Chelmsford – Reflections on House History Research

This fall I researched the Jonatham Larcom house in Chelmsford, MA for a talk I recently gave for the Chelmsford Public Library. I’d thought I’d take a moment to reflect on all the thoughts swirling in my head that don’t end up any where else.

First off, Chelmsford is an amazing town to research in. It is full of lovely New England historic houses, a traditional town common lined with white churches and monuments and one of the most amazing colonial cemeteries you will see anywhere – Forefathers Burying Ground. It is definitely worth a visit and lucky are those who live in town.

Secondly, Chelmsford has a deep history, not surprising considering it was founded in 1655. But even more impressive than that – the town of Chelmsford values its history. As I was uncovering resources to use in my house history research I was amazed to find rich digital archives of local materials made available from both the historical society and the historical commission. This was probably the first time I ever researched in a town where both groups were productive and active over many years.

Chelmsford Historical Society

At the Chelmsford Historical Society website you’ll find the digitized collection of articles by town historian George A. Parkhurst. There are 195 articles online. The final article is Mr. Parkhurts’ obituary. Other collections available from the historical society include directories, Fun Facts (another collection of great articles), high school yearbooks, oral history recordings (both audio and video), photos, postcards and videos.

Chelmsford Historical Commission

Likewise, the Chelmsford Historical Commission has its own collection of online historical items. This includes annual town reports (starting in 1875), Directories, historic district information, maps, cemetery records, and building surveys grouped by type such as homes, businesses, churches, schools etc. I was fascinated to discover that the building surveys contain extra research information that is not included in the pdfs available from the MACRIS website.

Deed Research

Deed research involved searching the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds website. Public access to the original books is no longer available. Researchers need to find images of the deeds and other land records from the website. The Middlesex North Registry was created in 1855 meaning that anything before that originated in what is now Middlesex South Registry.

Here’s a breakdown of the deed research process:

I contacted the registry to determine the location of the original books. My concern is that sometimes you run across a deed image that isn’t legible due to the low quality of the scan. Here’s the response I received (12 December 2025):

“It actually depends on the book number. We have many books in our office storage area. They are not for public use as all images are available on the computer. If you’re having a difficult time with a particular image than we can try to get you a better image. If there is anything I can help with let me know.” -Karen M. Cassella, Register of Deeds

Town Families

Chelmsford has a long history of early families staying in town. I researched what is now Adams Avenue but was formerly Boston Road and South Street. I found that from 1910 and earlier many of the same families stayed in the same area. In this area I saw names like Byam, Parker, Parkhurst and Bartlett. In addition to that there was a lot of inter-marriage. For instance, Jonathan Larcom was originally from Beverly, MA. In the 1910 census I found that his sister, Octavia, had married into the Parkhurst family and was living in the same neighborhood. This made census research easier and more interesting. It was fun to see neighbor Edgar Parkhurst (son of Octavia) as a 40 year old in the 1910 census and as a one year old in the 1870 census.

When researching in Chelmsford prior to 1920 it is worth it to take a broader look at the families in the neighborhood and to follow those families as you go back in time. The intertwined lives of the families will play out in many documents such as deeds and probate with neighbors or extended family members acting as witnesses.

And don’t forget to check out the Census Non-population schedules for agriculture and manufacturing. I was surprised the learn the extent of Jonathan Larcom’s building business as detailed in the manufacturing census. He had a much larger company than I expected – he employed nine full-time workers year round.

Dig Deeper

In the process of my research I discovered that Jonathan Larcom had a somewhat famous sister, the poet Lucy Larcom. Even more significant than that, Lucy left behind an autobiography. While the book didn’t make many references specifically to her brother, Jonathan, it provides a tremendous window into the early life of the family. A great reminder that sometimes taking a broader view in research will help provide more insight into your research subject.

Bookmark the Chelmsford House History Guide which has links to all the resources your need for your house history research.