley--Hutchinson--Kimball House1.2 miles2012
Jaquith, Abraham, House1.4 miles1991
Lane, Job, House1.9 miles1973
Howe School2.4 miles2002
Sabbath Day House2.5 miles1973
Lane, David, House2.5 miles1980

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 90000165 in Record Group 79.
Middlesex CountyAll 1100 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.