Morton St., east of Main St. was first known as Pike Street or Pike Lane, then Green St. on 1872 maps. Pike and East Pike St. appear on earlier deeds. Morton St. originally began at School St. and ended at Main Street. Morton St. was extended to include Pike in the late 1890’s. Pike also was nick-named "Ram Cat Alley" by local old-timers. The Pike Soap Company was located near the intersection of Bartlet St. and later further east on the south side of the road. It was formerly believed some of the houses on the east end of Morton St. were built by Willard Pike for his employees. Recent research disproves this claim. Most of the modest homes were built by Irish emigrants between 1854 – 1860.

George H. French was a merchant in Andover when he purchased 10 acres 9 rods of land from Phillips Academy on Mar. 8, 1854. The parcel’s south border on Pike Street extended north down into what is now part of the “Playstead”. French subdivided the property into house lots along Morton St. Each lot sold contained a caveat that the new owner had to build a fence along the property line and maintain their half. French sold this 120 sq. rods lot to John Lynch on May 15, 1856 for $200.
John Lynch was born in Ireland in June 1821 and immigrated in 1851. John married in 1846 to Jane Ring b. 1828 in Ireland. They had eight children; five survived. Catherine b. 1848 Ire., John D. Jan. 1852 Andover, Morris b. 1853, Mary J. b. 1856, Peter b. Mar. 1858 – d. Feb. 20, 1863, Jeremiah b. 1862 - d. Feb. 23, 1863 and Peter b. 1864. John later acquired a second adjoining parcel #50 Morton St from John Stack on May 24, 1869 and moved into #50. His son John David Lynch & wife Jane lived in #48.
John David Lynch b. Jan. 1852 in Andover married Sept. 4, 1871 in Lowell, MA, Jane Duffield age 19, b. Dec. 1852 in Ireland dau. of Ayers & Catherine (O’Conner) Duffield. John & Jane D. had ten children of which 7 survived. Mary J. b. 1872, William E. b. Sept. 1878, Morris J. b. 1876, Jane b. 1880, John J. b. May 1881, Mary J. b. Apr. 1883, David A. b. May 1885, James A. b. June 1886 , Catherine b. July 1890, Malachi Joseph b. Oct. 1892. John was a laborer, and died Nov. 27, 1910 age 59.
In July 1877 the deed was transferred through daughter Mary Lynch to John's wife Jane (R) Lynch. Jane held both properties until Jan. 1893 when she sold #48 Morton St. to Jane (D) Lynch wife of her son John D. Lynch.
Jane D. Lynch transferred the deed to her children David A. Lynch and Mary J. Lynch on May 6, 1914. Jane died Nov. 11, 1915 age 63. Mary J. married James F. McGarvey, a butcher, and they lived here until 1921 then moved to Lowell, MA. Frank S. & Edith P. Tapley purchased the property July 30, 1921 and David A. Lynch quit claimed the deed to them.