Historic Tour of Leverett, Massachusetts

Eva Gibavic

Joseph Clary/Joshua Hobart House

This photograph, circa 1885, is of the house at 6 Rattlesnake Gutter as it stood until 1933. The original cape structure (right side of photograph) was built by Joseph Clary, circa 1760. Joseph was born in Hatfield in 1705, prior to the resettling of Swampfield/Sunderland in 1715. With his wife, Hannah Drused, he purchased 100 acres "between Joshua Mountain and Cave Hill" in 1757 when Leverett was part of Sunderland. (The cave referenced in the name Cave Hill's cave was the cave in Rattlesnake Gutter and the area hill to its north and west was called Cave Hill.) Joseph was one of the petitioners for the setting off of Leverett from Sunderland in 1774.

Maurice Glazier

Maurice Glazier, receiving Leverett's Gold Cane award, in 1971. The award is given to the oldest citizen in Leverett.

Gibavic Family Conservation Restriction and Doolittle Brook Conservation Area

In 2007, Annette Gibavic gave a conservation restriction to the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust on 40 of the 50 acres she and her husband George purchased in 1952. The conservation restriction provides preservation in perpetuity, allowing farming and recreation and guaranteeing that it will not be a future Walmart location.

Glazier Sugar House, original location

Until it was moved in 2008 to avoid a dumpster, this was the location of the Glazier Sugar House, believed to be built in the 1930's, who lived across the road. This is the sugar house that is on Leverett's town seal. After the Glaziers, it was sold to the Graves family who operated it until the early 1970's when the equipment was removed and it was used as a snowmobile lodge. It was saved from being demolished in 2008 and moved across the road, now residing at 10 Rattlesnake Gutter.

Jason H. Woodbury House

This house, at 13 Rattlesnake Gutter, is on the 1858 map, next to the house of his father, John. His great grandfather, Jeremiah, was one of the original petitioners for the setting off of Leverett from Sunderland. Jeremiah built the house at (now) 44 Cave Hill.

John Woodbury House, former location

This is the location where a house presumed to be built by John Woodbury, Jr. (1780 - 1859). The house burned in the early 1960's when it was the home of Charlie Barry.

Cave Hill Schoolhouse

One of Leverett's one-room schoolhouses. When it was built, the area was known as Cave Hill, giving the school it's name. The "great cave" referred to in old deeds was the cave at the top of Rattlesnake Gutter.

Stone Chamber

The chamber is rectangular with a slab roof, made with large stones. There was no cement used in its construction, although there was some cement added on the outside. The date of construction is unclear.

Joseph Clary/Joshua Hobart House

This photograph, circa 1885, is of the house at 6 Rattlesnake Gutter as it stood until 1933. The original cape structure (right side of photograph) was built by Joseph Clary, circa 1760. Joseph was born in Hatfield in 1705, prior to the resettling of Swampfield/Sunderland in 1715. With his wife, Hannah Drused, he purchased 100 acres "between Joshua Mountain and Cave Hill" in 1757 when Leverett was part of Sunderland. (The cave referenced in the name Cave Hill's cave was the cave in Rattlesnake Gutter and the area hill to its north and west was called Cave Hill.) Joseph was one of the petitioners for the setting off of Leverett from Sunderland in 1774.

After Joseph's death in 1778, the portions of the land were sold, including the house to Joseph Willard, who then sold it to Joshua Hobart of Hingham, with his wife Sarah Godfrey of Taunton, in 1795.

"Miss Fanny Taylor, who was descended from the Hobarts, tells of hearing that Joshua moved from Taunton with his goods on an ox-cart. In one end of the cart was a 3-cornered cabinet which was later incorporated into a storage compartment for china-ware. n the trip, however, it was put to good use for carrying pigs in one half and a baby n the other. Miss Fanny says it was her great grandfather, Peter, who was that baby." (Ruth Field, A History of Leverett)

Joshua Hobart added the federal section of the house in 1795 and later added an addition to board mill workers. The house stayed in the family for 100 years, passing to his son, Peter Hobart, and then his daughter, Fanny and her husband Charles Wesley Thurber.

