5 Morton Street

Architectural Description: 

NRDIS NRMRA
Second Empire or French Empire Style
Mansard roof, ionic columned porch and bay window on front façade

Historical Narrative: 

Mar. 8, 1889 – p4. Town Meeting Article #32 – Renamed Green St. and Pike St. to Morton St. after Prof. Morton on corner of School St.

This land once belonged to Rev. Amos Blanchard, son of Amos Blanchard, and extended from Morton St. on the north, School St. to the west and southward up the hill to the Hitchins’ property at #147 Main (“America House”). Blanchard sold the parcel to Fitz William Rogers and Samuel L. Lyford on Dec. 17, 1849 for $800. Fitz was a Cabinet maker and Samuel a Housewright who built the duplex home at #141 - #143 Main St. Lyford held the deed on the north side and Rogers held the south side.
The house at 135 -137 Main St. was built on the campus of the Andover Theological Seminary as a “Commons’ dining hall for the students about 1809 and was located to the rear of Phillips Hall. The building was purchased by Fitz William Rogers and moved to the site about 1850-52. Rogers then converted it to a two family dwelling and lived here with his family. Original building was considerably altered. This lot at 5 Morton was a portion of that parcel and may have originally contained Rogers' shop.
The 1850 Valuation has Lyford & Rogers; Dwelling house and 1½ acres $4500, ½ acre and shop $250 = $4750. Fitz Wm. Rogers -farm stock $143.

Fitz William Rogers was born on May 6, 1801 in Gloucester, MA son of John & Sarah (Haskell) Rogers. Fitz married on Nov. 10, 1829 in Newburyport, to Mary Hyde Coombs, b. April 6, 1807 in that town, dau. of Philip & Ann (Jewell) Coombs. Fritz & Mary had four children: Anna C. Aug. 29, 1830 in Newbury, William C. b. 1833, Ellen b. Apr. 1836 in Boston and George Albert b. 1843 Boston.
The 1850 Census lists Fitz as an Agent for Phillips Academy and the State census of 1855 lists him as a Coal Dealer. Subsequent census records and deeds have him as House-wright & cabinet maker.

The house at 5 Morton is not on the 1872 map of Andover Center but is on the 1884 map. Fitz Rogers assigned his mortgages to the Ministerial Fund of South Parish in 1874 and most likely built this home in 1875.

The property was sub-divided and sold to Ann Cram (Rice) Tuttle on Sept. 20, 1881. The deed reads; “At a mark in the gate on Green Street then southeast 113’ 10” to a stake in the hedge by land of J. W. Churchill, then SW 48.5’ to a fence by land of Edward Buck’s heirs, then by land of heirs 116’ to Green St. and NE by street 78.5’ to the first bound. There is a right of way from Green St. between the estate here in described of Mrs. L. N. Rogers and over the estate of L. N. Rogers to Main St.”

Ann C. (Rice) Tuttle was born July 27, 1804 in Sandwich, NH dau. of Joseph & Betsy (Cram) Rice. Ann married John Gile Tuttle b. July 4, 1892 in Lee, NH son of George & Sarah (Gile) Tuttle. John was a minister in NH and Lowell, MA. Ann & John had five children; Amanda b. 1825 NH d. 1846, Joseph R. b. 1829 – d. young, John W. b. June 26, 1831, Elizabeth “Lizzie b. 1836 and Sarah Ann .b 1840. Rev Tuttle died on June 23, 1846 in Lowell. Prior to moving to Andover Ann C. lived in Cambridge, MA with her two daughters, Lizzie and Sara Ann Rand, a widow of James B. Rand. Sarah became a teacher.
The 1885 Andover directory lists Miss Ann C. Tuttle Green St. . Lizzie V. Tuttle and Benjamin B. Tuttle –Express (Higgins & Tuttle) of Main street resides at Mrs. Lizzie V. on Green St. Ann C. Tuttle died on Oct. 19, 1885 age 81years. In Ann’s will her estate went to her daughters Miss Lizzie Tuttle and Sarah A Rand. The sisters sold the property to James P. Bryant, wife Sarah M. on May 12, 1891 Bryant held two years then selling to William H. Phelps on Feb. 14, 1893.

