60 Bartlet Street “McCurdy House”

This land was once owned by the Trustees of Phillips Academy and was sold to Perry M. Jefferson on May 24, 1869. Jefferson sold the following year to Jonathan Towle, a farmer, for $400 on January 6, 1870 and recorded on March 23, 1870. The deed states the North side of Pike Street, so called. The lot is located on the corner of Bartlet & Morton Streets. Morton St was renamed in the 1890's, was formerly Pike St., East Pike St., and Green St before the name change.

The land deed begins at a stone in the foundation wall of the two buildings formerly used as soap houses on said Pike Street. Towle later sells part of this parcel on May 13, 1892 to Matthew S. McCurdy for $150. The lot is NE corner of Morton and Bartlet Streets. McCurdy then built the Georgian Revival house for his family in 1892. .

May 20, 1892. Andover Townsman - M. S. McCurdy, who recently bought a house on Phillips Street, has made an exchange with the Trustees of Phillips Academy, and will take a lot on the corner of Bartlet & Morton Streets, next to John Spaulding’s. He intends to build soon.

Matthew Scoby McCurdy was born on May 21, 1849 in Dunbarton, NH, son of Matthew & Esther Talcott (Gregory) McCurdy. Matthew graduated from St Johnsbury Academy, Dartmouth College and Yale then in 1873. He was elected as a Mathematics teacher at Phillips Academy in 1873 a position he held until his death on Feb. 16, 1921. Matthew married on Aug. 15, 1876 at St. Johnsbury, VT to Lydia Endora Morrill b. Aug. 5, 1849 in VT, daughter of Calvin & Sophronia (Lee) Morrill.

Mathew & Lydia had three sons all born in Andover, MA; Robert Morrill b. July 7, 1878, Sidney Morrill b. May 21, 1881 and Allan Morrill b. Sept. 1, 1886. Prior to living on Bartlet St. the McCurdy family resided in the brick residence on Main Street. In the 1880 census the McCurdys have five students boarding in the home, four attend Phillips Academy of which one is from China and one attends the Andover Theological Seminary. They also have a domestic named Julia Butler age 21.

The 1900 and 1910 census have them on Bartlet Street but no boarders in the eleven room. six bedroom house. Only Margaret Stapleton b. March 1859 (Census 1900) from Tipperary, Ireland is their domestic resides with the family. Margaret was a longtime employee of the McCurdy family. Matthew McCurdy died from complications after being struck by an automobile. and is interred in the Chapel Cemetery at Phillips Academy. Lydia M. McCurdy lived in the home until selling in March 1926 to Florence McEwan Porter. Lydia died in 1937, son Robert died on Feb. 5, 1956 in Concord, NH and is also interred in the McCurdy family lot on the campus of the Academy.

Florence McEwan Porter - March 25, 1926 - b. 521 p. 22
Trustee of Phillips Academy - June 29, 1892 - b. 119 p. 447 deed restrictions