The Reverend David Osgood had been minister of the church in
Medford twelve years, when he married, November 1, 1786,
Hannah Breed of
Charlestown.
Acting on the old adage of procuring a cage before securing the bird, he had erected the substantial dwelling [p. 39] on High street, at the corner of Powder house road, that was for the remainder of his life his home, and for years after that of his daughters, Mary and Lucy.
Among his papers was preserved a statement of its cost.
It may be of interest to such as know the relative value of ‘old tenor,’ as compared with the currency of 1785, which, by the way, Dr. Osgood expressed in English money (as this was prior to the adoption of the Constitution), to compare this with another in this issue.
In this, there is nothing of a ‘raising.’
Without doubt there was one, with abundance of refreshment, both solid and liquid.
What among the ‘thousand little expenses,’ ‘stitwork’ was, will some one tell?
By the kindness of Mrs. DeLong, long resident there, we have this copy to present:
1785
The most material expenses in build'g an house 2 story in height & 42 by 34 upon ye ground.
| Land, To set ye house upon | £100.0.0 |
Day Labour
{Diging ye cellar assisting in ston'g & clear'g &c, levell'g ye earth ab't ye house &c} | 16.10.0 |
| Stone hewed 2 rows in ye front | 8.0.0 |
| Frame of ye house | 50.0.0 |
Boards
{Merchant'ble 21 m @ 48/ £ 50.8.0}
{Clear 5 1/2m @ 72/ 19.16.0} | 70.4.0 |
Shingles
{16m. @15—£ 12.}
{2m @2/—1.4} | 13.4.0 |
Clapboards
{1m @ £ 3.18.-0}
{1 1/2m @ £ 4 4.-0}
{1/2m @ 1.10.0}
{1/2m@ 2.8.0} | 12.0.0 |
| Laths 13m @ 7/. | 4.11.0 |
Bricks
{3m @ 20/ £ 3.0.0}
{23m @ 8/£ 20. 14.0}
{14m @ 16/ 4.4.0} | 34.18.0 |
| Lime 14 hhds on an average 31/6 | 22.0.0 |
| Brads of all sorts 6d-5d-4d-3d. &C | 2.2.0 |
[p. 40]
Teaming
{Carting bricks, sand, stones, boards & all ye other materials for ye house} | 16.0.0 |
Nails
{7 1/2m. @ 12/ £ 4. 10.0}
{15m 10d @ 9/ 6.15.0}
{12m 8d @ 6/6 3.18.0}
{48m 4d @ 3/4 8.0.0}
{7m 3d @ 3/ 1. 1.0} | £38.6.5 |
Painting and ye work at ye eaves
door heads, window frames &c | £2.2.0 |
Mason's bill
{Stoning ye Cellar £ 8.3.-6}
{1st Stack Chimnies 16.2.0}
{2nd Stack do pointing
ye cellar & plastering
4 rooms 16.15.4}
{Plastering entry &1 room abt 270 yds 7-7 0} | £48.7.4 |
Carpenters on Joiners acct
Finishing ye outside of ye house 5 rooms & ye entry & ye fence in front | £100.0.0 |
| ——— |
| Errors excepted | £ 562.8-9 |
| N. B. | Blacksmith's bill not yet bro't in, for iron mantle-trees, hinges for great doors, hasps, fasten'gs &c. |
| Also | a thousand little expenses not mentioned above, such as sedar posts oak & pine stitwork, several loads of slate & several loads of tile |
| It must be also remembered yt ye locks, hinges, ketches skrews, bolts, Pullies & lines & weights for ye windows are yet to be purchased |
| And when these together with all ye other little expenses already contracted fall be added to ye above ac'ct it cannot fall much short of £ 600. |
| The house will be still to paint and ye rooms to paper both these may be estimated at abt. £ 50. & then £ 100 more will be scanty to complete ye fence, build ye outhouses & dig ye well. |
After one hundred and thirty-five years, this house, now the, Unitarian parsonage, still stands in excellent condition.
Parson Osgood might wonder at, but be delighted in, the modern improvements now in it In view of present conditions and prices, we wonder even more what it would cost today.
