Local resident Rita Norander donated two antique school books to the Andover Historical Society. They belonged to

Rita Norander, a resident of Andover, a trustee of the Andover Historical Society, and a frequent contributor of articles about local history to the Beacon, has roots going back to the early 1800s in Andover. She recently offered two school books to the Society that belonged to her great-grandfather, Benjamin G. Tucker Hersey. The books are French’s Common School Arithmetic (1869) and Weld’s Progressive English Grammar (1859).

Rita explains, “These two books had belonged to my great-grandfather Benjamin Gilman Tucker, who legally changed his name to Hersey when he was 21. His mother, Edna Hersey Tucker, had died young, and Benjamin went to live with his Hersey grandparents in Hill.”

He used these books while attending the Hill District No. 5 School. In 1882, he moved to Chase Hill Road in East Andover, where he died in 1927.

Benjamin Tucker, who built the Tucker Mountain Schoolhouse in 1837, was the grandfather of Benjamin G. Tucker Hersey. The school operated from 1837 to 1893, so these school books are of this period. 

The Andover Historical Society is very pleased to have them in the collection. These books, as well as three other books given at the same time, will be on display at the Sunday, July 11, Open House.

An Open House will be held at the Tucker Mountain Schoolhouse from 1 to 3 PM on Sunday, July 11. Masks would be appreciated when inside the school. Information about the Historical Society will be available.

The school is not handicap accessible; however, a virtual tour may be seen online at the Andover Historical Society’s website at AndoverHistory.org. For more information or to arrange a visit on an alternate date, please contact Donna at DonnaBH@nulltds.net.