Westwood Historical Commission Gets Visit From Norfolk Register

WESTWOOD, MA — Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell spoke to members of the Westwood Historical Commission and Society. The Register spoke about the rich history of Norfolk County and in particular the town of Westwood.

Register O’Donnell noted, “Norfolk County is known as the County of Presidents. Four of the forty-five United States Presidents have been born right here in this county: John Adams and John Quincy Adams (in Braintree now part of Quincy), John F. Kennedy (Brookline) and George H.W. Bush (Milton). The Registry of Deeds is truly honored to be the custodian of historical land documents associated with these four Presidents.”

The Register went on to discuss the Registry’s Notable Land Records Project which highlights a prominent land record holder in each of the twenty-eight communities comprising Norfolk County, including Westwood. “In our first Notable Land Records book, we honored Barry Reed, a prominent Westwood attorney and author who wrote 'The Verdict'. Reed’s book would be made into a movie starring legendary actors Paul Newman and James Mason. Our second book of honorees included Clarence Ransom Edwards who called Westwood home. Edwards was a decorated US Army Major General during World War I. Camp Edwards, a military training facility located on Cape Cod is named in his honor,” noted O’Donnell.

Register O’Donnell also spent time providing an overview of Registry operations and many of the modernization efforts that have resulted in improved efficiencies whereby people can look up any of the 8 million plus land documents housed at the Registry from the comfort of their home computers, laptops and smart phones. Another topic mentioned was the Homestead Act, an important consumer protection tool. “The Homestead Act,” stated O’Donnell, “provides limited protection against the forced sale of an individual’s primary residence to satisfy unsecured debt up to $500,000. I urge Norfolk County residents to consider this important consumer protection tool.”

To close the event out, O’Donnell stated, “The Westwood Historical Commission and Society are outstanding organizations that do a tremendous job preserving the history of Westwood. I want to thank both organizations, and in particular historical commission chair Nancy Donahue and society co-president Marilyn Freedman for allowing us to speak about the work of the Registry of Deeds and its role in safekeeping some of the rich history of Norfolk County.”