Themes: Architectural, community development, education.

Mark Newman bought 1 acre and 19 poles of land from Isaac Blunt on March 30, 1805 for $383.90 "on the southerly side of the Common by Phillips Academy and on the east by the road leading by said Academy to Boston." The Common is the old training field where George Washington held reception on horseback in 1789 on his tour of New England States and is now the site of the Fuller Memorial Bell Tower. Newman took a mortgage of $2500 from John Phillips of Boston on Oct. 27, 1809 which included "one acre 113 poles with buildings."

Rev. Mark Haskell Newman was 3rd Principal of Phillips Academy, 1794-1809. Mark was born on Sept. 7, 1772 in Ipswich, MA and "fitted for college at Phillips Academy, Exeter", graduated from Dartmouth College in 1793 and was Assistant Principal of Phillips Academy in 1794. Mark was Preceptor for 15 years and on the Board of Trustees for 40 years and clerk of P. A. Board of Trustees, 1809-1836. Mark Newman was member of the South Church for 57 years and Deacon from 1811-1845 also first Sunday School Supt. in 1818. After he resigned his Principalship, he was for many years a bookseller and publisher of religious books. By 1811 he built a store to south of his house on Dwight Street. The store later occupied by Albert Abbot was razed 1897. In 1829 Mark gave an acre of land for new Abbot Academy and served as Pres. of Board of Trustees until 1843.

Mark married on Sept. 29, 1795 in Boston to Sarah "Sally" Phillips. The had seven children: Samuel Phillips b. 6/6/1796, Mark b. 7/13/1804 - d. 9/10/1805, Mark H. b. 6/9/1800, Margaret Wendall b. 3/3/1801, Sarah Phillips b. 3/19/ 1802 - d. 11/22/1827, Hannah Haskell b. 6/6/1809, and William John b. 10/26/1811, Wife Sally died Nov. 18, 1811 at age 46. Mark later remarried to Mrs. Abigail Dodge of Tamworth, NH. int. Oct. 21, 1814. They had one daughter Anna Dodge b. 4/1/1816 d. 3/19/1840 age 24.

Mark Newman lived 210 Main until April 29, 1818, when he exchanged this house with Trustees of Phillips Academy for the late Samuel Abbot House at 57 Central Street. $5000 was the agreed amount for both properties. Mark died on June 15,1859 in another one of his homes on the site of Christ Church.

Doctor, essayist, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, "while a student at the Academy in 1824-25, boarded in this house when Prof. Murdock was the housemaster". He lived in the upper room over kitchen in the east wing of main house. [Poem follows]
Oliver Wendell Holmes class of 1825.
"The schoolboy's chosen home is reached at last, - I see it now, the same unchanging spot - The swinging gate, the little garden plot - The narrow yard, the rock that made its floor - The flat, pale house, the knocker-garnished door - The small, trim parlor, nest, decorous, chill - The strange new faces, kind but grave and still." [From "The Schoolboy" written and read by Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1878 at the centennial Celebration of the founding of Phillips Academy].

Professor Ralph Emerson lived here 1829-1853. Rev. Ralph Emerson, DD was a professor at the Andover Theological Seminary; inaugurated in 1829 and served to 1853 Ralph Emerson was born Aug. 18, 1787, in Hollis, NH son of Daniel and Ama “Amy” (Fletcher) Emerson. Ralph married on Sept. 27, 1817, in Colebrook, CT. to Elizabeth Rockwell b. Mar. 25, 1797, in CT, dau. of Martin & Mary (Burrell) Rockwell. Rev. Ralph Emerson was a Pastor in Norfolk CT from 1819-1828 prior to coming to Andover.
Ralph & Eliza had nine children: Daniel b. Aug. 20, 1818, Mary b. Nov. 23, 1819, Joseph b. Aug. 28, 1821, and Samuel b. May 9, 1827, and S. Rockwell b. Feb. 28, 1828, all in Norfolk, CT. Four children born while residing in Andover: Ralph b. May 3, 1831, Ebenezer Porter b. Aug. 14, 1834, Elizabeth b. Feb. 15, 1836, and Charlotte b. April 21, 1838. They lived in the home at 210 Main Street on the old Training Field, now the site of the Memorial Bell Tower, at Phillips Academy. It has been stated "Professor Emerson, an Abolitionist, he harbored many a fugitive slave escaping by the "Underground Route" to Canada."

The 1850 Census lists Rev Emerson age 63 Professor of Theology, Eliza R. 53, Samuel 23, Ralph Jr. 19, E. P. Ebenezer Porter 15, Elizabeth 14, and Charlotte 12. Rev. Emerson and family are in Newburyport, MA in the 1855 Mass. Census and had moved to Rockford, IL by 1860. Two of his sons, Daniel and Samuel became ministers.

Prof. Shedd resided here next then followed from 1863-1904 by Prof. Egbert Smyth. He was involved in "Heresy Trials" at Andover Seminary when he and several other professors were accused of heresy for their liberal theology and anti-Calvinistic teachings. Smyth was the only one not exonerated and the case went to Mass. Supreme Court.

James C. Sawyer, Treasurer of Phillips Academy and Director of Andover National Bank, 1902-1933, lived here. The house underwent restoration and modifications including the addition of the piazza on the front facing the Bell Tower.