Guide to the City of Charlestown records 1200.001 Finding aid prepared by Zachary Enright With funding from a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division
201 Rivermoor Street West Roxbury, MA, 02132 (617)635-1195 archives@cityofboston.gov
5 May 2008 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2008-10-29T15:42-0400 Describing Archives: A Content Standard City of Charlestown records 1200.001 City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division 12.0 Cubic feet 9 Boxes 3 Flat Boxes 153 Volumes 1 Publications Box 1725-1874 Sawyer, Timothy T. Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Office of the City Treasurer. Frothingham, Richard, 1812-1880 Hull, Liverus Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Assessors. Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Mystic Water Board. Warren, George Washington, 1813-1883 Norton, Eugene L., 1825-1880 Hancock, John, 1737-1793 Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Selectmen. Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 Hutchins, Horace G. Stone, Jonathan Stone, Phinehas J. Charlestown (Boston, Mass.). Overseers of the Poor. Dana, James, 1811-1890 Robinson, Charles Jr. Conditions Governing Access note

The City of Charlestown records are open for research.

 Related Archival Materials note

Complimentary records of the City of Charlestown as well as other annexed towns are available through the Boston Public Library research Division. Records of other annexed towns are also available at the City of Boston Archives.

 Biographical/Historical note

The First Europeans settled in Charlestown in 1628. In 1629 the Massachusetts Bay Company sent Thomas Graves to present day Charlestown in order to lay out the town in 1629. His elliptical street plan can still be seen in City Square.

Throughout the pre-revolutionary period the town grew as a port and transportation center. On June 17, 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill took place, actually occurring on Breed’s Hill. After routing the American colonists the British troops burnt the oldest section of the town to the ground. The rebuilding of the town did not begin in earnest until the end of the war in 1781.

In the post revolutionary war period the town continued to grow as a port and transportation center. In 1800 the U.S. Navy opened the Navy Yard at Moulton’s Point which attracted further maritime industry and became the largest employer for the next 150 years. In 1803 the Middlesex Canal opened connecting the Merrimack Valley with Boston Harbor; Charlestown was its southern terminus. In 1825 the first bridge was built linking Boston and Charlestown. Each of these developments increased the importance of Charlestown’s maritime industry. In 1842 the city of Somerville was set off from Charlestown. The growth of the town led to its incorporation as a city in 1847.

In the late 19th century Charlestown saw an influx of Irish immigrants and by 1865 they made up one quarter of the town’s population. In 1874 the City was annexed to the City of Boston.

Scope and Contents note

The City of Charlestown records extend approximately 24 cubic feet and cover the period from 1725 – 1874. The records fall into two groups, Town records and City records. The town records are approximately 3 cubic feet and cover the period prior to Charlestown’s incorporation as a city in 1842. These records are from the selectmen, including correspondence from John Hancock President of the Continental Congress, petitions and reports concerning the Rioting and Burning of the Ursuline Convent, Notifications and warrants relating to strangers in the town, and records pertaining to the militia; the City Clerk (Town Clerk) including writs and Warrants to Town Officers to be Sworn; and the Overseers of the Poor including Indentures and Correspondence. The City portion of the records dating after 1842 include records from the City Council; the City Clerk; the Police Department; the Assessors including Tax volumes covering 1791 – 1873; the Treasurer records include 20 volumes covering the accounts of the city; the Fire Department; the Mystic Water Board; and Publications including yearly Addresses by the Mayor 1847 – 1873, Municipal Register 1848 and several annual reports of the Library, School Department, and the Mystic Water Board.

 Arrangement note

While these records have been arranged by City Department much of the original order has been maintained. Much of the Selectmen records as well as the Overseers of the Poor records were originally interleaved into volumes and were removed in an earlier project. The original order of these records has been maintained.

 Charlestown (Boston, Mass.) History Charlestown Ursuline Convent (Charlestown, Boston, Mass.) Selectmen Series I 3.0 Cubic feet 1725-1847 Scope and Contents note

The Selectmen series contains the earliest records of the Town of Charlestown. Including a letter signed by John Hancock, then president of the Continental Congress, denying compensation for the British burning the town after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The collection also contains documents related to the burning of the Ursiline convent.

 Applications for Appointments 1 1-8 8 Folders 1791-1842 Applications and Recommendations for Lisences 1 9-29 21 Folders 1728-1847 Ecclesiastical Matters 1 30-35 6 Folders 1726-1845 Election Returns 1 36-37 2 Folders 1847 Fire Department 1 38-42 2 1-14 19 Folders 1724-1845 General 2 15-19 5 Folders 1742-1847 Scope and Contents note

The General subseries is contained in 5 folders dating from 1742-1847. Records include Minutes, petitions, correspondence, reports, and other materials relating to the Selectmen meetings.

 Hancock, John: Letter Denying Relief 2 20 1 Folder 1777 Militia Returns 2 21-33 13 Folders 1744-1846 Notifications 2 34-39 3 1-8 14 Folders 1727-1792, undated Scope and Contents note

The Notifications subseries contains documents notifying the Charlsetown government of the arrival of new residents to the town, these records date from 1727-1792. Also included are documents recording the history of residents contection with the town recording where they were originally from and where their parents and grandparents came from.

