22 Morton Street

Architectural Description: 

This two family home, we believe, was constructed from two former soap houses used by Willard Pike in 1870. Deed restrictions placed on the use of the land by the Trustees of Phillips Academy in 1869 basically placed a "residence only" use on the property. Parts of the house could be as early as 1845. An 1872 map of Andover locates another Soap house further up Morton St. on the south side of the street.

Historical Narrative: 

22 Morton St. and 67 Bartlet St.
Morton St. once referred to as a lane has had four different names; Greene St, Pike St., East Morton St. and now Morton St. Greene St. was the west section from Main to School Streets. Pike St. from Main St. to the top of the hill at #56. The Bartlet St. was extended from Punchard Ave. southward up the hill to Pike St. then completed to Chapel Ave in 1882-83.

The home is located at the corner of Morton & Bartlet Streets and has two separate addresses; 22 Morton St. on the west side and 67 Bartlet St on the east side. The date of construction is difficult to determine but it appears the house is two different structures, joined together. The two family home, we believe, was constructed from two former soap houses once used by Willard Pike in 1850s. Deed restrictions placed on the use of the land by the Trustees of Phillips Academy in 1869 basically placed a "residence only" use on the property. Parts of the house could be as early as 1845. An 1872 map of Andover locates another Soap house further up Morton St. on the south side of the street. William S. Jenkins converted to buildings to residences in 1870. One section or both may have been the former buildings used by Willard for his soap factory.

This land was once owned by Samuel Abbott & William Abbott who sold 2¾ acres on Aug. 26, 1845 for $600 to Willard Pike. The property ran 36 rods (594’) along the lane (Morton St.) and was 12 rods deep (198’) running past “the rear of the Methodist Society” land. Willard Pike built two soap manufacturing houses on this lot at 22 Morton St. and operated a soap and candle business.

The 1850 Valuation assessed Pike’s holdings: Dwell house and barn $1000 (125 -131 Main), Chandler house $800 (6-8 Morton), J. Small place, House & Shop $650 (18 Morton), 2 Soap houses & shed $1050 (22 Morton), 3 acres land adjoining $600 = $4100. Farm Stock $205 Stock $100 = $305.
The 1860 Valuation: Dwelling house & Old Soap Shop $1500, Chandler house $775, 2 houses on Pike St. (#16 & #18 Morton) $1200, 2 Soap houses $900, New barn $650, 9 acres on Pike St. $1400. 14 acres Prentice pasture $490, 4½ acres Ezra Holt pasture $140 = $7055. Farm Stock $488, Stock in Trade $500.
In 1870 all the remaining property is now listed in son George E. Pike’s name.

Willard Pike was born June 1, 1797 in Phillipston, MA son of David & Joanna (Cheney) Pike. Willard married on Aug. 14, 1823 to Mary E. Buss b. 6/17/1804 in Canton, MA dau. of Richard & Sally (Crane) Buss. They had eight children: Mary Willianna b. 6/21/1824, Charles W. b. 4/26/1826 – d. 10/19/1843 age 17 6m, Sarah Cheney b. 4/12/1829 – d. 9/26/1830, Sarah Lynda b. 4/1/1833, George Edmond b. 1/3/1835 in Lowell, Joanna Cheney b. 3/4/ 1839, Frances Amanda b. 7/31/1842 – d. 10/1/1842 and Willard b 5/7/1847-d. 5/15/ 1847. Wife Mary died of consumption on Feb. 5, 1849 age 44. Willard remarried on Nov. 29, 1849 in Betsey Hardy b. Feb. 18, 1808 in Tewksbury, dau. of Stephen & Sarah (Bailey) Hardy. They had no issue. Betsey died on March 24, 1879 age 71. Willard and son George E. lived together. Willard married a third time on Feb. 24, 1880 at age 82 to Harriet N. Knowles, b. 1845 in Lowell, dau. of Thomas J. & Emily M. Knowles. Willard Pike lived on west side of Main St. at the site on the corner at #125 - 131. Willard died on May 11, 1882. The family lot is at South Parish Cemetery.

Willard Pike sold a 6 x 12 rod (99’ x 198’) lot (18 Morton St.) to Josiah S. Small, a housewright, for $200 on Nov. 13, 1846. (rec. Aug. 28, 1847). Small took a $200 mortgage from Pike. The deed includes “Small to make & maintain the fence on the northerly line between said lot and my [Pike’s] own land.” Josiah S. Small built the house on the lot and four years later sold it back to Pike for $850. The deed states “The lot of land where I now live, eastwardly of the land on which the Methodist Church lately stood… the same land I purchased from Pike on Nov. 13, 1846.” Willard held the property for another 13 years then selling to Mary Jane Kingman, wife of George, who purchased the property for $1000 on Oct. 1, 1863. Willard reserved in the deed the right of his “crop near the house”. The property now abutted Howes lot to the west side (#16 Morton) and Pike’s on the east side at #22.

