Themes - Architectural and Community Development.
1906 M.M. Holt.
Property was once numbered 267 Main St. renumbered when town renamed South Main St.

This property was once part of the estate of the Honorable John Phillips who died on Sept. 10, 1820 age 43y 10m. 21d. His estate was administered by Peter Brooks & Benjamin Gorham of Boston. An auction was held in Nov. 1821 and Amos Holt of Andover purchased two lots for $537.35. The first parcel was 2 acres on the west side of the Turnpike and the second lot of 6 acres 150 poles was on the east side of the turnpike.

Amos Holt, was a Captain; his occupation was preparing oak for ship timbers. A deed lists him as a cooper. “He was a great Bible reader”. Amos built a home on the 2 acres lot most likely in 1822. The 1830 map of Andover locates a house at this location.
Amos Holt was born on April 22, 1777, son of David & Hannah (Martin) Holt. Amos married on July 4, 1802 to Patty Martha Wardwell b. July 10, 1791 in Andover, dau. of Simon & Ruth (Church) Wardwell. Their union produced nine children: Martha v. 1/31/1803-d. 1823, Amos b. 7/21/1804, Clarissa b. 8/15/1806, Ebenezer b. 8/14/1808, Sarah b. 6/16/1810-d.y, Sarah b.6/22/1811, Elizabeth Church b. 10/8/1813, Mary Ann b. 10/14/1815-d. 1830, David b. 2/3/1818.
Patty died on Sept. 9, 1818, and is interred at South Parish Cemetery. Amos remarried on April 8, 1819 to Eunice Evans b. Oct. 1790, in South Reading, dau. of Amos & Elizabeth Evans. Amos & Eunice had six children: Rachel Octavia b. 4/12/1820-d.8/21/1822, Eunice Trimanda E. b. 4/17/1822, twins Samuel Madison & Ruth Octavia b. 4/27/1824, Marcus Morton Temple b. 3/ /1828 and Abbie Maria b. 12/3/1833.

The 1850 Valuation Schedule: Amos Holt & Son; Dwelling house $350, Barn $75, 2 ½ acres adj. buildings $200, 6 acres Phillips pasture $300, 6 acre Blunt orchard $240, 4 acre Mackerel Cove $50, Frog Pond lot 3 ½ acre $60 = $1275. Farm Stock $185.
Amos deeds the property to his son Marcus Morton Holt for one dollar on July 14, 1852. Eunice died on Sept. 24, 1859. The 1860 Census lists Amos 83, Cooper, Trimanda B. 38, Samuel L. 34 farmer, Marcus 26 farmer, his wife Mary E. 22, daughter Elizabeth 1year old and Rose Mason age 11. Their father Amos died on April 19, 1861.
Marcus Morton Temple Holt b. March 1828 was baptized on Nov. 3, 1833. Marcus married on Jan. 8, 1857 to Mary Elizabeth Mason of South Boston. Mary E. was born on Dec. 25, 1836, in NY. Marcus & Mary had one daughter Elizabeth Eunice “Lizzie” b/ May 8, 1859 in Andover.
The 1870 Census lists Marcus 41, farmer, Mary E. 32, Lizzie E. 11 and Frank J. Mason 6 attending school and Rachael Temple 16, servant girl. The 1880 census has Marcus and family with his sister Trimanda E. age 50 keeping house. Trimanda remained with her brother until her death in 1903.
1900Valuation tax list 267 Main St.in Phillips District.- Marcus M. Holt House; $1100, barn and shed $900, 2 3/4 land

Marcus died on May 28, 1907 age 70. Andover Townsman May 31, 1907 - MARCUS M. HOLT. In the death of Marcus M. Holt last Tuesday, there passes away one of Andover's oldest residents and a descendant of one of the town's very early settlers. He was a son of Amos Holt and was born 70 years ago last March in the same house where he died, situated at the corner of Gardner avenue and South Main Street. Mr. Holt has been in ill health for a year or more and death was not entirely unexpected. In January 1857 Mr. Holt was united in marriage to Mary Elizabeth Mason of South Boston and their fifty years of happy married life was observed by a very pleasant gathering at their home last January. Although Mr. Holt did some farming, his main business consisted of dealing in ship timber and cattle trading and in both lines he was quite successful. Mr. Holt was not a public man and took very little active interest in public affairs, preferring rather the quietness of his home life. He was a thoroughly thrifty, honest man and will be missed in the neighborhood where he was best known. A wife, one daughter, Miss Elizabeth, and one sister, Mrs. Abbie Smart, all of this town, survive him. Funeral services were conducted this afternoon at the house by Prof. W. H. Ryder of the Chapel church and interment was in the South cemetery.

The property was inherited by Mary E. and daughter Lizzie who sold a year later to Harry Taylor on Dec. 24, 1908. The Holt family owned for 86 years. They moved to Reading. Lizzie died on Oct. 28, 1917, age 59. A wonderful tribute to her is found in AT Nov. 2, 1917, p.3 by Charlotte Helen Abbott. “Will any of us ever forget what waited for us behind that door that led up from "Mothers' garden?" The land, the home, all things outside and within welcomed us. The same good taste, the skill in house-hold art, in small details, that make one home different from another, was there. It was a rest to meet those two friendly people.”

Harry Taylor was an Evangelical Minister, b. 1865 in Leeds, England, he ame to the US at age 18 and attended the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Harry married on Nov. 22, 1898 in Maine to Clara Mabel Farr b. 1875 in Maine. They had three children when they came to Andover in 1908, Ruth, Philip and Dorothy N. all born in Maine. They owned for five years then moved to Topsham, ME. Taylor sold to Joseph L. Burns on Aug. 29, 1913.

Joseph Lawrence Burns was b. Nov. 30, 1879, in Andover, son of David & Nancy “Annie” Teresa (Schofield) Burns of 49 Summer St. Joseph’s family owned the Burns Tailor Shop at 13-15 Main St. Joseph became the head telegrapher for the B& M RR in Andover at age 14. Headmaster at Phillips Academy took notice and Joseph entered the academy and graduated in 1901. In 1902 he entered Harvard and graduated from Harvard law in 1909. He was an Attorney in Andover and Boston. Joseph married Catherine Josephine Horne on June 22, 2014, in Boston. Catherine was b. March 23, 1888, in Roxbury, MA dau. of John W. & Matilda (Sullivan) Horne. Joseph deeded the property to Catherine on November 16, 1915. The 1920 Valuation on the property Catherine H. Burns 267 Main St. House $4000, 2 ¼ acres $2800 = $6800
Joseph & Katherine had six children: John Horne b. June 1917, Catherine b. Sept. 1918, Joseph L. Jr. b. June 1920, Thomas D. b. 1921, Donald Scholfield b. July 21, 1924, and Anne b. 1929.

The Burns family most likely updated and modernize the house during their ownership of 30 years. Joseph & Catherine sold the house to James T. & Marion F. Ryan on Sept. 10, 1943, and moved to Boston. Joseph died on May 29, 1967, age 87.

James & Marion Ryan held the property for nine years.