"Marchant" Samuel Colton's Front Door- A Treasured Gift

"Marchant" Samuel Colton's Front Door
Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, MA

 
On this day #OTD- October 29, 1921- an article was published in the Springfield Republican with the news that the Boston, MA architects William T. Aldrich and Robert P. Bellows had gifted the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with the front door of "Marchant" Samuel Colton's house.  The museum had described this door in its Bulletin as "typical of the finer houses of the Connecticut Valley during the early half of the 18th century and was well known to architects".  This gift was received during the time period of March 4- June 2, 1921.

(Click to enlarge)

During the 18th century "Marchant" Samuel Colton (1727- 1784) was a wealthy businessman.  His house had been located on the west side of Longmeadow Street, south of the Longmeadow Town Green.

He had a shipyard on the Connecticut River bank and his ships transported goods to the West Indies and to Bristol, England.  His beautiful house was built by John Steele.  

 
Attached to the rear of his house was his store that contained goods that this merchant sold to customers in the area.

 
In an interesting story that was read on October 6, 1905 to the members of the Longmeadow Historical Society at their annual meeting, Mrs. George E. Brewer (Caroline Brewer) gave a history of this house.  The information was found in "Marchant" Colton's ledgers.  Mrs. George E. Brewer was a Longmeadow resident, a reporter for the Springfield Republican in Springfield, MA and also a descendant of Quartermaster George Colton- one of the first residents of Long Meddowe (Longmeadow).  

In Mrs. Brewer's story she stated, "in June, 1754, five-days' work was done on the fore door" of this beautiful house.  She also stated that "Marchant" and Lucy Colton's only son, also named Samuel (1778- 1811), married Anne G. Warriner of Wilbraham and they "remained in the ancestral home" in Longmeadow.  After Samuel died in 1811 his widow married Rev. Gideon Leon Burt.  She survived her second husband, also, and died in 1853.  The property was purchased by the descendants of Thomas Colton who also owned the property next door.  For 45 years the house had been unoccupied and was falling into disrepair.     

Eventually, Longmeadow resident Everett B. Allen purchased it and then sold the house to W. Dillon to "remove" it.  The house was torn down in September 1916 and parts of it were saved and purchased by parties interested in antiques.  

"Marchant" Colton's door was gifted to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston by these two gentlemen, William T. Aldrich and Robert P. Bellows, who recognized the significance of this doorway.                               

Sources:  Boston Herald:  Aug. 7, 1921; Evening Gazette:  Oct. 17, 1921; Springfield Republican:  Oct 08, 1905;  Sep. 8, 1916; Sep. 17, 1916; Oct. 29, 1921 and Dec. 8, 1925; and Map and other Photos courtesy of Longmeadow Historical Society.    

~Judy Moran