Annie E. Pierce was the only one of her family born in the house on Hurlbut St. that her father had built in 1847 after returning from a two-year whaling voyage. (She was named Anna Elizabeth but always called Annie -- right down to the inscription on her gravestone.)
After her mother died of cancer at just 44 years old (and even before), Annie's older sister Harriett essentially raised her. In 1856, the year their mother died, either Harriett's husband or her father in law (both named Charles Crandall) bought the house Annie had been born in. The 1860 census shows them all living together.
When Annie was about 27 years old she married Harlan A. Pierce. How they met is unknown, although it is possible that it was through her brother Albert S. Bolles, who, like Harlan, was a lawyer and a business writer. Harlan had not very long before returned, discouraged and disillusioned, from Cheyenne, in Wyoming Territory, where, despite his best efforts and fervent belief, his various ventures failed to thrive. He and his wife Mary and their three surviving daughters had come back east and he had found work as a business writer in New York City.
While it is possible that Harlan was already divorced from his wife, Mary (Rowley) Pierce, it is perhaps even more likely that it was his desire for a fresh start with Annie that caused him to divorce Mary and leave his three daughters. He and Annie married somewhere around 1875 -- about the time that Mary's sister Harriett's husband died.
Annie and Harlan made their home in various areas of New York City, where, in his spare time he collected art and wrote poetry. They visited frequently with Annie's brother Albert and sister Harriett; gradually they fell into a pattern where Harriett would spend the winter in New York with the Pierces and they, in turn, spent the summer in Gales Ferry with Harriett.
After Harlan died in 1916, the sisters continued their summering at Gales Ferry and wintering in New York (or sometimes Washington DC, where their brother lived.) They were also noted as taking automobile trips and a trolley tour with their brother. She and Harriett were noted by The Day (the local newspaper) as providing and arranging flowers from their garden for the Methodist Church in Gales Ferry in 1916 and 1919.
After Harriett died Annie continued to summer in Gales Ferry and summer in New York as late as 1931 (at least that was the last time the local newspaper reported it), when she was 83 years old. Five years later, she donated a number of valuable porcelain, woven and other items to the museum in Norwich--primarily what remained of her husband's art collection.
In August of 1940, she was in failing health but two months later still arranged to donate bouquets of dahlias from her garden for the Church School Gala. When she died, Annie willed the house she had been born in, and died in, to the New England Southern Conference of the Methodist Church.
After her mother died of cancer at just 44 years old (and even before), Annie's older sister Harriett essentially raised her. In 1856, the year their mother died, either Harriett's husband or her father in law (both named Charles Crandall) bought the house Annie had been born in. The 1860 census shows them all living together.
When Annie was about 27 years old she married Harlan A. Pierce. How they met is unknown, although it is possible that it was through her brother Albert S. Bolles, who, like Harlan, was a lawyer and a business writer. Harlan had not very long before returned, discouraged and disillusioned, from Cheyenne, in Wyoming Territory, where, despite his best efforts and fervent belief, his various ventures failed to thrive. He and his wife Mary and their three surviving daughters had come back east and he had found work as a business writer in New York City.
While it is possible that Harlan was already divorced from his wife, Mary (Rowley) Pierce, it is perhaps even more likely that it was his desire for a fresh start with Annie that caused him to divorce Mary and leave his three daughters. He and Annie married somewhere around 1875 -- about the time that Mary's sister Harriett's husband died.
Annie and Harlan made their home in various areas of New York City, where, in his spare time he collected art and wrote poetry. They visited frequently with Annie's brother Albert and sister Harriett; gradually they fell into a pattern where Harriett would spend the winter in New York with the Pierces and they, in turn, spent the summer in Gales Ferry with Harriett.
After Harlan died in 1916, the sisters continued their summering at Gales Ferry and wintering in New York (or sometimes Washington DC, where their brother lived.) They were also noted as taking automobile trips and a trolley tour with their brother. She and Harriett were noted by The Day (the local newspaper) as providing and arranging flowers from their garden for the Methodist Church in Gales Ferry in 1916 and 1919.
After Harriett died Annie continued to summer in Gales Ferry and summer in New York as late as 1931 (at least that was the last time the local newspaper reported it), when she was 83 years old. Five years later, she donated a number of valuable porcelain, woven and other items to the museum in Norwich--primarily what remained of her husband's art collection.
In August of 1940, she was in failing health but two months later still arranged to donate bouquets of dahlias from her garden for the Church School Gala. When she died, Annie willed the house she had been born in, and died in, to the New England Southern Conference of the Methodist Church.
