Dr. Thomas Kittredge of Andover
1746 - 1818
Dr.Thomas Kittredge, son of Dr. John Kittredge, was born in 1746 in Andover, Massachusetts, whither his father removed about 1741. His grandfather had practiced also iii the vicinity and doubtless his father located in Andover to take charge of that section of his practice. Ever Since 1741 there has been one or more of this Kittredge family, practicing medicine in Andover. Dr. Thomas lived in the house his father had occupied on the present site of the machine shop in North Andover. This house was abandoned many years ago, falling into decay and lately was torn clown. Dr. Thomas did valuable service in the revolution. He was surgeon of the First Massachusetts Regiment, was at the battle of Bunker Hill, was at the side of General Warren when he was killed. General Warren, himself a physician, said that Kittredge was the greatest natural surgeon that he knew. Dr. Kittredge was the leading physician and surgeon of this section for many years. He was a man of strong character, active and influential in public affairs. In politics he was a Republican, as the anti-Federalists were called. He was prominent in the early history of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
In 1784 Dr. Thomas Kittredge built the present mansion house of the Kittredge family in North Andover. At that time it was the finest residence in the north parish and rivaled in that section only by the’ mansion house of Judge Phillips in the south parish of Andover. The house stands to-clay almost tin-changed from its original lines. The ceilings are high, the rooms, spacious and the hail large and stately with a broad stairway and heavy front door ornamented still with a massive brass knocker. A long avenue leads to the front of the house from the street through attractive grounds. The mansion is a reminder of. the clays before the revolution when New England, as well as other sections of the country, took’ pride in her aristocratic old families. Though built just at the close of the revolution, it was an expression of the architecture of an earlier generation. Dr. Kittredge had negro slaves and lived on a magnificent scale, in comparison with many of the farmers of the neighborhood. The weddings and births in the servants quarters were counted of no small interest in the master’s house, we are told. The story of this family and the old mansion would fill a volume by itself, were the necessary material at hand. When the great house was raised, the old house farther north was still standing. Dr. Joseph Kittredge, who was a child of nine months on the festal day when the neighbors came to help put up the frame and to put down the good things to eat and drink from the doctor’s kitchen, was held up to see the raising in the arms of an old negro house servant, Caesar, that he might say in after years that he was “at the raising.’’ And no little pride did the doctor take in that event. He died October, 1818.
***Also of special interest, I located a website that would fill reams of paper that documents the discussions and debates taking place regarding the verbiage of the Constitution of the United States that was eventually adopted. Dr. Thomas Kittredge of Andover was present in those discussions and was among those who had the final vote on its acceptance.*** go to