 Warrants Elections 3 9-28 20 Folders 1825-1847 Strangers 3 29 1 Folder 1732-1794 City Council Series II 2 Volumes 1847-1848, 1862-1872 Committee Minutes 141 1 Volume 1862-1872 Joint Standing Committee on Public Instruction 147 1 Volume 1847-1848, 1865 Mayor Series III 2 Volumes 1862-1869 City Solicitor: Opinions 3 30 1 Folder 1864, 1868-1869 Correspondence 3 31 1 Folder 1862 City Clerk (Town Clerk) Series IV 19 Folders 1 volume 1847-1874 Application for Warrants 3 32 1 Folder 1848-1871 Assessors: Abatements and Betterments 3 33 1 Folder 1870-1874 Constable Returns 3 34-37 4 Folders 1868-1873 Deeds 146 1 Volume 1847-1873 Governor's Precepts for Elections 4 1-2 2 Folders 1849-1859 Land Takings 4 3-14 12 Folders 1847-1873 Scope and Contents note

The records labelled Land takings remain in their original order. They comprise 10 folders dating from 1847 - 1873. Included are contracts, specifications, proposals, Quit Claim Deeds and Releases, Water Commissioners Correspondence, and Police Payroll.

 Police: Fitchburg Rail Road Corporation 4 15 1 Folder 1871 Representative Districts, Middlesex county 4 16 1 folder 1866 Warrants to Appraise Reports 4 17-26 10 Folders 1726-1844 Warrants to Town Officers to be Sworn 4 27-30 5 1-6 10 Folders 1785-1847 Writs 5 7-13 7 Folders 1801-1846 Police Department Series V 1 Folder Dog Control 5 14 1 Folder 1867-1870 Assessors Series VI 128 Volumes 1 Folder 1791-1873 Valuation Books 1-11, 57-72, 152 28 Volumes 1791-1870 Tax Books 22-24, 28-37, 78-79, 83-84, 90 19 Volumes 1802-1869 Taking Books 38-56, 73, 85-89, 101-105, 109 31 Volumes 1828-1867 Street Books 74-77, 80-82, 91-100, 117, 135 19 Volumes 1868-1873 Assessor's List 106-108 3 Volumes 1865 Property Transfer Books 110, 136 2 Volumes 1869-1872 Transfer Books 111-116, 118-132 21 Volumes 1869-1873 Single Poll Tax Lists 133, 134 2 Volumes 1871-1872 Board of Assessors Minutes 140 1 Volume 1868-1870 Abatements 142, 153 2 Volumes 1870, 1872 Streets Renumbered 145 1 Volume 1868 Unidentified 5 14a 1 Folder n.d., 1857 Treasurer Series VII 5.0 Cubic feet 8 Folders 21 Volumes 1825-1875 Bills and Receipts for Payment 5 15-35 31 Folders 1714-1872 Register of Bills Payable 151 1 Volume 1826-1865 Cash Books 12, 14, 15 3 Volumes 1848-1874 Ledgers 13, 16, 17, 19, 150 5 Volumes 1848-1874 Day Books 18, 26, 139 3 Volume 1842-1871 Water Sinking Fund: Account Book 20 1 Volume 1871-1873 City Debt 25 1 Volume 1858-1873 Schedule of Accounts and Claims Against the City 27, 138, 148 3 Volumes 1848-1866 Deferred Roles Accounts Due from the City of Charlestown 137 1 Volume undated Mortgages 143, 144 2 Volumes 1871-1872 Register of Receipts 149 1 Volume 1825-1847 Overseers of the Poor Series VIII 147 Folders 1726-1869 Incoming Correspondence 6 1-52 7 1-52 8 1-38 10 142 Folders 1 Flat Box 1726-1847 Indentures 8 39-43 5 Folders 1727-1837, 1864, 1869 Fire Department Series IX 1 Folder Roll of Members 8 44 1 Folder 1862 Mystic Water Board Series X Deeds 8 45-48 4 Folders 1862-1871 Publications Series XI 1 Publications Box 34 folders 1847-1874 City Documents 37 1 Volume 1847 Municipal Register 37 1 Volume 1848 Fire Department Annual Report 37 1 Volume 1868 Mayoral Addresses 9 1-14 14 Folders 1847-1873 Annual Statement of the Receipts and Expenditures of the City of Charlestown 9 15-17 3 Folders 1864, 1867, 1874 Report of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Charlestown 9 18 1 Folder 1864, 1865, 1867, 1871 Annual Reports of the Mystic Water Board 9 19 1 folders 1867, 1871 Annual report of the School Committee of the City of Charlestown, including the Second and third Semi-Annual Reports of the Superintendent of the Public Schools, for the Year 1867 9 20 1 Folder 1867 Report of the Commissioners and Chief Engineer of the Charlestown Water Works 9 21 1 Folder 1865 Oversize Materials Series XII 10 11 12 3 Flat boxes Scope and Contents note

The Oversize Materials Series contains oversize records removed from other series. Please refer to these boxes when removal slips are encountered.

10-12 1725-1874