22 Marlborough Street

22-30 Marlborough Street

22 Marlborough Street was built ca. 1863 for the Thorndike Estate, one of five contiguous houses (22-24-26-28-30 Marlborough) built for them at the same time.

By 1865, 22 Marlborough was the home of merchant Edward Jackson.  In 1862, he had lived at 2 Hamilton Place with his mother, Lydia (Cabot) Jackson, widow of Patrick Tracy Jackson.  By 1870, Edward Jackson had moved to an apartment at the Hotel Hamilton at 260 Clarendon Street (demolished).

By 1872, it was the home of Edward Dyer Peters, a tea merchant, and his wife, Jane Almira (Gould) Peters.  In 1870, they had lived at 6 Newbury Street.

Jane Peters died in December of 1877.  Edward Dyer continued to live at 22 Marlborough until about 1882.

By 1883, it was the home of attorney William Minot, II.  He was a widower, his wife, Katharine (Sedgwick) Minot, having died in June of 1880.  They previously had lived in the Woodbourne section of Jamaica Plain.  He is shown as the owner of 22 Marlborough on the 1888 Bromley map.  He also maintained a summer home in Bar Harbor, Maine.

His son, Dr. Charles Sedgwick Minot, lived with him.  In June of 1889, Charles Minot married to Lucy Fosdick.  It appears that they lived with his father in 1892, but no longer were listed at 22 Marlborough in the 1894 Blue Book.

William Minot continued to live at 22 Marlborough until his death in 1894.

By 1895, it was the home of leather merchant Arthur C. Lawrence and his wife, Sarah Ann Baldwin (Field) Lawrence.  Their son-in-law and daughter, Dr. Frank A. Higgins and Marion Field (Lawrence) Higgins, lived with them. Frank Higgins was a physician.  They continued to live there in 1902.

By 1903, 22 Marlborough was the home of Mrs. H. A. Carney.

By 1904, it was the home of Mrs. Alice Esther (Ives) Breed and her son, Francis W. Breed.  She was the wife of Francis W. Breed.  He was a shoe manufacturer in Lynn and a promoter of mining and railway ventures.  She continued to live at 22 Marlborough in 1905.  It appears that Mrs. Breed was living temporarily in Boston.  Her husband probably continued to live in Lynn or possibly in Cambridge, where the couple was living at the time of the 1910 US Census.

22 Marlborough was not listed in the 1906 Blue Book.

By 1907, 22 Marlborough was the home of Dr. Paul Thorndike, a physician, and his wife, Rachel Ewing (Sherman) Thorndike.  Rachel Thorndike was the daughter of General William Tecumseh Sherman.  In 1906, they had lived at 244 Marlborough.

Rachel Thorndike is shown as the owner of 22 Marlborough on the 1908 and 1917 Bromley maps.  She also is shown as the owner of 24 Marlborough, which the Thorndikes appear to have leased to other doctors.

In 1910 and 1911, they were joined at 22 Marlborough by Mrs. Rose (Lee) Gray, the widow of attorney Reginald Gray.  In 1909, she had lived at 108 Beacon Street.  She continued to live at 22 Marlborough with the Thorndikes in 1911, but had moved to 19 Marlborough by 1913.

Paul and Rachel Thorndike spent the winter of 1916-1917 in Brookline, and 22 Marlborough was temporarily the home of author Winston Churchill and his wife, Mabel Harlakenden (Hall) Churchill.

Rachel Thorndike died in October of 1919.  Paul Thorndike continued to live at 22 Marlborough in January of 1920, at the time the US Census was taken, joined by his sister-in-law, Mary Sherman, and his two unmarried children, Dr. William T. Thorndike and Anna Thorndike.

Dr. Thorndike had moved by 1922, but both 22 and 24 Marlborough continued to be shown as owned by the Heirs of Rachel S. Thorndike on the 1928 Bromley map.

By 1922, it was leased by MacGregor Jenkins and his wife, Alice B. (Duncan) Jenkins.  They also maintained a home in Dover, Massachusetts.

MacGregor Jenkins was associated with Houghton, Mifflin as business manager of the Atlantic Monthly from 1890.  In 1908, when Houghton, Mifflin ceased publishing the magazine, he was one of the organizers of The Atlantic Monthly Company, which continued its publication.  He served as treasurer of the company until his retirement in 1928.  He also was the author of numerous books and articles.

The Jenkinses continued to live at 22 Marlborough in 1930.

By 1932, it was the home of Mrs. Mary S. Metcalf.  She continued to live there in 1933.

By 1934, it was the home of Mrs. Winifred E. Ruiter.

22 Marlborough was not listed in the 1935-1937 Blue Books, and was converted into a lodging house about that time.

Mabel C. Welsh is shown as the owner of 22 and 24 Marlborough on the 1938 Bromley map. 

By 1939, both houses were owned by Charles A. Sherwin and his wife, Alfreda (Stoddard) Sherwin.  They operated them as lodging houses and also may have lived at 22 Marlborough.  They continued to own 22 and 24 Marlborough in 1946.

By 1954, 22 and 24 Marlborough were owned by The Work of God, Inc.  In June of 1954, they combined the properties, cut an opening between them on the third floor, and converted them from lodging houses into a dormitory and chapel.  They continued to be located at 22-24 Marlborough in 1973.