120 Vernon Street – The Daniel P.  Pond House

Daniel P Pond bought this empty house lot in 1861 from Joseph Day, Lyman Smith and Joel M Baker, and he built his Italianate house in 1861. The builder is unknown, but it could be Thayer as he built many homes in this neighborhood.

            Elements of the Daniel Pond Italianate/Federal Style house:

• “L” shaped plan
  • Two story 5 bay x 2 bay main block house plan
  • Center entry
  • Granite block foundation
  • Style looks back to Federal Style houses
  • Bold bracketed door hood
  • Porches appear to be later additions
  • Originally would have had 6/6 double hung windows (today has 2/2 double hung windows)

Daniel Prescott Pond was born 1805 in Wrentham to Samuel and Catherine Smith. (He was the brother of William Harlow Pond who lived near by on Maple Street). In census records he is listed as a a farm laborer (1850), a turner (1855), a cabinet maker (1860), furniture packer (1865). It appears that Pond worked for one of the furniture makers in South Norwood. In March of 1830 he married Mary Boyden (1802-1890) in Dedham. She was the daughter of Benjamin Boyden and Roxa Hartshorn. Daniel and Mary had two sons George E (1833-1890) and Charles D (1835-1894). Daniel died in 1882 and the house passed his wife and two sons. When Mary (Boyden) Pond and George Pond died in 1890, Charles became the sole owner of the property.

Charles was born and raised in Norwood. In April of 1858, he married Julia Frances Fairbanks (1842-1904) in Dedham. She was the daughter of James Fairbanks and Roxa Gay. Charles worked for as a cabinetmaker and for the Car shops. Charles and Julia had three children, Charles P (1859-1933). Maria Emma (1861-1931) and Mable Louise (1879-1958).

Norwood Business directories show that in the mid 1910s Frank E. Demuth was living in the home, and the 1930 census tells us Andrus E. Whitney was renting the house. He lived there up to the late 1930s, then moved to Yarmouth where he was a photographer.

n 1947, the heirs of Dr. Frederick S Baston, sold this property to Edward & Catherine McGowan. It appears Frederick & Estelle Baston bought the Pond property from Maria (Pond) Batemen in 1922. It seems this property was a rental property for decades.

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