As part of an ongoing effort to bring the Registry of Deeds directly to the citizens of Norfolk County, Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell appeared January 15th as guest speaker at the Fuller Village in Milton. The Register provided Fuller Village residents an overview of Registry operations and spent time discussing the rich history of Norfolk County.
Register O’Donnell noted, “Norfolk County is known as the County of Presidents. The birthplace of George H.W. Bush was 173 Adams Street in Milton. Other presidents born in Norfolk County were John Adams and John Quincy Adams (in Braintree now part of Quincy), and John F. Kennedy (Brookline). The Registry of Deeds is truly honored to be the custodian of historical land documents associated with these four Presidents.”
The Register went on to note that John Adams, the second president of the United States, had donated land to the city of Quincy and noted in that document his admiration for fellow patriot John Hancock. Another Adams document included commentary on his philosophy on education and the importance of learning Greek and Latin.
O’Donnell also discussed a completed Registry project called “History Comes Alive”. “The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds concluded a transcription project whereby land documents dating from the Registry’s founding in 1793 up to 1900 were transcribed from the cursive writing style to a typed format. There is no question this project has resulted in helping those doing research in the fields of history and genealogy.” The Register also noted that two-time winning Pulitzer Prize historian David McCullough had praise for the project.
Register O’Donnell also spent time on current day issues associated with the Registry. In particular, O’Donnell discussed the benefits of the Homestead Act. “The Homestead Act,” noted the Register, “provides limited protection against the forced sale of an individual’s primary residence to satisfy unsecured debt up to $500,000. I urge Norfolk County residents to consider this important consumer protection tool.”
In conclusion, O’Donnell stated, “Fuller Village in Milton is one of the premier senior living facilities in Massachusetts. I want to thank Marvin Gordon, President of the Fuller Village Board of Directors, Deborah Felton, Executive Director and the entire staff at Fuller Village for the generosity in allowing us to speak. Thanks also to the residents of Fuller Village for the their attendance and excellent questions.”
To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and Instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds.
The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry’s website www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.
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