Born in Newbury, VT in 1846, Moses Mann was one of four children born to the master carpenter James Austin Mann (1816-1874) and Hannah Whitcher (1919-1896). In 1849, the family moved to Woburn, Mass. where Moses took up his father's profession. By 1865, at the age of 19, the State Census identifies Moses as a carpenter. Moses and his father appear to have worked together on projects: in 1869, when Moses was 23 and his father 53, they built the high-style mansard cottage at 57 Lake Street, Winchester, a picturesque design placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 (see second photo page).
In 1870 Moses married the daughter of Samuel Holton of Winchester, Elizabeth J.C. Holton, and the following year moved to West Medford, where his father-in-law was developing an extensive subdivision. The couple raised six children, although of them, only Mabel Maria (1875-1958) remained in Medford, marrying Charles C. Meloon. A son, David W. Mann (1887-1957), resided in Lincoln, Mass. for much of his adult life, and it was at his son's house where Mann died in 1933.
After their marriage, Mann became a prominent West Medford builder as the streetcar suburb expanded in the post-Civil War years. By 1890, he had an office and residence on Jerome Street (see advertisement at left), but in later years worked and lived at various addresses on Boston Avenue.
At least as early as 1901, Mann had become interested in local history. The Medford Historical Society had been formed in 1896, and in 1901 the Medford Historical Register records Moses Mann as a new member of the Society. "For many years president of the Historical Society, and while yet active as a carpenter and builder in West Medford, Mr. Mann's journeyings into the records of the past became an obsession rather than an avocation."* By 1913, he was editor of the Register as well as Chair of the Historic Sites Committee. In 1916 Mann designed and built the Society's present headquarters at 10 Governors Avenue in the Spanish Mission style.
The natural boulder Mann chose for his monument, very unlike the other memorials in the Cemetery, is the foundation of a builder's work, and surely symbolic of the growth of communities.
* An appreciation of Moses Mann is contained in volume 36 of the Medford Historical Register, pp. 13-16. See also Wm F. Whitcher, Descendants of Chase Whitcher of Warren, N.H.(1907), pp. 68-70.
In 1870 Moses married the daughter of Samuel Holton of Winchester, Elizabeth J.C. Holton, and the following year moved to West Medford, where his father-in-law was developing an extensive subdivision. The couple raised six children, although of them, only Mabel Maria (1875-1958) remained in Medford, marrying Charles C. Meloon. A son, David W. Mann (1887-1957), resided in Lincoln, Mass. for much of his adult life, and it was at his son's house where Mann died in 1933.
After their marriage, Mann became a prominent West Medford builder as the streetcar suburb expanded in the post-Civil War years. By 1890, he had an office and residence on Jerome Street (see advertisement at left), but in later years worked and lived at various addresses on Boston Avenue.
At least as early as 1901, Mann had become interested in local history. The Medford Historical Society had been formed in 1896, and in 1901 the Medford Historical Register records Moses Mann as a new member of the Society. "For many years president of the Historical Society, and while yet active as a carpenter and builder in West Medford, Mr. Mann's journeyings into the records of the past became an obsession rather than an avocation."* By 1913, he was editor of the Register as well as Chair of the Historic Sites Committee. In 1916 Mann designed and built the Society's present headquarters at 10 Governors Avenue in the Spanish Mission style.
The natural boulder Mann chose for his monument, very unlike the other memorials in the Cemetery, is the foundation of a builder's work, and surely symbolic of the growth of communities.
* An appreciation of Moses Mann is contained in volume 36 of the Medford Historical Register, pp. 13-16. See also Wm F. Whitcher, Descendants of Chase Whitcher of Warren, N.H.(1907), pp. 68-70.
Born in Newbury, VT in 1846, Moses Mann was one of four children born to the master carpenter James Austin Mann (1816-1874) and Hannah Whitcher (1919-1896). In 1849, the family moved to Woburn, Mass. where Moses took up his father's profession. By 1865, at the age of 19, the State Census identifies Moses as a carpenter. Moses and his father appear to have worked together on projects: in 1869, when Moses was 23 and his father 53, they built the high-style mansard cottage at 57 Lake Street, Winchester, a picturesque design placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 (see second photo page).
In 1870 Moses married the daughter of Samuel Holton of Winchester, Elizabeth J.C. Holton, and the following year moved to West Medford, where his father-in-law was developing an extensive subdivision. The couple raised six children, although of them, only Mabel Maria (1875-1958) remained in Medford, marrying Charles C. Meloon. A son, David W. Mann (1887-1957), resided in Lincoln, Mass. for much of his adult life, and it was at his son's house where Mann died in 1933.
After their marriage, Mann became a prominent West Medford builder as the streetcar suburb expanded in the post-Civil War years. By 1890, he had an office and residence on Jerome Street (see advertisement at left), but in later years worked and lived at various addresses on Boston Avenue.
At least as early as 1901, Mann had become interested in local history. The Medford Historical Society had been formed in 1896, and in 1901 the Medford Historical Register records Moses Mann as a new member of the Society. "For many years president of the Historical Society, and while yet active as a carpenter and builder in West Medford, Mr. Mann's journeyings into the records of the past became an obsession rather than an avocation."* By 1913, he was editor of the Register as well as Chair of the Historic Sites Committee. In 1916 Mann designed and built the Society's present headquarters at 10 Governors Avenue in the Spanish Mission style.
The natural boulder Mann chose for his monument, very unlike the other memorials in the Cemetery, is the foundation of a builder's work, and surely symbolic of the growth of communities.
* An appreciation of Moses Mann is contained in volume 36 of the Medford Historical Register, pp. 13-16. See also Wm F. Whitcher, Descendants of Chase Whitcher of Warren, N.H.(1907), pp. 68-70.
In 1870 Moses married the daughter of Samuel Holton of Winchester, Elizabeth J.C. Holton, and the following year moved to West Medford, where his father-in-law was developing an extensive subdivision. The couple raised six children, although of them, only Mabel Maria (1875-1958) remained in Medford, marrying Charles C. Meloon. A son, David W. Mann (1887-1957), resided in Lincoln, Mass. for much of his adult life, and it was at his son's house where Mann died in 1933.
After their marriage, Mann became a prominent West Medford builder as the streetcar suburb expanded in the post-Civil War years. By 1890, he had an office and residence on Jerome Street (see advertisement at left), but in later years worked and lived at various addresses on Boston Avenue.
At least as early as 1901, Mann had become interested in local history. The Medford Historical Society had been formed in 1896, and in 1901 the Medford Historical Register records Moses Mann as a new member of the Society. "For many years president of the Historical Society, and while yet active as a carpenter and builder in West Medford, Mr. Mann's journeyings into the records of the past became an obsession rather than an avocation."* By 1913, he was editor of the Register as well as Chair of the Historic Sites Committee. In 1916 Mann designed and built the Society's present headquarters at 10 Governors Avenue in the Spanish Mission style.
The natural boulder Mann chose for his monument, very unlike the other memorials in the Cemetery, is the foundation of a builder's work, and surely symbolic of the growth of communities.
* An appreciation of Moses Mann is contained in volume 36 of the Medford Historical Register, pp. 13-16. See also Wm F. Whitcher, Descendants of Chase Whitcher of Warren, N.H.(1907), pp. 68-70.
