89 Marlborough Street

89 Marlborough Street

89 Marlborough Street was built ca. 1867 for Jacob Crowninshield Rogers and his wife Elizabeth (Peabody) Rogers.  They had lived at 77 Marlborough in 1865.  He is shown as the owner of 89 Marlborough on the 1874 Hopkins map, and Elizabeth Rogers is shown as the owner on the 1883 Bromley map.

Jacob Rogers was a merchandise broker and agent for the North Bedford Copper Company.  By 1885, he was an agent for the banking firm of J. S. Morgan & Co. of London.

Between about 1875 and 1879, Jacob and Elizabeth Rogers were living elsewhere, and 89 Marlborough was the home of his brother, Richard Denison Rogers, and his wife, Martha Endicott (Peabody) Rogers (who was Elizabeth Peabody Rogers's sister).   Richard Rogers was treasurer of the Boott Cotton Mills.

Living with them until about 1878 was Martha and Elizabeth’s brother, Francis Peabody.  He was president of the American Insurance Company.

By 1880, Richard and Martha Rogers and Francis Peabody had moved to 88 Marlborough, and 89 Marlborough was once again the home of Jacob and Elizabeth Rogers.  They continued to live there in 1885.

By 1888, 89 Marlborough was the home and medical office of Dr. William Norton Bullard, a neurologist.  He is  shown as the owner on the 1888 Bromley map.  His brother, Stephen Bullard, lived with him in 1899 and 1900.

William Bullard married in September of 1900 to Mary Robbins Reynolds.  They continued to live at 89 Marlborough until about 1928.  He is shown as the owner on the 1908, 1917, and 1928 Bromley maps.  They also maintained a summer home in Edgartown.

By late 1928, 89 Marlborough was owned by Mrs. Joan (Hearn) Denning, the widow of wholesale liquor dealer Lawrence J. Denning.  She previously had lived at 161 Newbury Street.

On December 27, 1928, she applied for (and subsequently received) permission to convert 89 Marlborough from a single-family dwelling and physician's office into a twelve unit apartment house.  She continued to own the building and live there in 1937, and is shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map.

The property remained apartments in 1962.

By 1964, it had been acquired by Rev. Lyle H. Huff, pastor of a church in Roslindale, who acquired the property for "an intown outreach."  He converted the apartment in the front of the basement into a small chapel.  In July of 1964, he was notified by the Building Department of the need to obtain a permit to operate a chapel at 89 Marlborough, and he subsequently discontinued doing so.

In September of 1968, 89 Marlborough was acquired by Donald J. M. Wilson, trustee of the Clinton Realty Trust.