His two fellow candidates have nothing on Charles E. Houghton when it comes to public service and public office holding. Mr. Houghton also has held many important positions with the town for many years. Planning board, board of appeal, senior high school building committee, electric light rate committee, and numerous special committees are all among his contributions in service to the town.
Born in Orange, Mass., Mr. Houghton received his early education in Westwood, where he graduated from the Colburn School in 1898. Following graduation from Dedham High School in 1902, he began work in the registry of deeds in Dedham. He entered night law school in 1904, graduated from Northeastern night law school in 1908, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar. He has been studying ever since.
Mr. Houghton has been connected with the registry of deeds for thirty-six years now. He began as assistant registrar of deeds, and later was given charge of the land court, holding the official title of acting assistant recorder. Really he functions as counsel of the land court. He maintains his private law practice in Dedham.
The Houghton’s after their marriage in 1908 lived in Hyde Park until after the World War when they moved to Norwood. For a time they lived on Parkway, but now reside in the former Cleveland home on Winter Street. Mr. Houghton began his public career in the town as a member of the high school building committee. Later he was elected to the planning board and served as its chairman during the time when the zoning by-laws were drafted and adopted. Perhaps he is more responsible than anyone for the zoning laws, their compilation, and their passing the town meeting. From the planning board he was appointed to service on the Board of Appeal and has acted as its chairman up until last May. Various special committees of the town have included him in their membership. More recently he was chairman of the electric light rate committee which has just handed in its report. Mr. Houghton is inclined to consider this his biggest job for the town.
Woodworking Hobby
Sir. Houghton’s hobbies are almost as numerous as the positions which he has held. At his home in Dover, Mass., he last year installed a complete woodworking shop with all electrical equipment. He has made corner cupboards and settees for the camp which is most attractively finished in pine paneling. His next woodworking project will be a twelve-leg gateleg table.
The Houghton summer home in Cape Breton gives Mr. Houghton the contact with the out of doors which he loves. Cape Breton is the last jumping-off place to Newfoundland, a 1000-mile motor journey from Norwood, and 400 miles out at sea from St. Johnsbury. A beautiful island graced by gently rolling hills and a lake through its center, Mr. Houghton says it is the most wonderful place in the world. His home is situated in a village of about twenty families. There he spends his summer vacations, and shuns the house for a tent when it is time to sleep. From there he can pack up a duffle bag, get in a canoe and set off on a camping expedition, or indulge his hobby of photography. He has many remarkable photographs of the scenery of Cape Breton, really a wonderful subject for the camera’s eye. It is in and around Cape Breton that he also picks up hooked rugs for his collection.
His other hobbies include s stamp collection of note which specializes in United States stamps. And the collectors bug also accounts for many such interesting items as an Indian burial urn which dates back to 6000, or 6000 years ago, and still contains the bones of some departed soul. Books are another of his passions and his home is filled with volumes.
Mr. Houghton’s organization affiliations include the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar and Norfolk County Bar Associations, the Conveyancers Association, Masons, Odd Fellows, Rotary, and the City Club of Boston.
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(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)