Annie E. Pierce was the only one of her family born in the house on Hurlbut St. that her father had built in 1847 after returning from a two-year whaling voyage. (She was named Anna Elizabeth but always called Annie -- right down to the inscription on her gravestone.)
After her mother died of cancer at just 44 years old (and even before), Annie's older sister Harriett essentially raised her. In 1856, the year their mother died, either Harriett's husband or her father in law (both named Charles Crandall) bought the house Annie had been born in. The 1860 census shows them all living together.
When Annie was about 27 years old she married Harlan A. Pierce. How they met is unknown, although it is possible that it was through her brother Albert S. Bolles, who, like Harlan, was a lawyer and a business writer. Harlan had not very long before returned, discouraged and disillusioned, from Cheyenne, in Wyoming Territory, where, despite his best efforts and fervent belief, his various ventures failed to thrive. He and his wife Mary and their three surviving daughters had come back east and he had found work as a business writer in New York City.
While it is possible that Harlan was already divorced from his wife, Mary (Rowley) Pierce, it is perhaps even more likely that it was his desire for a fresh start with Annie that caused him to divorce Mary and leave his three daughters. He and Annie married somewhere around 1875 -- about the time that Mary's sister Harriett's husband died.
Annie and Harlan made their home in various areas of New York City, where, in his spare time he collected art and wrote poetry. They visited frequently with Annie's brother Albert and sister Harriett; gradually they fell into a pattern where Harriett would spend the winter in New York with the Pierces and they, in turn, spent the summer in Gales Ferry with Harriett.
After Harlan died in 1916, the sisters continued their summering at Gales Ferry and wintering in New York (or sometimes Washington DC, where their brother lived.) They were also noted as taking automobile trips and a trolley tour with their brother. She and Harriett were noted by The Day (the local newspaper) as providing and arranging flowers from their garden for the Methodist Church in Gales Ferry in 1916 and 1919.
After Harriett died Annie continued to summer in Gales Ferry and summer in New York as late as 1931 (at least that was the last time the local newspaper reported it), when she was 83 years old. Five years later, she donated a number of valuable porcelain, woven and other items to the museum in Norwich--primarily what remained of her husband's art collection.
In August of 1940, she was in failing health but two months later still arranged to donate bouquets of dahlias from her garden for the Church School Gala. When she died, Annie willed the house she had been born in, and died in, to the New England Southern Conference of the Methodist Church.
After her mother died of cancer at just 44 years old (and even before), Annie's older sister Harriett essentially raised her. In 1856, the year their mother died, either Harriett's husband or her father in law (both named Charles Crandall) bought the house Annie had been born in. The 1860 census shows them all living together.
When Annie was about 27 years old she married Harlan A. Pierce. How they met is unknown, although it is possible that it was through her brother Albert S. Bolles, who, like Harlan, was a lawyer and a business writer. Harlan had not very long before returned, discouraged and disillusioned, from Cheyenne, in Wyoming Territory, where, despite his best efforts and fervent belief, his various ventures failed to thrive. He and his wife Mary and their three surviving daughters had come back east and he had found work as a business writer in New York City.
While it is possible that Harlan was already divorced from his wife, Mary (Rowley) Pierce, it is perhaps even more likely that it was his desire for a fresh start with Annie that caused him to divorce Mary and leave his three daughters. He and Annie married somewhere around 1875 -- about the time that Mary's sister Harriett's husband died.
Annie and Harlan made their home in various areas of New York City, where, in his spare time he collected art and wrote poetry. They visited frequently with Annie's brother Albert and sister Harriett; gradually they fell into a pattern where Harriett would spend the winter in New York with the Pierces and they, in turn, spent the summer in Gales Ferry with Harriett.
After Harlan died in 1916, the sisters continued their summering at Gales Ferry and wintering in New York (or sometimes Washington DC, where their brother lived.) They were also noted as taking automobile trips and a trolley tour with their brother. She and Harriett were noted by The Day (the local newspaper) as providing and arranging flowers from their garden for the Methodist Church in Gales Ferry in 1916 and 1919.
After Harriett died Annie continued to summer in Gales Ferry and summer in New York as late as 1931 (at least that was the last time the local newspaper reported it), when she was 83 years old. Five years later, she donated a number of valuable porcelain, woven and other items to the museum in Norwich--primarily what remained of her husband's art collection.
In August of 1940, she was in failing health but two months later still arranged to donate bouquets of dahlias from her garden for the Church School Gala. When she died, Annie willed the house she had been born in, and died in, to the New England Southern Conference of the Methodist Church.
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