Pike sold his soap business to Perry Jefferson on July 1, 1864 for $4500 (b. 672 leaf 1) along all the land he acquired from George French and Samuel Abbott. The sale included the soap houses on the north side of Pike St. with 4 acres of land and a second parcel of 4 acres on the opposite side of Pike St. Jefferson was also to improve Pike street by grading and widening to 50’ in width. Jefferson would later sell his improved property to the Trustees of Phillips Academy on Nov. 12, 1867 for $4000. (b. 734 leaf 184). It included a large and small barn on the second parcel with a well and pump near the barn. The
2½ acres on the north side of Pike St. had no buildings.

The Trustees would sell the two former soap houses and lot back to Jefferson for $200 on May 7, 1869 rec. 6/3/1869. This time the parcel included deed restrictions; the parcel “shall never be occupied or improved as an Inn, Tavern, Hotel, Store, Shop or Livery stable. No Mechanical on Manufacturing trade or business shall be conducted on carried on.” A second deed was issued to Willard Pike on May 24, 1869 for $300 (b. 2 p. 383) on the same property with restrictions.

Willard Pike sold to William S. Jenkins on Jan. 15, 1870 for $500. William S. Jenkins was a contractor and built quality houses in Andover. His home was at 118 Main St. Jenkins also acquired #18 Morton from Mary Kingman in 1863 and built 63 Bartlet St. Jenkins sold ½ of the undivided lot (#22) with buildings to Henry Cummings of Haverhill for $250 on Sept. 22, 1870. The 1870 Valuation lists W.S. Jenkins & Henry Cummings: House $900 ¼ acre $100. We believed that Jenkins & Cummings converted the soap houses into the double dwelling house at 22 Morton. Henry Cummings was born in Andover in 1822, was first a carpenter then a teacher in Haverhill, MA. He married Eliza B. Farnum of Andover and had one daughter Helen. The two men co-owned this parcel until Dec. 1883 when Cummings sold out to Jenkins. Cummings died in 1885.

William Jenkins died April 20 1900 and his family owned the property until 1924 when daughter Kate P. Jenkins sold the former four parcels that then contained the two residences at #18 and #22 Morton Street. The house at #63 Bartlet was sold to Glines in 1919.

Frances M. Brainerd purchased the property on Sept. 3, 1924 and in May 1949 Frances placed the property in both her and her sister Gladys Brainerd names. Frances died on Sept. 11, 1959 and Gladys became sole heir. Gladys lived in the two family house at #22 Morton.
"Gladys Brainerd then placed the deed of the property at #22 Morton / 67 Bartlet St. into her name and that of her grandniece Kristina Brainerd Trott on Dec. 20, 1978. Gladys Brainerd died on June 2, 1984. Kristina B. Trott then placed the property in both her name and that of her sister Karen Ruth Courtenay on Mar. 15, 1985."

Karen Courtenay shared the following information on the homes: "Amazingly, 15 people were living in the house at the 1900 census - most of them theological academy students under the care of two widows, one on each side of the house. I suspect the poor servants were living in one or both of the attics! We knew the students had been here, since one of them wrote his name with a diamond on my west bedroom window - none of these particular ones, though. Then in 1910 there were only four people living in the house."

1900 census - 22 Morton – 67 Bartlet St residents (15 people in house)
22 Morton St. (page 43)
Johnson, Elizabeth A. - Head, W, F, b. July 1844 age 55 widow b. MA
Shaw, Martha - Servant - W, F, b. July 1867 age 32 married b. Cda. (Eng.) Housemaid, img. 1887
Tinkham, Jane H. - Servant, W, F, b. Aug 1865 age 34 married b. Cda. (Eng.) Nurse, img. 1884
Sheldon, Lewis B. - Boarder, W, M, b. Jun 1879 age 20 single Student b. NE
Childs, George A. - Boarder, W, M, b. Mar 1881 age 19 single Student b. VT
Stevens, Clyde G? - Boarder, W, M, b. Jan 1881 age 19 single Student b. IL
Bliss, Russell A. - Boarder. W, M, b. Feb 1882 age 18 single Student b. NY
61 Bartlet St. (page 32)
Whitney, Eliza A. - Head, W, F, b. Jul 1844 age 55 widow, b. MA. Dressmaker rents
Whitney, Alice T.? - Daughter, W, F, b. Jul 1877 age 22 single, b. MA. Seamstress
Northrup, Edwin C. - Boarder, W, M, b. Jul 1882 age 17 Student, b. CT
De La Vergne, Chester R. - Boarder, W, M, b. Dec 1883 age 16 Student, b. NY
Simmons, Herman R. - Boarder, W, M, b. Jan 1880 age 20 Student, b. NY
Wodd, Augustin - Boarder, W, M, b. Jan 1882 age 18 Student, b. CT
Shalen, ?Davis W. - Boarder, W, M, b.Jul 1879 age 20 Student, b. NY
Stevens, John N. - Boarder, W, M, b. Apr 1883 age 17 Student, b. MA, fa. b. Russia

