An old Landmark.
In the year 1769 Mr. John Bishop sold to Mr. Noah Floyd one acre of land on the south side of the road (High street), opposite the site of the Unitarian Church, with the proviso that no building should be erected on the same within three rods of the road without permission of the selectmen of Medford or their successors in office.
Also a tenement or dwelling-house on the north side of the road occupied by William Tufts.
This house stood upon the site of the Unitarian Church and was removed to its present location on the land above described to make way for the new third meeting-house, the land on which it stood having been selected by the town of Medford as a site for the new meeting-house.
May 14, 1772, the selectmen of Medford gave liberty to Mr. Noah Floyd to build a shop on his land before the meeting-house.
A noticeable feature of this house is that the living rooms are at the northern side, this being caused by the removal and reversed frontage in its new location.
This house has been known in recent years as the ‘Magoun cottage,’ and was damaged by fire in March, 1915.
The shop has long since disappeared, and a portion of the land is now occupied by the street, the use of which for street purposes was probably anticipated by Mr. Bishop when he conveyed to Mr. Floyd, although it was over one hundred years before it became a portion of High street.
