December 2, 1887

The Mansion House Burned.

The total destruction of this Ancient and famous house is, in some respects, the most serious loss our town has experienced in many years. Money can easily build other houses and other hotels, but cannot replace on Andover Hill, this stately landmark of the eighteenth century.

The fire was discovered about quarter past two on Tuesday morning by boarders at Mrs. Tohey's - the "Brick House". The alarm was at once given to the inmates of the Mansion House, who had about the same time been awakened by suffocating smoke. They were in the house and only Mr. W. C. Walker, who had for several years been clerk there, and within a few days had rented the furniture of his brother-in-law, Mr. Carter, for a year, with the intention of keeping the hotel. Mrs .Walker, two servant girls, and two guests, Rev. W. P. Fisher of Brunswick, Me., and Mr. Francis Bergstrom, of Yale College, a recent student here. Mr. Walker found the fire in a heap of chips in the rear of the L at the extreme west end of the buildings, and apparently of small dimensions. It was soon ascertained that the house was on fire at a second point, remote from the other - in the front part of the third story of the main building. Some time necessarily elapsed before the alarm could be given in town and the steamer arrive on the ground, and by that time, the flames had gotten such headway from both directions, that it was impossible to stop their progress. Both the town steamer and the Phillips boys' engine did good service in keeping the fire from the barn and the Brick House, the Ballardvale company joining them at a later hour. The reservoir in front of this house held out for an hour, when the one in front of the Abbott Store was drawn from. Hot coffee was furnished to the fireman by neighboring ladies.

The house was so full of smoke with the fire approaching from the rear and falling from above, that comparatively little of the furniture in the thirty-four sleeping rooms was saved. Mr. And Mrs. Walker escaped with their lives loosing everything. One of the servant girls lost everything she owned, a daughter of Mrs. Shea of Salem St., who had engaged to work there, had her trunk of clothing burned. Mr. and Mrs. Amos Blanchard, Mr. David Snow and daughters, and Mr. Phillips T. Nickerson, summer boarders at the House, lost valuable wardrobe etc.

Mr. Carter, the well known landlord of the House since 1867, had moved out somewhat hastily last week in order to keep Thanksgiving at his cottage, leaving trunks and boxes of clothing and stores packed for removal, only a portion of which were saved. Mrs. McLawlin, the aged mother of Mrs. Carter, with Mrs. Wildes and Mrs. Gay, her sisters, all lost valuable property which had been rescued last summer from the "Stowe House" fire. Mr. Carter's furniture was insured for $2500, divided between the Old Quincy Mutual and the Traders and Mechanics Mutual. The house, as is well known, was owned by the trustees of Phillips Academy, and was insured in the Merrimack Mutual and the Fitchburg Mutual, $3000 each.

It is of course perfectly clear that the fire was the work of an incendiary, although no motive for it can be conjectured, especially in view of the manner in which the fire was set.

The Mansion House was one hundred and five years old, having been built by Judge Phillips, the founder of Phillips Academy in the summer of 1782, and into it he removed from his previous residence before the close of that year - the old house used for several years as a club house on Phillips Street - although it was three years later before it was fully completed. It was of course not a hotel then, but the Mansion House of "His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor". There he resided till his death in 1802, dispensing the old time hospitality to the prominent people of the day. The first President of the United States on his way from Portsmouth to Boston, in November 1789, having lodged at Haverhill and breakfasted at Dea. Isaac Abbott's tavern (Mr. Locke's house on Elm St.), called upon Mr. Phillips ("President of the Senate of Massachusetts" Washington's diary says) and spent a little time in the southeast parlor, afterwards receiving the people opposite the house on the square in front of Professor Smyth's. The chair in which General Washington sat, and marked by Madam Phillips with ribbon, is preserved in the Theological Library, as is the old family clock in Prof. Grave's recitation room at the Academy. Before the fire had progressed too far, Mr. Bancroft took the great front door off its hinges, on which were the massive lock and key, the latter nearly as large as the key of the Bastille sent by Lafayette to General Washington, and still preserved at Mount Vernon.

Before Madam Phillips' death in 1812, she had deeded the Mansion House and connected land to Phillips Academy, by whom it has since been occupied, in earlier years as a boarding house for students, in later years as the "Mansion House", pleasant and quiet and hospitable, for transient visitors at Andover and for summer guests.

The scene of the fire was unique and strangely impressive - the moon was nearly at its full, brightly shining in the west. There was scarcely a breath of wind. The street and grounds were full of spectators- professors, teachers, schoolboys, people from the town, women and children - all watching with sad interest the slow progress of destruction. There was no shouting, no running, scarcely any loud talking - it was about as still as when good Parson French offered the solemn prayer at the memorable raising of the house in 1782. Even the burning building itself seemed to be in sympathy with the general feeling; its massive oak timbers, braced and pinned after the strong and honest fashion of its time and its builder, did not fall, but slowly, almost silently melted away.

 

July 2, 1888,

About 2 o'clock Thursday morning a fire was discovered to be in progress beneath the house of Hon Wm. A. Russell on Lake Cochickewick. Mrs. Russell was awakened by a sense of suffocation, and was alarmed by finding the apartment full of smoke. Upon further investigation, it was found that the smoke issued from the cellar, directly under the front room, where were stored a number of boxes and barrels and a quantity of packing material. An alarm was at once given, and foreman Poor, with the help, set about the place to work. Mr. James Murphy, the coachman, learning the exact location of the fire, broke down the lattice work underneath the piazza, and turned on a stream from the hose supplied by a tank in the attic, and succeeded in squelching the flames before serious damage was done. The alarm reached the engine house about 4 o'clock, the steamer reaching Platt's bridge in about 13 minutes, where engineer Daw ordered a halt, learning that the services of the company were unnecessary. The house was occupied at the time by Mr. Russell and family, and the escape from a serious conflagration was a lucky one, as nearly every circumstance favored the fire. Mr. Murphy was formerly a member of the Boston Fire Department; and used his knowledge thus gained in the service, to good advantage. The steamer and hose-cart remained stationed at Platt's bridge, until ordered to return by Engineers Daw and Nason. The origin of the fire was spontaneous combustion.

 

November 11, 1892

ANDOVER MAN'S LOSS 

Many friends of H.S. Robinson, who resides on Punchard Avenue, will sympathize with him in the loss to his business interests last Saturday night. The boiler works belonging to the firm of H.S. Robinson & Co., on Border Street, Boston, were totally destroyed by fire on the above mentioned night. The fire broke out about 10:30 and spread rapidly, destroying several other places. The building containing the boiler works together with its contents, was a total loss. The loss to H. S. Robinson & Co. is said to be about $30,000, with an insurance of $23,000.

 

There was quite a lively blaze in the dry house at the Smith and Dove Mills Monday evening about 6:25. The fire was caused by the floor becoming over-heated. The yarn is spread upon the floor and the hot air comes from below to dry it. At this time it is supposed the yarn was laid too closely and the hot air, not being allowed to escape, ignited the wood in the floor. The mill apparatus and men were sufficient to extinguish the fire. $1000 will cover the loss on the yarn and building.

 

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