Themes - Architectural, Community Development and Education.

The section of Morton St. from School St. to Bartlet St. was formerly Green St. named after Rev. Aaron Greene who owned the Federal home at 134 Main St. now the ABC house. Pike St. extended from Bartlet eastward up to the top of the hill. Later it was extended down to connect to Chestnut St. It was named for Willard Pike who operated a soap factory east of Bartlet St.

Mar. 8, 1889 – p 4. Town Meeting Article #32 – Renamed Green St. and Pike St. to Morton St. after Judge Marcus Morton Jr. who lived on corner of School St. and Green St.

Owners - 1. Benjamin Turner, 2. Lucy P. Porter 3. Marcus Morton. 4. Samuel L. Fuller. 5. Abbot Academy, 6. Phillips Academy, Home, boarding house for Seminary & girls dormitory for Abbot Academy, Offices for Phillips Academy.

This property was once part of the James Locke estate at 111 Main Street. Locke sold this parcel to William Flagg for $320 on May 4, 1832 who then sells to Merrill Pettengill for $350 on June 7, 1832. Pettingill then sold the lot to Benjamin Turner for $350 on Nov. 15, 1832. Turner, a carpenter, formerly lived in Boston prior to moving to Andover. The deed references the lot as near Abbot Academy at the corner of High and Green Streets. High St. is now School St. and Green is Morton St.

Benjamin Turner built his home on the rear of the lot at 4 Morton St in 1833. Turner then took a mortgage of $1000 from the Trustees of Phillips Academy on December 4, 1833 “with the buildings and appurtenances.” William’s wife was Charlotte H. The Andover Vital Statistics list the following children of William: Lucy b. Apr. 1832 – d. Jan. 1, 1833, Leprelate Hamilton bpt. Feb. 16, 1834, William b. Nov. 1836 – d. Aug. 11, 1838 22m, Newton Lambert bpt. Jan. 1, 1837, Abraham b. Dec. 1837 – d. Aug. 11, 1838, Charles Herbert, bpt. Nov. 24, 1839, son b. Feb. 10, 1843 d. Feb. 12, 1843.

We believe the brick house was built in 1834. It has been stated that the Goodhue House (#15 School St.) was once the only one on that side of School St. between the former "Cheever House" (fork of Main and School) and lower end at the junction of Central Street.

It is stated that Rev. Josiah Turner kept a boarding house here for Andover Theological Seminary students and boys from English and Latin schools. This would have been between 1834 - 1837. Josiah Turner was born July 20, 1811, in New Marlborough, MA, a twin to Joseph B., sons of Rev. Nathaniel & Mary Turner and the youngest of five children. Their father Nathaniel died on May 25, 1812 and their mother Mary retuned to Salisbury, CT were she was born. Josiah attended Williams College, graduated in 1834. He married in Windsor CT on Nov. 24, 1834 to Almena Walker Grant b. 1808 in CT. They had two daughters Mary Frances b. Jan. 2, 1843 and Harriet Almena b. Mar. 4, 1850, both in Great Barrington MA where Josiah was the 5th minister of the Congregation Church. Rev. Turner was ordained and installed on April 19, 1837 and resigned on his own request on Sept. 30, 1850 and went to Belmont.

(Bessie Goldsmith: Townsman's Andover). Mrs. William Chamberlain (d. 1830?) in charge of boarding house here. This may have been from 1837 to 1840 or 1841 – 1850. No substantiation has yet been found to confirm this.

Benjamin Turner sells a portion of the property with brick dwelling house to Widow Lucy Porter for $3000 on Mar. 30, 1840. Lucy took a $1600 mortgage with the Trustees of PA. on Apr. 1, 1840. Lucy Peirce (Merwin) Porter was b. Dec. 31, 1778 and was the wife of Rev. Ebenezer Porter D.D., Professor of Sacred Rhetoric and first President of the Andover Theological Seminary. Ebenezer died on Apr. 8, 1834 age 62 and is interred at the Chapel Cemetery at Phillips Academy. Lucy died on Nov. 11, 1841 at age 62. In her will she deeds the property to Rev. Timothy P. D. Stone of New Britton, CT. who held the deed on May 3, 1850. Stone then sells to Marcus Morton Jr., Esquire on July 11, 1850.

Marcus Morton Jr. was born April 8, 1819 in Taunton, MA son of Marcus & Charlotte (Hodges) Morton and one of twelve siblings. Five of his sisters attended Abbot Academy between 1828-1843. His father was also a Lawyer, Judge on the Supreme bench in Mass. from 1825-1840 and was elected Governor of Massachusetts 1840 & 1842.

Marcus Jr. graduated from Brown University in 1838 and Harvard Law School in 1841. He entered a law practice in Boston. Marcus married on Oct. 19, 1843 in Providence, RI to Abby Bowler Hoppin b. 1820 dau. of Henry A. & Amy Harris (Bowler) Hoppin. The Mortons had seven children; Anna b. 1844 in Philadelphia, Charlotte b. 1846 Boston, Maria Hoppin b. July 7, 1847 – d. July 5, 1848, Mary Hoppin b. Dec. 15, 1849, Abby Hoppin b. June 5, 1857, Larania Carrington b. Dec. 1859 and Marcus M. b. April 27, 1862.

