Lawrence Public Library

Lawrence, Mass., Assessors Office valuation books, 1850-1924

eng

no index present

non fiction

Lawrence, Mass., Assessors Office valuation books

964625077

The first volume in this multi-volume collection covers the entire town in 1850. The front page states (hand-written): "The following pages from 1 to 95 inclusive contain the inventory and lists of taxes assessed upon the inhabitants and property in the won of Lawrence for the present year 1850." At the end of the early books, before they were divided up into wards, accounts are added up: poll tax, real estate, non-real estate, personal, city, state and county, resident, and non-resident. The assessors would sign the pages with these figures. The early yearly books ran from 1850-1869; the books divided by wards ran from 1874-1924. All the books are roughly alphabetical, all "A"s together and so on. The first page has real estate and the second personal estate. Personal property includes cash, stock, horse, etc. After the valuations come the lists of taxes: poll, real estate, personal estate, total, and the street of residence. By 1874 the books are divided by wards and individual property is no longer listed, just general valuations. There were no summations at the end. It does appear that when the taxes were paid the name was crossed off. Rates of taxation were set at the beginning the books, i.e., 1877 rate per 1000 $16.60. Eight early books were added (314-321). At one time they were undated, but dates were found. Some volumes missing