106 Lovejoy Rd – Stephen Arthur Lovejoy House

The former Ebenezer Lovejoy homestead was located at 108 Lovejoy Road, the half Cape with an attached shed to the right in the period photo. The house was sited facing south. The Lovejoy Farm contained about 60 acres most on the west side of Lovejoy Rd. Some of the IRS parking lot and land behind Sanborn School were former pastures and woodland of the Lovejoy place. The old homestead was razed in 1984 for the new home on the lot next door.

Ebenezer Lovejoy’s son Ebenezer Jr. took ownership of the farm on Jan 8, 1833. He acquired additional parcels from Thomas C. Foster in May 1833, William Foster in Dec. 1840 and Ballard Lovejoy in Dec. 1862 the last two parcels were unrecorded deeds. Ebenezer Jr. married on May 9, 1819 to Delina Lynch. They had nine children; Delina Anna, Jane M., Ebenezer Francis, Mariah Jane, Mary Elizabeth, Dorcus Elizabeth, Sarah Emiline, Joseph Thompson and Barilla Esther. Ebenezer's youngest son Joseph Thompson Lovejoy, born June 16, 1840 inherits the farm by Will of his father, March 6, 1868. Probate approved on Jan 6, 1874.

Joseph Thompson Lovejoy married Georgianna Pettingill b. Sept. 1841 in Maine; Both were members of West Parish Church joining in July 1866. In April 1875 Joseph took a $700 mortgage with the Trustees of the Ministerial Fund of South Parish Church. This deed lists the unrecorded deeds and dates of the Ebenezer Lovejoy parcels.

Joseph sells about an acre lot south of his house to his son Stephen Arthur Lovejoy on Oct. 29, 1892. Stephen or Arthur, as he was known by his family, built the Queen Anne house next door to his parents in 1893-94. Arthur was born in December 1870 and married Aug. 15, 1894 in Andover to Clara Moody, b. Feb. 1872 in Methuen, daughter of Almon S. & Hannah (Clark) Moody. Arthur joined the West Parish Church in May 1887 and Clara followed Sept. 1894. They had five children;
Georgianna b. May 19, 1895, Eunice C. b. 1901, Joseph T. b. 1904, Stephen Arthur Jr. b. Apr. 6, 1908 and Grace b. 1911. Sadly Clara died on Christmas Day 1921 at the age of 49.

Arthur’s father Joseph T. died on Feb. 22, 1923 age 82y 8m 16d. His mother Georgianna died on Feb. 10, 1929 age 82y 9m 21d. Both are interred at West Parish Garden Cemetery. Stephen Arthur Lovejoy inherits the Lovejoy farm and continues to hold the property another 20 years. Arthur is a dairy farmer in the census records. He sells off the old Lovejoy farm to John & Katherine A. S. Bolton on July 13, 1944.

Stephen Arthur Lovejoy died on December 5, 1959. The house and estate went to his children. Daughters; Georgianna married Kenneth Hilton Sr. and lived in North Andover, Eunice C. married James D. Dailey of Andover, Grace married Horace Chandler Bodwell and lived in Worcester, MA. Sons; Joseph Thompson Lovejoy II, first married Lena M. Lundgren 1898-1938, and then to Rose E. Donnelly. They lived in Worcester, CT and Stephen Arthur Lovejoy Jr. married Thelma Shattuck and lived in North Andover.

The Lovejoy heirs sold the house to Bill G. & Yvette E. Rockwell on March 29, 1961. Rockwells owned for 16 years then selling to Robert G. & Linda J. Hugo Nov. 30, 1977 the current owners and only the third family to occupy the home.