Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 8.

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[p. 7] other land. Three years later, July 4, 1705, Mr. Bradstreet sold to Mr. Seccomb an additional lot containing one-half an acre, and this lot of land adjoined the first on its westerly side and was twenty-eight feet in width on the road. These two lots comprised the Fountain House estate. This house must have been built soon after these purchases, for in the year 1713, Mr. Seccomb was licensed as an innholder, and no doubt was the first landlord of the Fountain Tavern. In December of that year he sold his estate to Messrs. Francis Leath and son, and the place for the first time was called the Fountain Tavern. Mr. Leath, senior, was landlord in the year 1714. During that year the estate was deeded back to Mr. Seccomb, who immediately sold to Captain Samuel Wade. In the year 1715, and for many years thereafter, Captain Wade was landlord of this tavern. In the year 1735 he sold the estate to Messrs. Stephen Hall, junior, Stephen and Simon Bradshaw. In the deed the house is spoken of as a dwelling house. In the year 1751 Mr. Simon Bradshaw sold one-half of a house to Mr. Stephen Bradshaw, and it was described as ‘at a place formerly called the Fountain.’

By this sale Mr. Stephen Bradshaw came into the possession of the whole estate. Mr. Stephen Hall, junior, having previously sold his interest in the estate to the Bradshaw brothers. Mr. Bradshaw sold in the year 1765 to Mr. Jonathan Patten. In the year 1775 Mr. Thomas Bradshaw was licensed as an innholder, and from that year until the year 1789, he kept the Fountain Tavern. In the year 1795 Mr. Patten's widow sold to Mr. Nathaniel Hall, from Mr. Hall the estate passed through the ownership of many different persons, down to the present day. Some of these owning only one-half of the house. There is no evidence that this house was used as a tavern from the year 1734 until the year 1775, when it was occupied by Mr. Bradshaw, although it is very probable that it was sometimes used as a place where liquors were sold, nor is it likely that it was used as a tavern after Mr.