In 1855 (time of Andover - North Andover division) Marcus Morton was moderator of town meeting. Marcus was a Democratic candidate for State Senate and was elected twice. In 1869 Marcus was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and was Chief Justice from 1882 – Nov 1890 when he resigned due to health reasons. Judge Morton was President of Abbot Board of Trustees, Marcus died on Feb. 10, 1891 in Andover, MA. He is interred with his parents at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, in Taunton, MA. “It is said there never has been a more popular member of the bench in this state, not only with the bar and judiciary, but also with the general public. He possessed a keen sense of humor and ready wit. His native shrewdness and practical sense played a large part in his decisions, appeals from which were uncommonly few.” Abby died on Dec. 14, 1895 in Newton, MA. This home in Andover was inherited by their children.

Anna married William Chamley on Oct. 26, 1866. Charlotte married on Nov. 8, 1869 to Frank Mullany, Mary H. married Dec. 1, 1873 to Clarence Whitman/ Abby married David Douglass on Dec. 3, 1883. Laraina C. “Lola” remained single and would share a home in Newton with her widowed sister Abby. Marcus M. married Maria Welch and lived in Newtonville.

The Trustees and Executors of the Morton estate were Clarence Whitman and Marcus Morton. They sold the property on July 28, 1898 William Maxwell Reed for $11,000 and held a mortgage deed of $9000. William Maxwell Reed was born on Jan. 21, 1871 in Bath, ME, son of Edwin & Emily Putnam (Fellows) Reed. William was 27 and a teacher at Princeton so the deed may have been placed in his name by his parents.

Edwin Reed was born on Oct. 19, 1835, in Bath, ME, son of Col. Wm. Maxwell & Caroline (Drummond) Reed. His father was a ship builder and Edwin is listed in 1870 census as the owner and ship builder. Edwin married Emily Putnam Fellows on June 22, 1869. Emily was born July 15, 1846 in Danvers, MA dau of Alfred & Nancy (Putnam) Fellows. They would have eleven children: Wm. Maxwell b. Jan.21, 1871, Alfred Fellows b. Mar. 4, 1872 - d. Oct. 1, 1876, Evelyn Putnam b. Mar. 28, 1873, Caroline Drummond b. Oct. 30, 1874, Henry Goodspeed b. Dec. 13, 1875 – d. Aug. 11, 1876, Bernice McCobb b. Nov. 11, 1877, Anne Endicott b. Aug. 22, 1879 all born in Bath and Margaret Appleton b. Oct. 18, 1880 Boston, Edwin Jr. b. May 14, 1882, and twins Philip Loring & Paul Rutherford b. July 29, 1883 in Beverly.

In 1880 Edwin and family live in Boston and he is listed as a Ship Owner. The 1900 census find the entire Reed family at 23 School Street in Andover. Edwin is listed as an Author. Emily is running a boarding house with five boys, students at Phillips Academy, boarding with the Reed family. William M. is an instructor at Princeton, Evelyn is a Kindergarten teacher and Caroline teaches dancing and the remaining siblings attending school. Sadly daughter Annie died on Nov. 29, 1902 of peritonitis from appendicitis.

Samuel L. Fuller purchased the house on July 25, 1906. Samuel Lester Fuller b. June12, 1875, in Middleton, CT, son of Dr. James Robert & Josephine Brown (Lester) Fuller. Samuel graduated from Phillips Academy in 1894. He married on April 19, 1900 to Constance Pelham Greenough b. Aug. 31, 1876 in Brookline, MA, dau. of Charles P. & Mary (Vose) Greenough. They had three sons, Samuel L. Jr. b. Nov. 3, 1900, Charles P. G. b. May 14, 1902 and James Constant b. Sept. 13, 1906. His parents lived at 68 Central St. which he also purchased in Oct. 1901. Samuel was a banker and broker on Wall Street and lived in NY and CT. Samuel was a Trustee at Abbot Academy and gave money, along with other family members, to build the Memorial Bell Tower at Phillips Academy. The purchase of 23 School St. was investment property.

The home was rented to Augustus P. & Georgia R. Thompson. Augustus b. Dec. 29, 1873 in Honesdale, PA, son of Andrew & Frances R. (Torrey) Thompson. He graduated from Phillips Academy and then Yale in 1894. He married on June 6, 1901 to Georgia Etta Rowley b. Aug. 15, 1875 in Williamsport, PA and they had three children; Emily Rowley b. Mar. 16, 1902, Frances Torrey b. Sept. 28, 1903 in Honesdale and Augustus Porter II b. June 30 1909 in Andover. Augustus was a wool manufacturer in Lawrence, worked for George E. Kunhardt Co. as a purchasing agent, and later North Star Chemical Co. After he retired he became the Warden of the Moncrieff Cochran Sanctuary at PA, by the invitation of his friend Thomas Cochran. Son Augustus II was sadly killed by and automobile in Colorado on Jan. 15, 1929. Augustus died on Nov. 7, 1939. Daughter Frances married Allen V. Heeley, Headmaster of the Lawrenceville School in NJ. Georgia and Emily remained in Andover. Emily died on Mar. 2, 1943 in PA.
The Fuller family would sell the home to the Trustees of Abbot Academy on Jan. 11, 1949. Georgia remained in home until her death on May 22, 1955. She was on the Board of Lawrence General Hospital, the Andover Red Cross, Andover Home foe Aged and the Visiting Nurse Association. The Thompson family had resided here for over 40 years.

During the Abbot Academy ownership the house was used as a dormitory. With the merger with Phillips Academy in 1973 the property was consolidated into their stewardship.

This house is said to be scene of opening chapter of the "Bright Land" by Janet Ayer Fairbank. In "The Bishop's Vagabond", Octave Thanet (Alice French) mentions it as home where she was born.