December 17th, 2025 was the 300th anniversary of the Town of Stoneham – the day the Great and General Court of the Province of Massachusetts (aka the state legislature) set off the northern part of Charlestown, the piece known as Charlestown End, into the separate Town of Stoneham.
Members of the 300th committee celebrated by presenting the #1 commemorative coin to Town Clerk Maria Sagarino at Town Hall, then walked to the Historical Society for a reading of the Town Charter by our president and vice president (Steve Rotondi and Dolly Wilson) and cake with members of the Historical Society. State Representative Michael Day also read a proclamation from the General Court celebrating the anniversary.
The Stoneham 300th Anniversary Committee has spent the last 5 years preparing for the anniversary, and the last year celebrating it with a series of events from a haunted town tour, celebratory party, an art show, a summer wrap up at the Whip Hill, the Fells and Spot Pond. Along the way we celebrated with cupcakes at Town Day, taking an inflatable cake to Christmas and Memorial Day parades, and a contest to settle once and for all the proper way to pronounce Stoneham. (STONE-UM won in a landslide over StoneHAM, btw). Other groups also created 300th themed events, or participated in the 52 week-countdown. It all culminated in our grand finale parade and drone show in October, but the actual anniversary wasn’t until December.
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Stoneham Town Charter
The Massachusetts General Court in December, 1725, passed the following act:
Whereas the Northerly part of the Town of Charlestown within the County of Middlesex is competently filled with Inhabitants who labour under great Difficulties by their Remoteness from the place of public worship and have thereupon made their application to the said town of Charlestown, and have likewise addressed the Court that they may be set off a Distinct and Separate Town, and be vested with all the powers and privileges of a Town, and the Inhabitants of Charlestown by their agents having consented to their being set off accordingly, and a committee of this court having viewed the Northerly part of the said Town of Charlestown, and reported in favor of the Petitioners. Be it therefore Enacted by the Lieutenant, Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same.
That the Northerly part of the said Town of Charlestown, that is to say all the Land on the East side of Woburn, the South side of Reading, the West side of Malden and the North side of the Fifth Range of the First Division of Charlestown Wood Lots, be and hereby is set off and constituted a separate Township by the name of Stoneham.
And the Bounds and the Limits ot the said Town of Stoneham be according to the agreement made in November one Thousand seven hundred and twenty-five by and between the committee and Agents for and in behalf of the said Town of Charlestown, and the petitioners of the Northerly part thereof, wherein it was consented and agreed, that the five ranges or remaining part of the said First Division do remain to the Town of Charlestown, agreeable to a former grant of the Town made in the year 1657-58, and that the Inhabitants of the Northerly half of Charlestown should have and enjoy that Tract of Land lying in ‘the bounds aforesaid, commonly called and known by the name of Gould’s Farm, now under lease to Messrs, Thomas and Daniel Gould, containing one hundred and ten acres, or thereabouts; also one-half of -all the Town’s Meadow (and uplands) lying on Spot Pond, both for quantity and quality containing seventy-nine acres (by Captain Burnapp’s platt) an estate in Fee with an equal share in Spot Pond, the said Land or the value thereof to be improved for settling and maintaining an Orthodox minister to dispense the word and ordinances among them.
The Inhabitants of the said Northerly half of Charlestown being by virtue of the said agreement to be debarred from any claim or demand of and to any Land, money, rents or income of what kind soever, which now are or shall belong to the Town of Charlestown as well those several Farms and Land lying within the Bounds above said, as all other Estate or Income either Real or Personal, and from all demands tor High Ways; that so the Town of Charlestown may quietly and peaceably enjoy the same.
And further it is to be understood that none of the Iand contained in the two ranges and Half belonging to the first Division shall on any pretence whatsoever be assessed or taxed by the said Town of Stoneham, except those Lands that shall be put under Improvement, such as mowing, ploughing and pasturing.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the Inhabitants of the Northerly half of Charlestown living within the Bounds aforesaid be and hereby are erected with the Powers, Privileges and Immunities that the Inhabitants of any of the Towns of the Province by Law are or ought to be vested with; that the inhabitants of the said Town of Stoneham do within the space of two years from the Publication of this Act, Erect and finish a suitable House for the public worship of God, and so soon as may be – procure and settle a Learned and Orthodox minister, of good conversation and make provision tor his comfortable and honorable support; and likewise provide a school-master to instruct their youth in Writing and Reading, and that thereupon they be discharged from any payment for the maintenance of the ministry and school in the Town of Charlestown. Provided that the Inhabitants of Stoneham nevertheless, are to pay their respective proportions to Two several assessments already made by the Assessors of Charles town for County and Town charges, and David Gould, one of the present constables of Charles-town, is required to collect and pay in such parts and proportions of each of said assessments as are permitted to him by the said Assessors of Charlestown according to the powers and directions in the warrant duly made and delivered; anything in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding-
December 17, 1725, This Bill having been Read three several times in the House of Representatives passed to be enacted.
William Dudley, Speaker.”
The first town meeting was held December 24, 1725. Timothy Baldwin, Sen., was chosen moderator and Daniel Gould, Jr., town clerk. The selectmen the first year were Captain Benjamin Geary, Captain John Vinton, Mr. Peter Hay, Sr., Mr. Timothy Baldwin, Sr., and Lieut. Timothy Wright.