Building marker 1997

Themes: architectural, community development

This property was once owned by Jonathan Towle and contained much of the current Chapman Ave. properties extending from Main St to Bartlet St. Jonathan Towle was born in Epsom, NH on Mar. 8, 1808, son of Benjamin & Betsey (Wood) Towle. Jonathan married on April 2, 1842 in Andover to Almira Emery b. Sept. 21, 1815 in NH. Jonathan & Almira had six children, three girls and three boys; Mary Elizabeth b. 1843, Martha Emery b. 1845, George E. b. 1847, Charles C. b. 1854 Anna M. b. 1857 and James Albert b. 1859.

In the 1860 and 1870 Federal census records Jonathan Towle is listed as a Railroad Station Agent. In 1880 he is a farmer. Jonathan owned several properties in the immediate area of Bartlet and Morton Streets. Towle sold off several house lot parcels. Jonathan died on Jan. 7, 1899 at age 90. Almira had died ten years earlier on Mar. 25, 1889. George H. Poor was the Administrator for Towle's estate.

Poor sells the property for $11,000 to Rose A. Chapman, wife of Ovid Chapman on Mar. 28, 1899. The deed states the property includes the homestead that Jonathan Towle had been living in.

Sept. 27, 1901 pg. 1 The School Committee have leased for two years the lower story of the old Towle place moved from Main St. to Bartlet by owner, Ovid Chapman, and will utilize it as an overflow department of the John Dove School as a few necessary alterations and repairs have been made.
(To hold the school Kindergarten)

The Towle house was originally located on Main Street on the empty lot on the north corner of Chapman Ave. Their home may be the house at 51-53 Bartlet and the attached barn may have been converted into one of the homes on Chapman Ave. By 1906 most of the houses on the Avenue had been constructed.

Rose A. Chapman held the deeds to the property on Chapman Ave and Bartlet St. Her husband Ovid Chapman was a developer in town and built several homes for income properties. Ovid is most likely the builder of most of the homes on Chapman Ave and at the Bartlet St. entrance. Chapman also moved several buildings to create new tenements. Chapman was a popular man with the students at Phillips Academy as he ran a restaurant in the building at 123 Main Street. He also built several homes and rented to the Secret Fraternal Societies of the boys at the Academy. Ovid died in Feb. 1918. at age 78. Rose A. Chapman owned the property until her death on March 28, 1936.

Chapman Ave did not exist until Chapman purchased the Towle property in 1899.

1850: Pike owns 2 soap houses and shed with adj. 3 acres, dwell house and barn, 2 other houses
1856: Willard Pike's Soap Works
1888: no Chapman Ave.
1900 - 1906: Chapman Court developed 1906, has 10 dwellings
1997: 1 family (3 family early 20th c.)