COLLECTION GUIDES

1768-1934; bulk: 1860-1905

Guide to the Collection

Restrictions on Access

The Hartwell-Clark family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.


Collection Summary

Abstract

This collection consists of the papers of the Hartwell and Clark families, primarily Albert Hoit Hartwell, his wife Ella Clark Hartwell, and their daughter Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer. Materials include correspondence, journals, research papers, printed materials, news clippings, and travel diaries.

Biographical Sketches

Clark family

Jonas Clark (1807-1904), son of Jonas Clark (1777-1867) and Alice Wellington Clark (1781-1869), was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was a farmer and served in the Massachusetts Light Infantry, First Regiment, from 1832 until 1835. He married Rachel Smith Bagley (1818-1886) in 1840 in Waltham. They had four children: Ella, Mary (1850-1855), Jonas, and Anne (1858-1957).

Ella Elizabeth Clark Hartwell (1841-1933), the daughter of Jonas Clark (1807-1904) and Rachel Bagley Clark (1818-1886), was born on the Clark farm in Waltham, Massachusetts. She married Albert Hoit Hartwell in 1867, and they lived in Watertown, Massachusetts. The couple had one child, Rachael Rutherford Hartwell, in 1868.

Dr. Jonas Clark (1853-1943) was the son of Jonas Clark and Rachel Smith Bagley Clark. Dr. Jonas Clark moved to California around 1875. Prior to that, he was affiliated with the Boston Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Clark was the brother of Ella Elizabeth Clark Hartwell.

Hartwell family

Alonzo Hartwell (1805-1873) was born in Littleton, Massachusetts, to John Hartwell (1781-1852) and Anna Wheeler Hartwell (1787-1833). He was a portrait painter and also created engravings and woodcuts for various publications. He had a studio in Boston on the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street. He married Sarah Lunt Walker in 1832. They had four children: Henry, Alonzo (1835-1837), Anne (1838-1893), and Albert. Alonzo Hartwell lived in Waltham at the time of his death.

Sarah Lunt Walker Hartwell (1809-1891) was the daughter of William Walker (1780-1854) and Margery Ward Walker (1779-1840) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She married Alonzo Hartwell in 1832 in Littleton, Massachusetts. (See information about Alonzo Hartwell for the names of their children.)

Albert Hoit Hartwell (1840-1904), the son of Alonzo Hartwell and Sarah Lunt Walker Hartwell, was born in Littleton, Massachusetts. From 1862-1863, he served as corporal in Company A of the 44th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Albert married Ella Elizabeth Clark (see Clark family) in 1867, and the couple lived in Watertown, Massachusetts. The couple had one child, Rachael Rutherford Hartwell, in 1868. From 1867 until he retired in 1900, Albert was the superintendent of Hollingsworth & Whitney Co.'s paper mill in Watertown. He was also the first president of the Watertown Co-operative Bank. In 1902, he bought a summer house on Mount Tabor, near the shore of the Cambridge Reservoir in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Henry William Hartwell (1833-1919) was the son of Alonzo Hartwell and Sarah Lunt Walker Hartwell. With his brother Albert, he served in Company A of the 44th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Later, he was one of the architects of the Boston firm, Hartwell, Richardson and Driver.

Rachael "Ratie" Rutherford Hartwell Pfeiffer (1868-1905), the daughter of Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Elizabeth Clark Hartwell, was born in Watertown and attended Watertown High School. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1891. While taking courses at Harvard College during the summer of 1892, she met George Joseph Pfeiffer. They were married on 28 December 1896 and traveled extensively, spending years abroad in Rome, the Netherlands, France, and Greece. Later, the couple lived in Arlington, Massachusetts, and Rachael was active in the Arlington Women's Club and served on its Executive Committee. She died giving birth to the couple's only child, Hilda, on 28 January 1905.

Pfeiffer family

George Joseph Pfeiffer (1866-1934), the son of George Francis Pfeiffer (1833-1895) and Agnes Schroeter Pfeiffer (1838-1894), was born in Paris and moved to New York at the age of three with his family. He had four brothers: John (1867-1907), Bernard (1869-1896), Curt (1870-1950), and Clarendon (1877-1923). George worked for Borgfeldt Pfeiffer & Co., a wholesale business his father co-founded. George attended the Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland, and got a Ph.D. in chemistry. He taught chemistry at Harvard College's summer school, and it was there that he met Rachael Rutherford Hartwell in 1892. They were married in December 1896. Over the next seven years, they frequently traveled to Europe. In September 1906, after Rachael's death, George moved to New York with his daughter Hilda. In 1918, he married Emma Marie Bird (1888-1946), and they had two children: Franklin Pfeiffer (1919-1928) and Alison Pfeiffer (1922-2000).

Hilda Hartwell Pfeiffer Sharman (1905-1995), the daughter of Rachael and George Pfeiffer, was born in Watertown, Massachusetts. Her mother died giving birth; shortly thereafter, in 1906, Hilda and her father moved to New York. In 1927, she graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. After college, she lived with her grandmother, Ella Clark Hartwell, in Watertown and worked in Boston. In 1931 while en route to Europe, she met William Crowley Sharman, who was employed by Braithwaite & Co. and worked on projects in many different countries. Hilda married Sharman in 1933, and they lived in Africa, England, Turkey, and Vermont. They had four children: Joan (1934-2000), John, Lydia, and Anne.

Collection Description

The Hartwell-Clark family papers consist of four cartons and one oversize box containing correspondence, printed materials, photographs, and journals belonging to members of the Hartwell, Clark, and Pfeiffer families. The bulk of the material, spanning 1860 through 1905, is that of Albert Hoit Hartwell, his wife Ella Clark Hartwell, and their daughter Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer.

