Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 4.

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[p. 93] were built by Mr. Oakman Joyce, who came to Medford with his brother Samuel Joyce from Marshfield; and bought land along the street between Mr. Magoun's and Mr. Lapham's. For his brother Samuel he built the house afterward occupied by Roland Jacobs. Next below this he built his own in 1831, with timber cut from his wood-lot in Marshfield and brought here in a vessel. His reputation as a carpenter and builder is sustained by the quality of the houses he built. This may be seen in those on either corner of Pleasant street and Riverside avenue, and in many others in this vicinity. His work entered into the construction of the old Unitarian church, a Unitarian church in Chelsea, and a Methodist church in Malden. In later years he ran the saw-mill for Mr. Magoun at his ship-yard, afterward going into the coal business at what was recently Mr. Bean's wharf. He died July 21, 1869.

Mr. Roland Jacobs, born in Thomaston, Maine, in 1808, came early to Medford and learned shipcarpenter-ing of Sprague & James. His home was next above Oakman Joyce's. In 1856 he worked for Mr. Magoun, and during the Civil War, in the navy yard. In 1873 he was working in Mr. Foster's ship-yard. After ship-building ceased Deacon Jacobs might any day be found at his carpenter shop, back of his house, making wheelbarrows; a conscientious, painstaking workman, whose wheelbarrows needed no further warrant than that they were ‘made by Deacon Jacobs.’ He died March 23, 1879.

The white house with cupola, built by Mr. C. S. Jacobs, back from the street among the trees, with the long iron fence front, and opposite the old Sprague homestead, is known as the home of Mr. Joshua T. Foster, proprietor of the last ship-yard. He came to Medford from South Scituate in 1826, and served with Sprague & James. In 1852 he became partner with Mr. John Taylor, succeeding his old employers. Afterward he became sole owner of the yard, where, until he launched his last in 1873, he built some famous vessels,—forty-two