Historic Home to be Demolished After Four-Alarm Fire

The four-alarm fire, which ripped through the historic Morison-Meriman-Partridge House on Thursday, will be torn down Friday after officials complete their investigation.

It took nearly seven hours for crews from Milton, Boston, Randolph, Canton, Quincy and Brookline to be cleared from the scene at 302 Adams Street yesterday according to Fire Chief Jack Grant.

As of now, Grant said a cause for the blaze in undetermined, but he believes the fire started on the first floor.

The 911 call was made yesterday at 11:14 a.m. by a neighbor who saw flames coming from the house. The fire quickly spread through the three-story building.

"You see others that get to this level," said Grant of the damage. "When you get to the point where the building comes down, you're at the highest level."

Joseph and Paula Killion, who are both attorneys in Brookline, own the home. Grant said no one was home when the fire began.

Reverand John H. Morison, who was the pastor of the First Parish Church of Milton from 1846 to 1871, was the original owner of the home, which was built in a Bracketed Italianate style.

The Merriam family bought the home from Morison. The home was eventually occupied by their daughter Augusta Merriam and her husband William Ordway Partridge (1861-1930). Patridge, who was an American sculptor, known as the "Angel of Clay," often worked from his home studio.