CIVIL WAR BUS TOUR, with reference to Wayland Town Characters

The original tour organized by the Wayland Local Studies Center has been simplified in presentation. This revision links to several texts online that can be read or summarized at selected stops, and includes a Wayland map with home sites of Wayland Town Characters. The Town Characters section also has additional texts for those who want more details.

Some of the sites listed are pointed out enroute and viewed through the bus window. At designated stops, the bus pulls in to a safe parking place as civil war locations are pointed out and commentary is read. At both cemeteries students get out to seek gravestones of Wayland characters. At the Grout-Heard house students have their bag lunch and an activity, unless teachers plan for a separate day.

9:00 Begin at Town Center, rtes 20, 126 & 27 intersection

Stop 1 Unitarian Universalist Church by carriage sheds

Introduction: View of Wayland Center from Unitarian Church: Alfred Wayland Cutting“Old-time Wayland” paints the Center scene when the Boston Post Rd (Rt. 20) turned North and West instead of today’s newer route. The stage coach tavern Cutting mentions was across the street where the Public Safety Building now stands. Call to War: In April 1861 two meetings were held at the Unitarian Church to respond to war acts and call for troops. Known members Reverend Edmund Sears, minister: Charles Campbell Frank Draper and father James Draper Newell Heard William Grout Alfred Wayland Cutting: he became member, formerly with Trinitarian Congregational Church Lydia Maria Child - not member, but attended, friend of Sears

9:10 South on Cochituate Road (27/126)

Stop 2 Trinitarian Congregational Church parking lot

Second church in Wayland Center,

Known members:

• Lydia Rutter Draper (father was a founder);
• John Noyes Morse (father was Deacon)
• Alfred Wayland Cutting, relatives were founders (a member before switching to the Unitarian Church)

Soldiers’ Aid Society: Both the Unitarian and Trinitarian Churches had women involved in the war effort and met in both churches.

Soldiers’ Relief Society: Citizens organized to assist the Wayland soldiers.

9:20 Lyon's Corner (27 to corner of Main and E. and W. Plain Sts.)

Stop 3 Lyons Corner, west side, Finnerty's parking lot

Lyons shoe factory once here near present senior housing Uncle Billy Hammond, first cousin of James Madison Bent, was one of the early shoemakers in Cochituate and a selectman. His shoe shop was where Finnerty’s is now. Outsiders and immigrants began to move into boarding houses in the area. (see shoeworkers) Dean family went into shoe business in area. Alfred Dean's house site became St. Zepherin's church Early Dean Factory site (behind St. Zepherin's) Bent later purchased Lyons Factory.

Background on Cochituate

9:25 Lokerville (Villa intersection of Rte 30, Villa parking lot )

Stop 4 Lokerville School site (in triangle)

Lokers were early landowners of part of the southern grants; also Damons and Jennisons.

Until 1873, the Lokerville School was the only school within walking distance for all Cochituate Village children. (site of brick ranch facing east toward triangle) In attendance during their youth would have been:

• William Garfield
• James Madison Bent
• Charles Henry Butterfield
• Dora Thurston Whitney? She came from Ireland where she spent childhood. Widow of Hiram Thurston.

Next to the schoolhouse (probably where the triangle is now) was the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

Excerpt Lokerville Methodist Church:

9:30 E. Plain St. to Lyon's Corner then south on Main St. to Bentville

• Area between Lokerville and Lyon’s Corner named Scotiaville for the many Nova Scotians that immigrated to work in the shoe factories and lived in this area. French later settled this same area.
• Turning on Main Street, the Cochituate School on the right is now senior housing, It was built in the 1880s to overcome crowding at Lokerville, so our Civil War soldiers would not have attended.
• Nearby Community Methodist Church on Main St., founded by Charles Henry Butterfield’s father in 1866. John C. Butterfield was an unhappy member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Lokerville. Around 1865 he began a Sunday School on Main Street and in 1866 founded this church.

· Dora Thurston Whitney was a member in 1870s but left

· Other members: William Henry Garfield?

· James Madison Bent?

· Thomas Alfred Dean?

9:35 Bentville (corner of Rte 30 and Main St., pull over before corner)

No one else in the Bent family had the same success as James Madison. At the time of the Civil War he employed several hundred people and boasted the latest machinery.

We passed Shawmut, near the Methodist Church where son William’s house was located. With his brother and sons William brought the family into debt, requiring the factory’s sale to the Dean family.

Stop 5, James Madison Bent - Area of house site (NE corner - Cochituate Motors Sales); older family house site to SE, now a mall (Brooks Pharmacy); Bent Shoe Factory site (SW corner - small mall with Starbucks)

James Madison Bent, millowner Reading on Bentville and Bent Shoe Factory: Image of Cochituate center, formerly Bentville             shows Factory in green, original Bent house in             yellow and grand Victorian House he built on             opposite corner in pink.

