The last house on Great Meadow Road
Never heard of this road? It’s the skinny, twisty shortcut behind Kohl’s, connecting Burlington Mall Road to the Turnpike. It passes the Vine Brook Plaza and Staples and some Highway Department facilities.
Today, there are no houses anywhere near Great Meadow Road. But in the early 1950s, one family lived ON that street.
Meet the homeowners: Thomas and Lorraine Chaplin.
As usual back then, there was a family farm. This one was Echo Knoll. Tom worked on the town’s Highway Department and became a firefighter, retiring in 1987. He was a big motorcycle enthusiast and formed the Triple Towers Motorcycle Club, named after the nearby WRKO towers.
He moved to Townsend, MA in 1973 and created another farm called Echo Knoll. Here he is, cruising around the property.
His son Ken now operates Echo Knoll Farm and Echo Knoll Construction. Tom died in 2019; Lorraine in 2007.
Nowadays, back in Burlington, there’s no sign of a house or farm at 10 Great Meadow Road. Only this:
Special thanks to LouAnne Chaplin Cellana
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Nice piece of Burlington history with excellent follow-up on Tom and Lorraine.
Thankyou for sharing!!!
I lived on Lexington Street from 1962-1989. I drove on Great Meadow Rd many times. I do not remember a house on that location. I do remember the WRKO booster station( we thought Dale Dorman broadcasted from there😂😂). I do remember the moving company at the end of Great Meadow Rd near Middlesex Turnpike.
Global van lines is who bought the property from my parents.
Thank you for that information about Global Van Lines buying that property from your parents. I like to know about my hometown.
I don’t know to where but the house was moved (late fifties/early sixties
Awesome story!