The collection includes correspondence between members of the Hartwell, Clark, and Pfeiffer families, as well as between family members and other acquaintances. The majority of correspondence is between Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer and her parents, Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Elizabeth Clark Hartwell, during Rachael's time at Wellesley College, Harvard College, and during her travels to Europe in the 1890s. Also included is correspondence between Ella and Albert while Albert was in North Carolina during the Civil War, and letters to George Pfeiffer and Ella Clark Hartwell on the death of Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer. Other correspondents include George Joseph Pfeiffer, Hilda Hartwell Pfeiffer, Alonzo Hartwell, Sarah Lund Walker Hartwell, Henry William Hartwell, Annie Hartwell Baker, Jonas Clark (1807-1904), Dr. Jonas Clark (1852-1943), Curt Pfeiffer, Clarendon Pfeiffer, and others.

The Clark family papers consist of manuscript and printed materials related to the Clark family, excluding Ella Clark Hartwell (see Series IV. Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Clark Hartwell papers). Materials include a sermon by Reverend Jonas Clarke (1730-1805), discharge papers for Ella's father Jonas Clark (1807-1904), newspapers, and clippings. The Hartwell family papers relate to the Hartwell family, excluding Albert Hoit Hartwell, Ella Clark Hartwell, and Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer (see Series IV and V). The series contains materials on Alonzo Hartwell and his career as a portrait painter and woodcutter, including a published book incorporating his woodcut illustrations. Also included are a Hartwell family recipe book, the history of the Hartwell family house in Lincoln, military records for Henry William Hartwell, and assorted news clippings.

The collection also contains papers of Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Clark Hartwell, including materials related to Albert's business and military service, high school diplomas of both Albert and Ella, journals, news clippings, and other assorted materials. The Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer papers consist of the personal papers and travel journals of Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer. Materials include personal journals covering Rachael's childhood (1884-1887), her time at Wellesley College (1887-1891), and subsequent travels (1891-1905). Also included are news clippings, essays by Rachael, and programs and published works. A portion of the material was created in Rachael's memory, following her death in 1905.

The Pfeiffer family papers consist of material related to the Pfeiffer family, including George Joseph Pfeiffer and his daughter Hilda Hartwell Pfeiffer, but excluding Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer (see Series V). The bulk of the series are copies of the journal American Baconiana, a publication about the life and work of Francis Bacon. George was heavily involved in the journal and authored articles in several of the editions. Also included is a paper about Bacon by Hilda and a book about Bacon inscribed to Hilda from the author, Parker Woodward.

Processing Information

Materials were minimally processed by Nancy Heywood in 1998. Detailed processing was done by Katherine Gaburo in 2024.

Acquisition Information

Deposited by Lydia Sharman, August 1998; donated January 1999.

Restrictions on Access

The Hartwell-Clark family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.

Detailed Description of the Collection

Expand all

II. Clark family papers, 1768-1908

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of materials relating to the Clark family, excluding those related directly to Ella Clark Hartwell (see Series IV).

Close II. Clark family papers, 1768-1908

III. Hartwell family papers, 1812-1919

Arranged chronologically.

The Hartwell family papers contain materials related to the Hartwell family, excluding Albert Hoit Hartwell, Ella Clark Hartwell, and Rachael Rutherford Hartwell (Pfeiffer) (see Series IV and V).

Close III. Hartwell family papers, 1812-1919

IV. Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Clark Hartwell papers, 1857-1907

Arranged chronologically.

This series contains materials related to and created by Albert Hoit Hartwell and his wife Ella Clark Hartwell.

Close IV. Albert Hoit Hartwell and Ella Clark Hartwell papers, 1857-1907

V. Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer papers, 1879-1905

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of papers related to and created by Rachael Rutherford Hartwell Pfeiffer.

Close V. Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer papers, 1879-1905

VI. Pfeiffer family papers, 1902-1928

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of papers related to and created by the Pfeiffer family, excluding Rachael Hartwell Pfeiffer (see Series V), primarily regarding the life and work of Francis Bacon.

Close VI. Pfeiffer family papers, 1902-1928

Preferred Citation

Hartwell-Clark family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.

Persons:

Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.
Clark, Jonas, 1730-1805.
Clark, Jonas, 1807-1904.
Clark, Jonas, 1852-1943.
Hartwell, Albert Hoit, 1840-1904.
Hartwell, Alonzo, 1805-1873.
Hartwell, Ella Elizabeth Clark, 1841-1933.
Hartwell, Henry William, 1833-1919.
Hartwell, Sarah Lunt Walker, 1809-1891.
Pfeiffer, George Joseph, 1866-1934.
Pfeiffer, Rachael Rutherford Hartwell, 1868-1905.
Sharman, Hilda Hartwell Pfeiffer, 1905-1995.
Clark family.
Hartwell family.

Organizations:

Hollingsworth and Whitney Company (Boston, Mass.).
United States. Army. Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 44th (1862-1863).
Watertown High School (Watertown, Mass).
Wellesley College--Students.

Subjects:

Family history--1800-1849.
Family history--1850-1899.
Family history--1900-1949.
Students--Diaries.
Voyages and travels--Diaries.
Women travelers--Diaries.
France--Description and travel--1800-1918.
Germany--Description and travel.
Greece--Description and travel.
Italy--Description and travel--1800-1918.
Netherlands--Description and travel.
Switzerland--Description and travel--1800-1918.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Regimental histories--Massachusetts Infantry, 44th Volunteers.
Cookbooks.
Diaries--1863-1905.
Sermons--1768.
Women's diaries.
Woodcuts (prints)--19th century.

Materials Removed from the Collection

Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Hartwell-Clark family photographs (Photo. Coll. 420).

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