Morgan House

The Morgan House is a two story Queen Anne Cottage built by W.H. Morgan, first editor of the Peabody Gazette, for his family in 1881. The original newspaper office was north of the Morgan house and it extended to the street. The Morgan house was connected to the office by a hallway. The downstairs front room with the bay window served as the research library for the newspaper. An identical room on the second floor was the family parlor. “Our Villa” was described in detail by Editor Morgan in a October, 1881 Gazette story as the home for his family which included his wife, Arthemise, daughter, Ivy, and son, George. He built a new print shop in 1884 and the present Printing Museum utilizes one wall of this extant structure.

The house has been fully restored and furnished as a home of the 1880s. Morgan family members have provided photos and documentation. Gourmet meals are served by reservation using fine china, silver and linens donated by the community. Authentic foods of the era and costumed servers make a memorable dining experience.

The Morgan House with its old barn in the alley adjoin the library property and thus form a unique museum complex. The old barn offers an ideal location for agricultural exhibits and the donation of an original Joker windmill wheel adds even more interest as it was thought no original Joker wheel remained. The Joker windmill played an important part in the history of Peabody during the late 1800s and early 1900s when they were shipped as far away as the Wyoming territory.