III. Webb Estate (Boston), 1660-1827
Scope and Contents
This series contains documents related to the Webb Estate, which comprised land, a dwelling house, and spaces for commercial business in Boston. Included are a manuscript copy of Henry Webb's will; leases of the estate, or portions of it, to many individuals; correspondence about the property; memoranda of agreement; documents related to difficulties in procuring rent from tenants; bills and receipts for maintenance work on buildings; and lists of tenants and their rents. Records related to the estate's commercial tenants provide information about small businesses operating in the early nineteenth century in Boston.
Dates
- Creation: 1660-1827
Physical Description
.36 cubic feet (53 legal folders and 4 oversize folders)
Researcher Access
The Records of land and property owned by Harvard University are open for research with the following exceptions: materials in boxes 10, 11, 12, and 13 are closed to research due to their fragile state. These records have been severely damaged by mold, and some are so severely damaged that their contents are largely illegible (including all records related to Shawshin Farm in Billerica, Massachusetts). The contents of other damaged records are more clear and are listed in this finding aid.
Extent
8 cubic feet (11 document boxes, 7 flat boxes)Historical Note
In 1660, a highly successful Boston merchant named Henry Webb bequeathed to Harvard College a dwelling house and land in Boston, then rented at £13 per year, as well as a legacy of £50, the income and interest "to be improved either for the maintenance of some poor scholar, or otherwise for the best good of the College." The house and land extended from Cornhill, now part of Washington Street, to Devonshire Street, and the property was among the most profitable of the College real estate holdings because of its central location. For many years, beginning in 1831, the estate was rented to the publishers Little, Brown & Co.
References
- "The WebbEstate." The Historical Magazine and Notes andQueries Concerning the Antiquities, History and Biography of America,August 1860, 246.
- Quincy, Josiah. TheHistory of Harvard University. Cambridge, Mass.: John Owen,1840.
Creator
- From the Collection: Harvard University. Corporation (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu