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Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
Arguably one of the most important female authors in Andover was Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. She was born in
1844 and lived at 189 Main Street in Andover. She wrote over 57 books in her lifetime, her first publication at 13. Her mother was also an author, who published a series called The Kitty Brown Books. Her father was a professor at The Andover Theological Seminary.
She is best known for the novel The Gates Ajar which was one of the top best-selling novels of the 19th century. Over 80,000 copies were sold in the US. The book was written in the backyard workshop of her home soon after the Civil War.
In America during the time of the Civil War, people believed that you needed to have a “good death,”
surrounded by friends and family so that they could watch for details of you passing on to a better place. But because of the war men were being killed on the battlefield and nothing could be done to comfort the families they left behind.
The Gates Ajar provided the mourners with an idyllic version of the afterlife that remains with us today. It depicts Heaven as a wonderful domestic space in which we will have joyous reunions with friends and family after death.
The Gates Ajar provided the mourners with an idyllic version of the afterlife that remains with us today. It depicts Heaven as a wonderful domestic space in which we will have joyous reunions with friends and family after death.
In addition to writing, she was a lifelong advocate for women's and animal rights. She believed that women shouldn’t have to only lead a domestic life, should be financially independent, shouldn't have to wear corsets, and should be able to keep their last names- among other things. In her free time she taught the children of workers at The Smith and Dove Factory in Andover. When she was 44 years old she married a much younger man who was 27, keeping her last name.
She wrote: “I believe in women…and in their right to their own best possibilities in every department of life." (Chapters From A Life, p. 250)
Preserving the pastEducating for the future
Connecting with our community
Preserving the past
Educating for the future
Connecting with our community
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
