Original owner: David Sewel Pearson
Subsequent uses: Girl's school (1852 - 1864)

Themes: Architectural, Community development, Education

Historical significance: The property along the east side of Main St. from Punchard Ave. to Wheeler Ave. was owned by the Andover South Parish Ministerial Fund prior to 1810. Seven lots were divided up along the east side of the new Essex Turnpike and sold off at auction on April 18, 1810. Isaac Abbott (wife Charlotte) purchased lots #2 & #3 at auction for $625. Issac would later sell the property to Amos Blanchard on April 3, 1822. Blanchard held the land for 11 years then selling the lots to David S. Pearson on Dec. 28, 1833 for $900. David entered into a contract agreement on May 1, 1834 with Jacob Chickering, carpenter to build his home for $2700. The contract, states..."on or before the first day of January next, build on said Pearsons land being on the Turnpike opposite of Mrs. Hitchins house, a House, Shed and Barn....house to be forty two ft. long & thirty four ft. in width, two stories high, posts nineteen feet long...to build a portico in front supported by two columns one story, to build a porch on the south end with ventilation door or one window on the side..."
There are bills in Jacob Chickering file for two "David Pearson Houses". Notes in Chickering file dated 1829, show carpentry done by NathanieWhittier and Jacob Chickering, then in partnership. 1834 records detail work on "David Pearson House and shed and barn" by Jacob Chickering.

David Sewal Pearson was born Nov. 7, 1789, oldest child of Dr. Abiel & Polly (Adams) Pearson. (see 33 High St.) He married Sarah Wildes of Charlestown, MA intention filed Oct. 21, 1820. David Pearson took a mortgage on his new home with John Smith, president of the Smith, Dove & Co. on April 8, 1835 but defaulted on the loan. Smith took possession on Jan. 2, 1837. John Smith owned for three years then selling to Bela B. Edwards on April 7, 1940 for $4750.

1840 - 1852: Residence of Prof. Bela B. Edwards, clergyman, editor of religious publications, and professor of Hebrew Language and Literature at Andover Theological Seminary, 1837-1848. Mrs. Jerusha W. Edwards ran a school for young ladies here, known as "The Nunnery", 1852-1864; then considered more select and aristocratic than Abbott Academy. When school opened, changes had been made on the house, to make more room in house and the ell to accommodate classes.

Bio Wikipedia
Bela Bates Edwards (1802-1852) was an American man of letters born at Southampton, Massachusetts, on 4 July 1802. He graduated at Amherst College in 1824, was a tutor there from 1827 to 1828, graduated at Andover Theological Seminary in 1830, and was licensed to preach. From 1828 to 1833 he was assistant Secretary of the American Education Society (organized in Boston in 1815 to assist students for the ministry), and from 1828 to 1842 was editor of the society's newsletter, which after 1831 was called the American Quarterly Register.
He also founded (in 1833) and edited the American Quarterly Observer; from 1836 to 1841 edited the Biblical Repository (after 1837 called the American Biblical Repository) with which the Observer was merged in 1835; and was editor-in-chief of Bibliotheca Sacra from 1844 to 1851. In 1837 he became professor of Hebrew at Andover, and from 1848 until his death was associate professor of sacred literature there. He was a founder of the Society for Ameliorating the Condition of the Slave and of the American Missionary Society. He died at Athens, Georgia, on 20 April 1852.

Among his numerous publications were The Missionary Gazetteer (1832); The Biography of Self-Taught Men, with an Introductory Essay (1832); Memoir of Reverend Elias Cornelius (1833); a once widely known Eclectic Reader (1830s); a translation, with Samuel Harvey Taylor (1807-1871), of Kuhner's Schulgrammatik der Griechischen Sprache and Classical Studies (1844), essays in ancient literature and art written in collaboration with Barnas Sears and C. C. Felton.
Edward's Addresses and Sermons, with a memoir by Rev. Edwards A. Park (1808-1900), were published in two volumes at Boston in 1853.

Historical sketches of Andover: By Sarah Loring Bailey
PROF. BELA BATES EDWARDS, D. D., was born at Southampton, Mass., 1802 ; graduated at Amherst College 1824 ; was tutor in the college, Assistant Secretary of the American Education Society, and editor of " American Quarterly and Bibliotheca Sacra ; " was elected Professor of Hebrew in Andover Seminary in 1837, of Biblical Literature 1848; died at Athens, Ga., April 20, 1852 (of consumption). His body was buried in the chapel cemetery at Andover. Professor Edwards married Jerusha W. Billings, daughter of Charles E. Billings, of Conway, Mass. Their two sons died, one in childhood, one in early manhood, while a student at Yale College. Both bore the same name, George Edwards. The daughter, Sarah B. Edwards, was married to Rev. William Edwards Park. Mrs. Edwards, after the death of Professor Edwards, resided in Andover, taking charge of a small family school for young ladies, with a view of aiding her son in obtaining his education.

Wife Jerusha Williams Billings b. Oct. 3, 1809 in Conway, MA and died July 3, 1896 in Andover. They are interred in the Chapel Cemetery, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA. Widow Jerusa and daughter Sarah E. Park sold the property to the Trustees of Phillips Academy on Apr. 16, 1888. The academy held 20 years then sold this property to the Andover Theological Seminary on July 1, 1908. This was the 13th parcel and included the Edwards house at 148, the Fay house and the Gleason-Abbott-Jackson house at 158 Main St.

Prof. William Ryder, new Greek professor at Andover Theological Seminary, arrived in town, July 20, 1888 and lived here until his death in 1918.

Andover Theological Seminary sold to Frederic and M. Genevieve Chandler of Lawrence on Aug. 15, 1919. In the 1920's, Judge Chandler had "beautiful gardens" here, landscaped by H. Winthrop Pierce. After his death, house became property of Lev V. Goriansky on Mar. 20, 1942. The deed was placed in both Lev. V. & Carola E. Goriansky on Dec. 5, 1966. The Goriansky family owned until 1990 when purchased by P. Lawrence & Abigail S. Newton on Aug. 1, 1990.