This property was once owned by the Trustees of Phillips Academy and was sold to H. Winthrop Peirce and wife Ethel Davis on June 10, 1907. The home was built shortly after. Heman Winthrop Peirce was born in Boston, MA on Nov. 25, 1850, son of John Payson & Adeline A. (Putnam) Peirce. Winthrop began drawing at an early age and entered a lithographers firm in Boston at the age of 16. He was a student in the inaugural class of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1877. Winthrop was elected first president of the Boston Art Students Association in 1879. The forerunner of the Copley Society which he also served a president from 1879 - 1888.

In 1881 Peirce studied in Paris, had two works accepted to the Paris Salon "Forest at Fontainebleu" in 1882 and "Octobre" in 1883. Peirce was a noted landscape and portrait painter but also did many children's book illustrations. In the 1890s' Peirce exhibited works at the Boston Art Club, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago.

H. Winthrop Pierce married on May 31, 1900 in Brookline, MA to Ethel Davis b. Sept. 1863 in Cambridge, MA, dau. of Frederic Sidney & Emma B. (Streeter) Davis. They moved to Billerica, MA, where their daughter Mary was born on Mar. 3, 1902 and son H. Winthrop Jr. soon followed on Nov. 23, 1903.

Peirce also was a skilled wood carver and did many custom works on wood panels, furniture and frames. He also enjoyed costume design and set design for the Andover Barnstormers; Several of his costume illustrations now survive at the Andover Historical Society including an illustration of the Amos Blanchard House.

Apr. 21, 1916 Andover Townsman - H. Winthrop Pierce will give an art exhibition at the "Paint Box" on April 22, 23, 24, at 36 Morton St., Andover. A portrait of Edwin Lathrop Baker and a group of sketches of “The Fancy of My Youth” all of Peirce’s workmanship will be shown.

The Peirce family lived at 36 Morton St. until 1922 when he purchased the house at 4 Avon St. and moved there. Peirce sold the Morton St. house to Frances T. & Douglas Crawford on June 15, 1922. Peirce lived in Andover until June of 1927. It is stated he moved to West Newbuy / Ipswich until his death on Nov. 23, 1935.

The Crawfords owned for 13 years then selling to John Avery on Sept. 24, 1935. The home had remained in the Avery family for 80 years. John Avery sold the home on Jan. 26, 2016 to Louisa & Derek Proctor. Sadly a fire gutted the home in 2016 prior to them moving into the home. A new home was built in 2017.