24 Cottage Street – The George B. Talbot/L. Waldo Bigelow House

George B. Talbot built this Italianate style house for himself around 1855. Originally this house was on the corner of Cottage and Washington Streets and was part of a large lot. It was moved to the back of its lot in 1905 when the center of Norwood was going through its modernization. Talbot lived here for approximately five years before selling the house to his brother-in-law around 1860. Talbot moved to a house he built on Washington Street. The Bigelows owned this property until the early 1910s.

            Elements of the Talbot/Bigelow Italianate Style house:

• Cross-shaped configuration
  • 2 ½ stories
  • Originally had two porches on either side of the part that faces Cottage St
  • Polygonal bay on the main façade
  • Arched attic window
  • Bracketed door hood

George B. Talbot appears to have owned and lived in several homes in South Dedham/Norwood. Originally, it seems that his first house was on or near Prospect Street, but by 1855, he had become a successful business man in South Dedham and he built this Italianate Style home on what is now Washington Street. He lived here for a few years before he sold it in 1859 to his brother-in-law L Waldo Bigelow. Talbot relocated to a new home on Washington Street.

Lyman Waldo Bigelow was born 1828 in Boxborough, to Lyman Bigelow and Jane Brigham. The elder Bigelow was a very successful businessman and leading citizen Boxborough. Lyman and Jane were the parents of six children; Jane Elizabeth (1820-1888) who married (1) John Brown and (2) Joseph Day; Mary Louise (1821-1888) who married Josiah Talbot, Augusta (1823-1852) who married George B. Talbot; Lyman Waldo (1828-1886) who married Catherine Howard; Caroline (1829-1851) who married Cephas Hoar; and Linford Willis (1836-1856). As can be seen, many of the Bigelow children married to people who became important businessmen in Norwood. This is due to the fact that soon after Lyman Bigelow died, the family moved to South Dedham. Waldo attended Boxborough schools before attending the Laurence Academy in Groton. Upon the completion of his education, he followed his father into the mercantile business. In 1849, Waldo married Catherine Beal Howard (1828-1901) and they became the parents of nine children. In 1853, Waldo moved to South Dedham and founded a very successful furniture store in the town’s center. Bigelow Furniture Co., was first located in the old Village Hall, by the 1910s the company was located at 700 Washington Street. Waldo was one of the people to sign the petition to establish the new town of Norwood, and he became its first treasurer, an office he held until his death in 1886. Catherine died in 1901. Waldo and Catherine are buried in Highland Cemetery. It appears the family retained this property through the 1910s, however, they rented it in the 1910s to Walter & Clara Berwick and in the 1920s to the Martin Family. The 1930 census shows Allen D & Annie Hinds owned this house, and deeds confirm they bought the property in 1924.

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