Themes: Architectural, Community development
Original owner: Orlando Abbot

John Bowman, wife Hannah, sold this property to Orlando Abbot on Apr. 10, 1809 for $1040. The deed contains three parcels of land. The 1st is the dwelling house and barn on 11 acres 23 poles. 2nd Pasture & mowing land 8 acres 151 poles and 3rd a 1 acre 18 poles orchard across the road from the house. Bowman would later sell his 2 acre 20 rods “Woodchuck Meadow” to Orlando on Sept. 6, 1810 for $50.

Orlando acquired another property from James Frye, wife Dolly, for $1450 on Dec. 8, 1812 which included four parcels including another dwelling house on 6 ¾ aces on the Andover to Salem Turnpike. A 9 acre 121 pole lot, a 13 acre pasture and a 5 acre 20 pole pasture & mowing. (b. 199 leaf 152)

Orlando Abbot was born Nov. 20, 1782 in Andover, son of Caleb & Lucy (Lovejoy) Abbot. Orlando, a Cordwainer, married on Nov. 6, 1829 to Lydia C. Kimball of Bradford, MA born 1801 in Maine. Orlando and Lydia had three sons; George A. b. Nov. 28, 1830, Charles Edward b. June 15, 1832 and Wesley b. Mar. 9, 1834. Orlando died on Oct. 4, 1834 and his estate went to his widow.

The 1850 Andover Valuation lists the Widow Orlando Abbot’s property in the South Parish: House, barn and other buildings $650., 2 acre house lot $80., 20a front lot $900., 20a front pasture & wood $500., 17a West lot $374, 29a Chandler Hill pasture$870, 27a Abbot pasture $466., 13a Ox pasture, 16a Long pasture & wood $560, 10a Carlton path $500., 10a Frye Wood lot $175., and the 8a Holt Meadow = total 172 acre farm Value $5825. Personal estate Farm Stock $351. This was a large sized farm at this time.

George A. Abbot would later purchase the farm from his mother and brothers. George married Susan Farnham b. Feb. 11, 1835 in Andover, dau. of Jacob & Rebecca (Foster) Farnham. George and Susan had five children; George Galen b. 1857, Helen E. b. 1861, Allen F. b. Aug. 1873, Grace Marion b. Apr. 24, 1874 and Emma F. b. Oct. 10, 1880. Sadly George died on Dec. 23, 1883. Daughter Helen married Alex Laughton who also died young at 42 in July 1893. Widow Susan later sold the farm to William H. Tucker on July 25, 1888. Susan died in Melrose, MA on Aug. 20, 1926.

William H. Tucker was born May 4, 1849 in Andover, son of Samuel & Eliza (Hall) Tucker. William married Martha J. Perham b. 1856 in Brownsville, ME. They had three children; Malcolm Hall b. Jan 25, 1882, Evelyn P. born 1884, and Robert S. b. Sept. 1892. Martha died on Nov. 16, 1893. The 1900 Census lists Charles Adams as a farm laborer. He is also listed in 1910. Malcolm first worked the farm with his father then became a house carpenter. He died on Dec. 20, 1911. William H. Tucker died two months later on Feb. 25, 1912 at age 67 years. They are interred at South Church Cemetery. The property was inherited by Evelyn (Tucker) Parks and Robert S. Tucker.

Honora Glowacki, wife of Jacob Glowacki purchased the farm on Aug. 19, 1912 which included five parcels of land. The homestead lot was 29.8 acres. Jacob Glowacki was born in Poland (Austria) in 1861 and immigrated in 1893. His wife Honora “Nora” Banka b. 1872 came the following year. They lived in Lawrence, MA and Jacob worked in the wool mills. The 1910 Census states they were married for 20 years and had 12 children of which only 3 survived. Those listed were; Joseph b. Sept. 12, 1899, Edward b. 1901 and Wanda Eva b. Dec. 21, 1907. They would have two more daughters, Blanche b. Oct. 2, 1912 and Anne Genevieve b. July 31, 1912. The 1920 Valuation on the farm included House & shop $1400, shed & barn $350, corn barn $150, new barn $1000, Silo $400 and 3 parcels of land equaling 51 acres.
The farm received a little notoriety during Prohibition. AT Nov. 19, 1920 - Andover Again Figures In Raid. Local Police Make Big Haul on Gray Road Thursday Seizing Complete and Well Arranged Distillery. - Mrs. Glowacki's two sons Edward & Joseph were arrested for having stills in the house, although not in operation, and all the equipment was seized.

Jacob died on July 2, 1925. Daughter Eva married Boles J. Dobzelecki, Blanche married Charles W. Johnston and lived at 6 Gray Rd. and Annie G. married on Sept 14, 1935 in Portsmouth, NH to Charles Simpson b. 1912 in Andover and son of William J. & Elizabeth (Taylor) Simpson. Mother Honora died in 1946 and Annie & Charles Simpson would purchase the homestead from the estate on June 2, 1949.

The home remained in the Simpson family until Sept. 1, 1978 when Arthur A. & Jane S. Daniels Jr. became the new owners. They owned for 33 years then selling to Robert J. & Ann W. Gilbert on March 12, 1993. The Gilbert family continue as owners of record in 2017.