Cary House was the dominant structure on this campus from 1907-1977. Situated across North street from Gulick and Mary Lowell Stone, it was home to 35 students, four faculty apartments, the kitchen and dining rooms, laundry and ski room. Below is a north elevation with Gulick and MLS in back:

From the opposite direction looking south with the Proctor Block and Slocumb (right):

In the 1920's, Cary operated as a summer hotel for Boston's Unitarian elite as the "Proctor Academy Inn" with a menu that specialized in roast chicken dishes.

It was here in the fall of 1935 that Ro Burbank and Lyle Farrell convinced Halsey Gulick to become Headmaster at a moment when the trustees favored closing the school.

On a warm evening in April, 1977--twenty-five years ago this month--Cary House was lost to fire. It started in the walls on the kitchen. People noticed smoke emanating from both eves, giving boys time to rescue stereos, guitars and other valuables. As darkness fell, the community circled the structure and flames appeared. When the heavy slate roof fell, one huge flame illuminated the village.

The people of Andover opened their homes to the dorm's students and faculty, and Colby-Sawyer College catered cold meals in the Cage. At first, it seemed a disaster. Only with time did we see the fire as a blessing. The Cary House fire decentralized the campus, enabled us to commit to small dorms (Summerfield, Johnson, and Davis were built the next year,) and the new dining room enabled the student population to grow from 260 to today's 328.