National Register of Historic Places Certificate on file

34 Phillips St. – Carter – Dole House – built 1888
Current home built 1941?

Ruby A. Carter’s home was 57 Highland Rd. (formerly 25 Salem St) and she had several homes used as boarding houses for students and faculty at the academy.
The 1900 Valuation for Ruby A. Carter lists; 25 Salem St. House $3500, House 34-36 Salem St. $3000, House 28-30 Salem St. $3500, House & Barn 3 Highland Rd. $1200, House 5 Highland Rd. $600, 3 acres of land Salem & Highland Rds. $3000. House 30 Phillips St. $3000, 1/2 acre land $800 = $18,600
It has been stated that Mrs. S. H. Stearns was the first occupant here, and not at #59 Phillips St. as previously stated.

Ruby purchased the half acre lot on the southwest side of the street at #34 Phillips St. on May 23, 1888, from Aaron Cummings who lived at 24 Phillips St. The house was built by Charles B. Mason, an Andover carpenter and contractor. Andover Townsman Jan. 11, 1889 –p. 4, col. 3: “C. B. Mason has given us the following list of his work for the year:……; Mrs. R. A. Carter, new house on Phillips St., now occupied by Mrs. S. H. Sterns;”

The home was additional income property for Carter, but she did not reside here. The current home on the site is said to have been built about 1941, suggesting that the former house was razed or possibly moved to a new location. The 1906 Map of Andover shows a house at this location but does not match the home current floor plan.

Ruby A. (Munroe) Carter was born July 16, 1829, in Millbury, MA daughter of Charles & Mary C. (Corbett) Munroe. Ruby married on Sept. 2, 1856, to George Hopkins Carter, Merchant, b. 1833 in Barnett, VT son of John & Susan (Hopkins) Carter. George was a machinist and worked for the Middlesex Mills in Lowell, then 10 years at the Washington Mill (Old Bay State Mill) in Lawrence. They resided in Lowell and moved to Andover in 1879. Ruby & George had two daughters born in Lowell, Mary Ella b. June 10, 1857, and Ruby Isabelle b. May 26, 1860. Mary Carter graduated from Lowell High School, Salem Teachers College & Michigan University. Elected teacher in Andover in 1880, first at Abbott Village (Indian Ridge School) in the Primary grades and then South Center (John Dove School) in 1886-1889. Mary then taught at Brewster Academy in Tilton, NH and one year 1896-97 at Punchard High School. Ruby and Mary C. are living in Wolfeboro, NH during the 1900 Census. Daughter Ruby I. was a graduate of Abbot Academy but died the Aug. 13, 1881, at age 21y 2m. Husband George Carter died on Feb. 4, 1898, at age 64.

Ruby A. Carter died on May 25, 1914, and the property was inherited by her daughter Mary E. Carter through Probate on June 22, 1914. Ruby’s obituary includes the following: …”with the exception of two short periods her house has ever since been open to Academy roomers and for a time to boarders. Many who have studied here in the past thirty-five years will recall her kindness and the wise and efficient management of her house. She was optimistic in spirit and showed rare courage industry and foresight, the several houses which she built are testimony to her business ability. Mrs. Carter gave a scholarship to Phillips Academy for the benefit of worthy students…for many years she was connected with the Seminary Church but in 1911 removed her relationship to the Free Church.” The family is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery.
Mary E. Carter inherited the property and sold this home to Charles T. Dole on Oct. 8, 1917. The Carter family owned for 29 years. Charles Dole had been renting the house prior to the purchase.

Tenants in the home:
Town directories in the 1897 & 1899 - #34 Phillips St; James A. Metcalf, Mrs. L. B. and S. Isabel Metcalf. James works at the Employment office in Lawrence. Also listed is Irene Webber, housemaid.
1900 Census; Lewis B. Collins b. June 1851 Canada, wife Lovina V. b. June 1856 Maine, and 18-year-old son Frederick L. b. March 1882 in MA. Lewis's occupation: Manufacturer, woodworks.

1904 Directory lists Charles T. & Susan G. Dole renting the house. Charles is a Paper Manufacturer in Lawrence. Also listed is housemaid Nellie Keefe.

Charles Thurston Dole was born March 6, 1869, in Charlestown, MA, son of Charles Augustus & Edith V. (Dalton) Dole. Charles graduated from Harvard in 1894. He married on Sept. 20, 1893, in Pepperell, MA to Susan A. Gage b. Dec. 18, 1869, in Nashua, NH, dau. of Charles M. & Kate H. (Cutter) Gage. His father-in-law was in the paper manufacturing business in Pepperell, MA.

“Mr. Dole was widely known as the dean of the quality-coated paper industry. He started as sales manager of the Champion-International Company in 1902, a year after the firm was originated by consolidation of Russell Mills and Champion Card & Paper Co. He later became a director and vice-president and was named president in 1932, which position he held until 1946. For three years he served as chairman of the executive committee until his retirement in 1949.”

Charles & Susan had two children; Dorothy Cutter Dole b. July 14, 1894, in Pepperell, MA and Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole b. April 18, 1899, in Tyngsboro. Daughter Dorothy married in 1916 to Frank O’Brien b. Aug. 1, 1884, in Crown Point, NY, graduate Phillips Academy and Yale. Frank then taught English at Phillips from 1911 to 1942. Frank was also the baseball coach for many years. They had one son Frank O’Brien Jr.

Son Charles Minot Dole, known as “Minnie” graduated for Phillips Academy 1919 and Yale 1923. Charles M. was an insurance broker in NY and lived in Greenwich, CT. Charles is considered the “father of the United States Army Ski Troopers, World War II, 1941-1945. He convinced the War Department of the need for mountaineering trained troops. This unique unit’s deeds proved “Minnie to be correct.”
Charles was also the founding father of the “National Ski Patrol”, “whose leadership laid the foundation for greater safety and enjoyment in skiing. Because of Dole’s vision, NSP members are world-renowned for emergency care and rescue they provide the mountain recreation industry.”

Susan G. Dole passed away on March 18, 1954. Charles T. died on March 27, 1957, in Lawrence and both are interred at Park Cemetery in Pepperell. The property was inherited by both their children and Dorothy & Frank O’Brien resided here after Frank’s retirement. Dorothy deeded her share of the property to their son Frank Jr. and his wife Marianna on March 8, 1958. Dorothy died on March 12, 1958.

The property was sold to John & Mary Crocker of Groton, MA on May 21, 1958, via deeds from Charles M. Dole and Frank O’Brien Jr.

John Crocker was born on June 16, 1900, in Fitchburg, MA, son of Alvah & Charlotte (Trowbridge) Crocker. John married on Sept. 7, 1922, in Milton, MA to Mary Bowditch Hallowell b. Sept. 18, 1902, in Boston, dau. of Mr. & Mrs. Penrose Hallowell. John & Mary had six children: John, Margaret “Peggy”, Sarah, William and Mary. John was an Episcopalian minister and former Headmaster at Groton School for 25 years. The 1971 Directory listed John as a retired Headmaster. They owned the property for 19 years then selling on Sept. 23, 1977, to Mark B. & Annalee Abelson who owned two years then sold to Maurice E. & Shelia M. Balboni on Sept. 7, 1979, who remain the owners of record in 2025.