The house was in the Pratt family for 25 years when it was purchased by Maurice Glazier, great, great grandson of Jonathan and Azuba (Nye) Glazier who were the original settlers on Brushy Mountain. After purchasing the house in 1920, the original cape section burnt in 1933 and was rebuilt by Maurice Glazier in 1934.

Maurice Glazier

Maurice Glazier, receiving Leverett's Gold Cane award, in 1971. The award is given to the oldest citizen in Leverett.

Annette and George Gibavic purchased the house in 1952 and in the 1960's renovated a room a summer, including two upstairs rooms that still were partially burned from the fire that destroyed the original Clary cape.

In the master bedroom, when stripped the old wall paper, they found writing on the wall, including the name Loyce. Loyce (Glazier) Dunbar, whose family had bought the house when she was a child, recalled that she and her siblings had been allowed to write on the walls before her parents wall-papered them for the first time.

Gibavic Family Conservation Restriction and Doolittle Brook Conservation Area

In 2007, Annette Gibavic gave a conservation restriction to the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust on 40 of the 50 acres she and her husband George purchased in 1952. The conservation restriction provides preservation in perpetuity, allowing farming and recreation and guaranteeing that it will not be a future Walmart location.

The Town of Leverett has preserved an additional 5 acres of the original Clary land on Cave Hill Road.

Glazier Sugar House, original location

Until it was moved in 2008 to avoid a dumpster, this was the location of the Glazier Sugar House, believed to be built in the 1930's, who lived across the road. This is the sugar house that is on Leverett's town seal. After the Glaziers, it was sold to the Graves family who operated it until the early 1970's when the equipment was removed and it was used as a snowmobile lodge. It was saved from being demolished in 2008 and moved across the road, now residing at 10 Rattlesnake Gutter.

The second photo is of Maurice Glazier in the sugarhouse in 1968, curtesy of grandaughter Terry Glazier.

The third photo is of Donald Gibavic, approximately 1960, with his model of the sugarhouse built as a Boy Scout project.

Jason H. Woodbury House

This house, at 13 Rattlesnake Gutter, is on the 1858 map, next to the house of his father, John. His great grandfather, Jeremiah, was one of the original petitioners for the setting off of Leverett from Sunderland. Jeremiah built the house at (now) 44 Cave Hill.

John Woodbury House, former location

This is the location where a house presumed to be built by John Woodbury, Jr. (1780 - 1859). The house burned in the early 1960's when it was the home of Charlie Barry.

John Jr. was born at 44 Cave Hill, just up the hill from this house, son of John (1752 - 1821) and Lydia (Gunn) Woodbury in the house built by his grandfather, Jeremiah Woodbury (1727-1820). There is the cellar hole remains of an old cider mill on (now) adjacent property, referred to in the old deeds.

The house was later the birthplace of Gideon Lee, Jr. (see photo) who became mayor of New York City in 1833 - 1834 and later became a United States Representative from New York.

Larry and Beverly LaClaire built their house, now 15 Rattlesnake Gutter, in the 1970's close to the site of the original house.

Cave Hill Schoolhouse

One of Leverett's one-room schoolhouses. When it was built, the area was known as Cave Hill, giving the school it's name. The "great cave" referred to in old deeds was the cave at the top of Rattlesnake Gutter.

The Cave Hill Schoolhouse became a private home after Leverett consolidated its schools in 1950.

The building burned in 2008 and the current house rebuilt in 2009 (178 Montague Road)

Stone Chamber

The chamber is rectangular with a slab roof, made with large stones. There was no cement used in its construction, although there was some cement added on the outside. The date of construction is unclear.

Presumed to be a burial chamber, there are two unidentified graves on the hill on top of the chamber. One stone was broken and removed in the 1960's by children for a play at Hillhouse Day Camp on Putney Road.

Ruby Hemenway (1884-1987) recalled hearing that a girl living across the road, believed to have a terminal illness, asked her parents to put her body in the chamber and to check her daily to ensure that she was not buried alive. It proved unnecessary, as she survived the illness. She did not indicate who the child was or who was buried above the chamber.