Whittier Court
Early deeds refer to Whitter Court as Cochrane Lane named after its owner James H. Cochrane, a blacksmith and farmer who lived and worked his trade at 5 Punchard Ave from 1845 until he retired in 1887. James sold his business to Anderson & Bowman who moved the blacksmith shop to Park St.
James then sold off house lots on his lane from 1886 – 1890.
Themes: architectural, community development

#4 Whittier Court – 39-170 – 0.315 a

The Whittier Court lot was sold by James H. Cochrane on Oct. 5, 1887 for $369 to Elwyn Hazen Shattuck, b. 1864 in Hartford, VT son of Charles H. & Sarah (West) Shattuck and nephew of Sarah E. Shattuck and Nancy (Shattuck) Brown. Elwyn married on Nov. 26, 1884 to Wilhelmina “Minnie” E. Ashness b. 1863 in England, dau. of William & Sarah (Beckwith) Ashness.
Nov. 4, 1887 AT vol 1 - A.C. Richardson has the contract to build a house for Elwyn H. Shattuck on Punchard Avenue. Ezra Farnum is putting in the cellar. (#4 Whittier Ct.) Elwyn was a Brass spinner, would relocate to Cambridge, MA and sold the property on May 17, 1889 to his Aunt Julia F. Shattuck, wife of Nathan Harrison Shattuck. It appears that Elwyn Shattuck built the home, as when he sells to Julia Frances Shattuck on Mar. 17, 1889 for $1600. the deed also includes a $1000. mortgage loan from the bank.

Nathan H. Shattuck 2nd b. Sept. 1862, Harford, VT, son of Charles H. and Sarah (West) Shattuck married on Nov. 7, 1885 to Julia E. Caffrey b. Sept. 1862 in Roxbury, MA dau. of Thomas & Mary (Fallon) Caffrey. Nathan H. was a Harness maker, as was his father Charles H. and grandfather Paschal.

Nathan & Julia had six children: John Henry b. May 29, 1886, Ida May b. May 29, 1888, Thomas Francis b. Apr. 7, 1889 - d. Aug. 30, 1898, Frank Henry b. Apr. 7, 1890, (AVR list Thomas F. & Frank H. born on same day but not twins?) James Pascal b. Sept. 1, 1894 and Margaret Eliz.. b. Jan. 28, 1897. Ida married John Shevlin and they lived with her parents in 1910 census. After Julia’s death on Nov. 2, 1913, 1/3 of her estate went to her husband Nathan and 2/3 to their children. Son John Henry Shattuck purchased the property from the estate on April 8, 1916. Nathan H. died in 1920.

John Henry Shattuck was a listed as a driver of a fish wagon in 1910. John would become manager of the Rockport Fish Market, owned by John Greeley on Essex St. John married in 1918 to Florence M. Hibbert b. 1890 in England and immigrated in 1900. John & Florence had one son John H. Jr. born in Oct. 1919. Florence died in 1942 and John remarried in 1946 to Agnes T. b. 1910. John died on June 7, 1966 and Agnes in 1987. Both are interred at St. Augustine’s Cemetery.
The home would be in the Shattuck family for 100 years before being sold to Frederick W. & Nancy J. McCormick on Nov. 3, 1987who remain owners of record in 2018.

At a Special Town Meeting in October 1977 Article 21 - Proposed land taking at the rear of the property for Municipal Purposes. The town voted to take 1970 sq. ft of the Shattuck lot and also from the Avery lot to the north. The land is now part of the "Playstead" property and used as portion of a practice field for the Doherty Middle School.