An old Medford Landmark.
By John H. Hooper.
The brick tower standing on the estate of the late George L. Stearns, near College avenue, has been the subject of much speculation in recent years as to its origin and use. This tower stands over a spring of water and when in use was several feet higher than it is at present. It was surmounted by sails which furnished power to a pump used to force the water of the spring up the hill to the dwelling house on the Stearns estate. When aqueduct water was introduced, this water supply fell into disuse, the sails disappeared and the top of the tower fell away. A few years ago the top was finished off as at present and the door which was on the southerly side was closed up. The land upon which the tower stands was a part of Governor John Winthrop's Ten Hills Farm and later a part of the Royall estate. The Stearns house stands upon land included within the bounds of the Walnut Tree Hill division of the Stinted pasture and was set off to Peter Foule in the year 1685. When the Royall farm was divided this land came into the possession of Samuel Dexter. November 1, 1809, Mr. Dexter sold to Mr. John Osborn this lot of land ‘together with a new brick house standing on the premises.’ This house is also shown upon a plan of land drawn in 1808. October 16, 1810, Mr. Nathan Adams, who then owned the estate now occupied by Mr. Horace E. Willis, sold to Mr. Osborn the small portion of land upon which the brick tower [p. 53] stands, and it is assumed that the land was bought to obtain possession of the spring of water and that the tower was built at about that date, which would make it about one hundred years old.Until College avenue was laid out by the County Commissioners, the tower stood in the field remote from the highway. It now stands within two rods of the avenue and is a subject of much attention.
The fine row of willow trees on College avenue came from sprouts set out in the year 1864.
