39 



a house bad stood before the year 1661, had a right there- 

 for in the Town Commons. 



Washington street was originally laid out four rods 

 wide from river to river ; undoubtedly for the pilrpose of 

 connecting the two primitive highways, which ran by the 

 rivers' side, at the point where they approach nearest 

 together. The Fort was enclosed between this street on 

 the east, and North street and Summer streets, which were 

 parallel to it, on the west. Essex street was probably at 

 first only a way to the meeting house, and did not ex- 

 tend farther west than Washington street. This would 

 account for the fact that the lines of Essex street, east and 

 west of Washington street, do not agree, as they in all 

 probability would have done if the street had been origi- 

 nally continued across. And this fact is still more notice- 

 able when we remember that the house which formerly 

 occupied the site of the Stearns Block, on the corner ot 

 these streets, stood out as far south as the curb-stone of 

 the present sidewalk. That part of Essex street, west 

 of Washington street, was called in 1670, "Mr. Batter's 

 lane." 



The four meeting houses of the First Church have all 

 occupied the same spot; the first was built in 1634, and 

 the "unfinished building of one story," which had been 

 previously used for worship, was no doubt in the same 

 vicinity. The dwelling house of Rev. Francis Higgin- 

 son, who died here in 1630, was on ground now covered 

 by the Asiatic Building, and faced towards the South 

 river. That of Rev. Samuel Skelton, who died in 1634, 

 was near where the Police Station now is, on Front street, 

 and was called in 1643, "an old house," being then in the 

 possession of William Brown. 



The Fort above referred to was near the western corner 

 of Sewall and Lynde streets, on what wa« the highest 