9:40 West on Rte 30 (Lake Road in Civil War time) to Cochituate State Park gatehouse entrance on Right just past cemetery (main Park entrance over bridge in Natick)

Point out enroute

• Dora Thurston Whitney's house site (#119 Commonwealth Rd - across from Stanton Rd.) current house built 1980's similar to Dora's
• Dora's son, Hiram Thurston, Jr.'s, house (big gray house seen from Pemberton)
• Richard Hammond's house (#118 Commonwealth Rd)
• Garfields, Deans, Hammonds related through marriage, lived in area
• City Pasture across from Pemberton Rd now woodland (baseball field in Civil War days.) As mentioned at the Bentville stop, baseball was a very popular sport in Cochituate. There even was a Fat Man’s team!

Stop 6 Lake Cochituate gatehouse driveway

Formerly Long Pond - becomes water source for Boston and given Indian name; southern center renamed Cochituate. Read excerpt about Lake From the back of the cemetery houses on Pemberton St. can be seen Butterfield's house (NW corner of Cemetery visible; see below)

9:50 Rte 30 back to Lakeview Cemetery (left into cemetery, left around loop)

Stop 7 Cemetery walking tour: teacher has clues or diagram to assist students.

Buried here: James Madison Bent Town Tomb Hiram Thurston Jr. (son of Dora) Dora Thurston Whitney is buried in Natick Dean mausoleum Charles B. Butterfield John C. Butterfield William H. Butterfield William Henry Garfield Thomas Alfred Dean Large house next to cemetery now part of a housing complex was built just after the war by George Damon. Earlier in 1850 two Damon houses were built on this street. The Damon family were original southern farmers with large landholdings. John C. Butterfield built around the corner on 14 Pemberton Rd. in 1850 and after Civil War period sold adjacent land toward the Lake to the town for the Cemetery. He and two sons served in the 39^th regiment.

10:10 Pemberton to West Plain

• Other Butterfield houses on Pemberton; area at one time was called Butterfield Hill, earlier German Hill because several German shoeworkers lived here.
• Wm. Garfield's (#76 Pemberton) and Marshall Garfield (#21) houses

Left at West Plain to Bent Ave. - turn right onto Bent Ave. to the Pond

Stop 8 Bent summer home site overlooking Dudley Pond (built after Civil War)

Excerpt on summer estate and boat Hannah Dexter

Hannah Dexter, a steam-powered boat fascinated Cochituate and local newspapers. Dudley Pond became a popular summer location. Next to Bent’s estate a wealthy carpet millowner, Simpson, age 73, built an imposing estate for his young bride. A widow before long, she sold the estate which become the Mansion Inn (resort burned down in 1956).

10:20 West Plain / Old Connecticut Path, and Cochituate Rd. North, back to Center

Horseracing at this corner of Dudley Pond: Charles Butterfield and James Madison Bent’s sons were involved. Races were held on a track on Pond ice, Old Connecticut Path past High School, Bent Tavern on L, Point out the building of first High School built in 1854 (now owned by Trinitarian Church, formerly Odd Fellows Hall) where Lydia Rutter Draper was principal during the Civil War.

10:25 Through Center, Pass Grout-Heard House, turn R on Plain Rd to Mill Pond

(Note: Plain Rd. is in North Wayland, E and W Plain St. in South)

• Point out Mill site, Grout family town millers
• Plain Rd/Claypit Hill. to Decatur Rd. Stop by triangle.
• Boulder with plaque marks Edmund Sears’ house site; His house was built by Deacon James Draper, later burned (area of #100 Claypit Hill Rd.)

Stop 9

Rev. Sears is best known for writing “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” which he introduced in the Wayland church, but he wrote essays and hymns and was an ardent supporter of the war and opponent of slavery. read excerpts from sermon against slavery preached at Wayland Mass, Sunday, June 15, 1856

10:35 Plain Rd to Draper Rd. (point out several Draper homes)

• Ira Draper house site (Detour L on Draper, corner of Draper/Standish, on hill)
• Family home where Lydia Draper grew up
• Back to Plain Rd to R.: Deacon James Draper's house (#116 Plain Rd on NE corner) - grandfather of Frank Draper
• James S. Draper house (#110 Plain Rd on NW corner) family home where Frank Draper grew up until 1856
• James S. Draper's house site after 1856 (area of #104 Plain Rd)
• Across street to the west: Dr. Frank Draper summer house (#111 Plain Rd, now rebuilt)

10:40 Turn R on Plain Rd, L to Glen Rd,, stop at corner

Stop 10 Draper family:

Remind students of importance of this family in knowing about war perspectives (Frank Draper memoir) and town events (father James Sumner Draper editor of Memorial), including attitudes toward slavery and enlistment of blacks on the North side. Frank became a capt. of 39th Colored Infantry Regiment. Read excerpt from Frank Draper about Petersburg battle in 1864.