William Henry Phelps was born on April 10, 1834 in the North Parish, son of Henry & Eliza Phelps. William became a blacksmith and machinist in Lawrence. William married a second time on July 21, 1881 to Caroline A Moulton b. 1850 in New Brunswick, Canada, dau. of Phillip & Susan Moulton. They lived in West Parish prior to moving to Morton St. William died on Oct. 19, 1894 and Caroline would remain in the house after she sold to Abbot Academy on July 6, 1920. Caroline did have lodgers in the house. In 1904 Mrs. Ellen Olmstead and her son Theodore D., a student, are listed in the Andover Directory. In 1918 Henry Phelps, US Army WWI, is listed with Caroline.

Caroline died in 1926. Abbot Academy then rented the house to James H. & Mildred Eaton, a native of Andover and a Lawyer. The Eaton later moved to 9 Abbot St. in 1935.
1937-1951 Reeve & Constance P. Chipman were tenants. Reeve owned the Reeve Chipman Travel Bureau in Boston. Constance was the Social Secretary of Alumni Relations at Abbot Academy.

The Trustees of Abbot Academy also purchased the property at 135-137 Main St. on July 23, 1926 and used it for faculty housing in dormitory space. When the two Academies merged in 1972 all the Abbot Academy holdings were transferred to the Trustees of Phillips Academy on July 2, 1973. The Academy continues as the owner of record in 2017.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence,

Owners;
Rev. Amos Blanchard, wife Caroline R.D. - Land
Fitz William Rogers & Samuel L. Lyford – Dec. 17, 1849 – b. 421 leaf 49 lot $800
Fitz William Rogers – Aug. 2, 1850 –b. 432 leaf 29-30
Philip Coombs – Jan 27, 1852 – b. 456 leaf 161 –South half $2800 (also 457 leaf 237)
Phillips Coombs estate, Heirs – Coombs & Rogers families
George L. Rogers, (wife Sarah C. H.)– Nov. 17, 1856 – b. 541 p. 189-190 - $3000
Mary C. Rogers – Aug. 8, 1864 – b. 672 leaf 219 - $3000. (Geo. L. & Sarah C. H. Rogers)
Mary C. Rogers – Oct. 24, 1856 – b. 672 leaf 218 - $200 (from Geo. S. & Lydia N. Rogers)
Fitz William Rogers estate, died Dec. 29, 1880. William C. Rogers, Ellen Rogers, heirs - May 1881
Lydia N. Rogers - Sept. 24, 1881 - b. 65 p. 385
Lydia N. Rogers - Sept. 24, 1881 - b. 65 p. 385 (135 137 Main)
Anna C. Tuttle – Sept. 20, 1881 – b. 65 p. 505 – (5 Green St./ Morton St)
Anna C. Tuttle estate. Oct. 19, 1885 heirs Elizabeth V. Tuttle & Sarah A. Rand
James P. Bryant, wife Sarah M. – May 12, 1891 – b. 112 p. 185
William H. Phelps – Feb. 14, 1893 – b. 128 p. 458
Wm. H. Phelps estate, Oct. 19, 1894 heir- Caroline A. Phelps - Probate #76460
Caroline A. Phelps - 1894 - 1920
Trustees of Abbot Academy – July 6, 1920 – b. 420 p. 449

Inventory Data:

StreetMorton St
PlaceAndover Center
Historic DistrictAcademy Hill NRH District
Historic NameTuttle - Phelps House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1873-1880
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleSecond Empire
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/TrimClapboard/wood
Roofasphalt/Mansard
Conditionexcellent
Acreageless than one acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel40-20
MHC NumberANV.1109
Recorded byBarbara Tlibault, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Historical Society - Andover Preservation Commission
Date entered04/01/2006, 4/10/2015, 7/30/2021

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