A Great Investment on Longmeadow Street

931 Longmeadow Street
built ca. ~1870

On April 26, 1898 there was an advertisement in the local newspaper, the Springfield Daily Republican listing a house in Longmeadow, MA that would be sold at auction. The Bodurtha Property was located on Main Street (now known as Longmeadow Street). The auction would take place on Friday, April 29th at 2 PM. The Auctioneer was Springfield resident and former Springfield Mayor Newrie D. Winter. 

Springfield Daily Republican
April 26, 1898

The house and the property were known to town residents as the "Bodurtha Place". (Currently, the address is 931 Longmeadow Street.) Mary Jane Bodurtha purchased this property from Delia Bascom in 1871. Mrs. Bodurtha was married to Daniel Yale Bodurtha. Six months earlier in February of 1871 this property was owned by the widow Matilda House. 

After purchasing the house and property, Mary Jane and Daniel Bodurtha lived here. She became a widow in 1881 and continued living in this house at 931 Longmeadow Street. Mrs. Bodurtha died ten years later in July of 1891. A week before she died she conveyed the property to Frank B. Allen-  a Longmeadow Selectman and also a Longmeadow town assessor. Taxes were probably due.  Mr. Allen sold the house and property to the Town of Longmeadow for $5.00- that same day. For the next few years the Town of Longmeadow collected rents and also unsuccessfully tried to sell this property. Repairs were made by the Town of Longmeadow, so the appearance of the house could have changed and the house was hooked up to Town Water. Then, in 1898 at the Longmeadow Annual Town Meeting it was voted for the town to auction off the property.

Springfield Daily Republican
April 5, 1898

Thomas E. Burns was the new owner. The 1898 Longmeadow Annual Town Report includes the sale of the Bodurtha Place. It was auctioned off for $1,600.00. Mr. Burns was an Irish immigrant who had lived in Longmeadow for a number of years. On May 21, 1885 he and Agnes Quigley were married in Mitteneague (West Springfield). They were both born in Ireland, immigrated to the United States and became residents of Longmeadow, MA. Mr. Burns was a Teamster and Miss Quigley was a Domestic at the time that they were married. They became Naturalized Citizens and also raised 2 sons who were both born in Longmeadow. Frederick was born in 1886 and William was born in 1891. 

931 Longmeadow Street- 1870-1894-1912 Maps

[click to enlarge]

Thomas Burns changed his occupation and became a watchman at the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railway. He lived in this house at 931 Longmeadow Street until he passed away in November of 1936. Mrs. Burns died in December of 1949. Her obituary shared that she had been a resident of Longmeadow, MA for 67 years. 

Mr. and Mrs. Burns were married when West Village and East Village were the two sections of the Town of Longmeadow. They purchased their home after the two villages split into two separate towns- Longmeadow and East Longmeadow. They witnessed horses and wagons traveling on Longmeadow Street and then automobiles sharing the street. There are so many more events that these two people who were born in Ireland saw while raising their family in Longmeadow, MA.  

Additional Sources: Springfield Daily News- Dec. 24, 1949; Springfield Republican- Nov. 4, 1936; Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System; 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 United States Census Records; 1870, 1894, 1912 and 1920 Longmeadow, MA Maps.

~Written by Judy Moran