Turn R to Rte 20 west, view John Noyes Morse house on R (#202). This was built by his father and has been recently remodeled. JNMorse served in the 35^th and saw much action, Looking back on his service, Morse was a proud veteran.

10:50 Town Center - north on Concord Road, L to Bow Rd,

• "Street School" at #13 Bow Rd. (William Grout taught here)
• Point out William Heard site at #17

Lydia Draper's house during war years (#47 Old Sudbury Rd - on hill NE corner Bow/Old Sudbury Rd). She lived here with widowed mother and boarder, Alfred Hudson, whom she married. He became minister, historian of local communities including Sudbury/Wayland.

10:55 Old Sudbury Rd west to Baldwin's Pond.
Alfred Cutting's house (#83 Old Sudbury Rd - NE corner of Gleason/Old Sudbury Rd)
Lydia Maria and David Child's house (#91 Old Sudbury Rd)

Stop 11 Baldwin’s Pond - turn into Water Dept Baldwin’s Pond

Read from Cutting’s Childhood Memories re LM and David Child as neighbors and Baldwin's Pond for picnics

11:00 Old Sudbury Road south to North Cemetery

Stop 12 North Cemetery, teachers provide clues (map, markers?) in search for gravesites:

• Lydia Maria Child
• Alfred Wayland Cutting
• Charles Henry Campbell
• David Baker (Negro man brought north by Charles Campbell)
• Thomas Francis Wade
• John Noyes Morse
• William Heard II
• William C. Grout
• Newell Heard
• Deacon James Draper (Frank’s grandfather)(1812 flag holder)
• James Sumner Draper (Frank’s father)
• James Austin Draper (Frank’s brother; served in war)
• Nabby Allen Draper (Frank’s grandmother)
• (Frank Draper is probably buried in Brookline)
• Lydia Rutter Draper’s brother, Joseph Rutter Draper

11:20 North Cemetery to Town Center

Thomas Wade's house (# 7 Old Sudbury Rd., second house north of corner of Library Lane). He had an eventful life in the navy, became anti-slavery during war (see Character notes) Old Red Store, red barn seen today contains part remaining (next to old train station). Here drygoods were sold and people gathered around the stove to learn the news; Newell Heard, proprietor, was also post master. He lived across the street (Grout-Heard House, now Historical Society - more below) Old Town House with pillars, built in 1841, served as meeting place, first public library and elementary school. In 1878 a new Town Hall was built across the street.

11:25 R on Pelham Island Rd

Brick School facing triangle 1808-1840 (now a salon and spa)

Stop 13 Charles Campbell house at # xx Pelham Island Rd. (Heard Family house)

We learned that uncle Wm. Heard took care of the Pelham Island farm (now conservation land of the town) while Charles went to war. Charles was over 40 with 4 children when he volunteered.

Excerpt from Campbell Biography re recruitment: A great grandson of Charles, also named Charles Campbell, met the Wayland students and recalled old stories until his recent death. There is a Campbell room in the Grout-Heard house with family memorabilia. Pelham Island was divided into four Heard farms at the time of the war, and two other original Heard houses are still standing. One was lived in by Rev. Edmund H. Sears’ descendents (the last house on the right before Heard’s Pond) where the original of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” was discovered.

11:35 Pelham Island Road to Center, N. on Concord Rd to Grout-Heard House

(lunch and afternoon lesson or back to school)

Stop 14 The Grout-Heard House was on its present location at the time of the Civil War.

This house, shown in an 1868 photo, was owned by the Grout family until Jerusha Grout married Newell Heard when it became a two-family house. At that point, living in the other half of the house was Jerusha’s mother, unmarried brother William Grout, and unmarried sister Susan Grout. It was moved to Old Sudbury Rd, in 1878 when a new Town Hall was built on the site. It later returned to the original site where it stands today after the “Old Town Hall” was torn down and the last Heard still living in the house, Blanche, died. It was deeded to the Wayland Historical Society by landowner Raytheon in 1956 and returned to its original site in 1962. Alfred Wayland Cutting remembers William Grout and compares him fondly to “Benjamin Franklin as one of the most wonderful men that ever lived.” Read more of his recollections of “Uncle Billy” under the Town Character section.

It is fitting that the tour ends at the Grout-Heard house where most of the Civil War materials for the town are preserved and interpreted. Students will complete their preparations for the Reunion in the afternoon half of this field trip or on a separate day.

Bus Tour map of Civil War Home Sites