In size he was a large man, comely of feature, and noted for his wit and humor. He married in early life the daughter of Colonel Jeremiah Lee of Marblehead, who was a great beauty; during her lifetime the house was filled with noted guests.
Few houses with such numerous changes in occupants have had so many noted owners as the Spencer-Pierce house, which after the death of Mr. Tracy was sold by his wife, through the authority of the General Court, to one Offin Boardman for $12,800. Captain Boardman was well known, particularly in a military way, on account of his performing the daring feat of capturing a transport as it came into Newburyport harbor. It was a British ship, Friends, with Captain Bowie commanding, that appeared off the mouth of the harbor, tacking and wearing in such a way as to indicate that she did not know her bearings. This led Captain Boardman, whose house guarded the mouth of the river, to suspect that it was a British ship bringing ammunition for the troops that were stationed in Boston. Calling seventeen men to his aid, they manned three whale-boats and rowed off to the stranger. When in speaking distance, they hailed her to know where bound, rightly suspecting she bore contraband goods. She replied that she hailed from London and was uncertain as to her situation, whereupon she was offered a pilot. The vessel was boarded by Captain Boardman and his valiant crew who carried no arms in sight, thus preventing the suspicion of the captain. The boldness of the attack won success, and the ship was taken into Newburyport, where she was overhauled.
For twenty years afterwards the house was occupied by the same owner, being sold at auction in 1813. It was purchased by one John Pettingell, who is said to have used it as a summer residence only; during the time of his occupancy the wooden buildings at the back, together with the farm, were let to tenants.
The mansion house has been owned and occupied by wealthy families ever since it was built. It is considered one of the most picturesque homes in New England. Unlike other houses built at that period, the walls, which are two feet thick, were made of granite interspersed with stone and brick, over which a thick overlay of plaster was placed, and having arched doorways and windows and small niches introduced over the door. The wooden additions at the back were built for the use of servants. The porch of the house is unique. The bricks that form the arch of the door have fancy, rounded edges that distinguish them from those made in the colony. Hanging vines add to the picturesqueness of the house.
The entrance door is divided like the Dutch doors of to-day, showing two sections acting independently, the upper part being at one time protected by an inner shutter. This was arranged so as to hang down from the ceiling, the old hinges which are still left plainly attesting to this fact. There are also shown to-day marks of the pulley through which ran the cords to raise and lower the shutter. The old-fashioned door swings back on wrought hinges twenty-four inches in length. These, as well as the old hardware in the house, have been carefully preserved.
Plate XXXIX.—Hallway, Spencer-Pierce House.
Between the outside porch and the inner one is a second set of doors, in between which are hanging buckets. These are of leather and were kept in the hall of every house for use in case of fire. The stairway starts at the right-hand side of the hall, which is merely a narrow passageway. It leads by two turns to the second-story floor and has a most unusual background in the brick work of a large chimney. Tradition tells us that the builder of these stairs received no ready money for his work but, instead, eight acres of land, since it was a very common practice at that time to pay for work in this way.