Note; The Andover Theological Seminary moved to Cambridge, MA in 1908 then later merged with Newton Theological Seminary, now Andover - Newton Theological Seminary. Phillips Academy purchased the Seminary property and the central campus shifted to the east side of Main St. The Academy then began to build dormitories for all the students eliminating the need to board students in private homes. The Seminary only had two brick dormitories, so a large portion of seminary students also boarded in private homes.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Ancestry.com, Willard Pike, Henry Cummings family histories
Andover maps1855, 1872, 1884, 1906
Census records 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900
Andover Valuation Records 1850, 1860, 1870, 1900
Owners;
Owners; 22 Morton St.
Samuel Abbott & William Abbott
Willard Pike – Aug. 26, 1845 – b. 358 leaf 178 - $600 – 2¾ acres
Perry M. Jefferson –July 1, 1865 – b. 672 leaf 1 - $4500 two lots = 8 acres
Trustees of Philips Academy – Nov. 12, 1867 – b. 734 leaf 184 - $4000 – 3 lots
Perry M Jefferson – May 7, 1869 – b. 773 leaf 229 -#22 Morton St. w/ restrictions.
Willard Pike - May 24, 1869 - b. 2 p. 383 #22 Morton St. #22 Morton w/ restrictions.
William S. Jenkins – Jan. 15, 1870 – b. 2 p. 382 - #22 Morton St. w/ restrictions.
Wm. S. Jenkins & Henry Cummings - Sept. 22, 1870 – b. 6 p. 13 - $250 ½ undivided share
William S. Jenkins - Mar. 1, 1877 - b. 45 p. 130 - #18 Morton Kingman house
William S. Jenkins – Jan. 22, 1884 – b. 74 p. 579 - #22 Cummings ½
William S. Jenkins estate, d. Apr. 20, 1900 heirs Probate
Kate P. Jenkins, heir of Wm. S. Jenkins - four parcels
Frances M. Brainerd - Sept. 3, 1924 - b. 503 p. 559 - #18 and #22 Morton.
Frances M. Brainerd & Gladys Brainerd - May 24, 1949 - b. 723 p. 536
Gladys Brainerd, sole heir - Sept. 11, 1959
Gladys Brainerd and Kristina Brainerd Trott - Dec. 20, 1978 - b. 1359 p. 625
Gladys Brainerd estate, Kristina Brainerd Trott - June 2, 1984
Kristina Brainerd Trott & Karen Ruth Courtenay - Mar. 15, 1985

Four parcels to William S. Jenkins;
Four parcels to William S. Jenkins;
(1) - from Pike to Mary Jane Kingman, wife of Geo - Oct. 1, 1863 - b. 657 leaf 188 -$1000 w/house -#18 Morton St. (Mtg. $700 b. 730 lf. 3 and b. 739 lf. 47)
(2) - Trustees of Phillips Academy to Willard Pike - May 24, 1869 - b. 2 p. 383 soap houses lot with restrictions Rec. Jan. 15, 1870 Lawrence deed – Same as Jefferson (b. 773 leaf 129)
(2) Trustees of Phillips Academy to Perry M. Jefferson lot – May 7, 1869 - b.773 leaf 129 ½ acre under & adjoining soap houses; with restrictions, no Inn, Tavern, Hotel, Store, Shop or Livery stable, no mechanical or manufacturing trade or business. (22 Morton St.)
(3) from Jonathan Towle - Feb. 1, 1870 - $25 small triangle b. 2 p. 454 – Towle got from P. Jefferson Jan.1, 1870 – b.778 leaf 129
(4) - from Jonathan Towle to Wm. S. Jenkins & Henry Cummings - Nov. 27, 1883 - b. 74 p. 409 - wedge shape – 6’ on Pike St. East on Bartlett St. 58’ West on Jenkins & Cumming lot 58’. A portion of my Pike St. lot which is left on the westerly side of the extension of Bartlet St.

Inventory Data:

StreetMorton St
PlaceAndover Center
Historic DistrictAndover Historic Building Survey
Present Useresidences - 2 family
Original UseWillard Pike's soap houses
Construction Date1870
SourceERDS, ENRDL, AHS file, njs, style
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationstone and brick
Wall/Trimclapboards/wood
Roofasphalt - gable
Major AlterationsConversion to a two family home 1870
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.222 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel40-46A
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Historical Society - Andover Preservation Commission
Date entered4/01/2006, 4/7/2015, 11/17/15, 8/25/2021

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