Themes, Architectural, Community Development, Social/Humanitarian.
Subsequent uses - dairy farm -1932, Braeland Farms.
Built by Deeded to Capt. John Lee from Salem, 1779.

This home, said to have been built by Dr. Nehemiah Abbott (1717-1785) on the "old North Parish Road" also known as the "Boston Rd", on the border of the two parishes to serve both North and South Andover as doctor. Dr. Abbott moved to Chelmsford 1770. The property was then owned by Edward Weld and his wife Hannah. Edward sold a 40 acre parcel of land adjoining his farm to Isaac Abbot Jr. on July 12, 1770, recorded on May 3, 1784. This deed suggests ownership in 1770 and Weld may have purchased from Dr. Nehemiah Abbott or family.

Edward Weld sold the homestead lot , one of five parcels, for 6000 pounds to Capt. John Lee of Newburyport, a Mariner, on May 14, 1779 (rec. Feb. 28, 1780). The first parcel contained the homestead, parcel two 20 acres adjoining, lot three 34 acres on the south side of the Boston Rd. (Elm St), lot four 6 acres of woodland at “Merrimack Woods”, and lot five an additional 2 acres of woodland.

Capt. John Lee was b. May 14, 1738 in Manchester, MA, son of John & Joanna (Raymond) Lee. John first married on Nov. 4, 1765 in Marbelhead to Sybelle Breck Cailleteau. They had three sons; David Lee b. Map. 10, 1768, John Lee b. Nov. 17, 1769 and Robert Lee b. June 12, 1772. Sybelle died and John remarried on May 5, 1779 in Newburyport, MA to Hannah Osgood b. Nov. 6, 1754 dau. of Col. John Osgood & Martha Carlton. John and Hannah had four children; Mary b. 1784, Hannah b 1784, John b. May 27, 1788 and Jeremiah b.?
Capt. John was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Capt. Lee "was among the foremost privateers of Revolutionary War, sailing out of Marblehead, Salem, and Newburyport. On his most successful cruise against the British, he was captured off the coast of France. He never recovered from the effects of three years of incarceration in Forton Prison. In his last 20 years (retired to his farm in Andover) he could hardly walk." John died on March 26, 1812 at age 74. He is interred in South Parish Cemetery.

His widow Hannah Lee died on Nov. 6, 1827 in Manchester, MA. Thomas C. Foster was named guardian of Hannah Lee and John Lee, both minors, under the age of 21 in 1828. These children were Capt. Lee's grandchildren and issue of his oldest son David. Foster and Benjamin L. & Hannah L. Allen of Manchester sold the Andover property to Hobart Clark on Jan. 28, 1829. A second property in Marblehead, was sold off separately. "Capt. John Lee’s daughter Hannah Lee (1784-1805) married (1802) Major Israel Forster of Manchester and died there in 1805 leaving a little daughter Hannah Lee Forster, who would eventually (1824) marry Capt. Benjamin L. Allen of Manchester"

"In his 1812 will, Captain Lee devised to Dudley Dole, “a Negro man,” property called Rocky Ridge, in the western part of Andover, near Rough Meadow. To Mr. Dole’s daughter Harriet the Captain devised (with some conditions) two acres lying near the gravel pit and the Captain’s sheep pasture." (see 141 Elm St.)

The Honorable Hobart Clark, Esquire, b. abt. 1780, married in Tyngsboro, MA on Oct. 24, 1814 to Elizabeth Farwell b. 1795. Hobert Clark was the first president of Merrimack Mutual Fire Insurance Co., served as a Trustee of Abbot Female Academy, appointed U.S Postmaster in Andover on Mar. 25, 1856. Hoard Clark was projector of Andover and Wilmington Railroad (1834-1848) later to become the Boston & Maine Railroad. His homestead was known as "old Clark Place", where he lived for 40 years. Hobart and Elizabeth’s children: John b. Jan. 21, 1816, Eliz. Smith b. May 20, 1817, Peter b. May 16, 1822, son b. Feb. 14, 1824, Elizabeth S. b. Dec. 11, 1825, Sarah Elizabeth bpt. May 5, 1827, William Hovey bpt. May 5, 1827, Caroline B. b. Oct. 11, 1827, Dorothy b. Nov. 10, 1829, Dau. b. Sept. 30, 1833, Lucy Farwell bpt. June 3, 1838. The 1840 census lists twelve people living in the Clark home.

Hobart deeded the property to Lydia Clark, wife of Joseph F. Clark on Feb. 26, 1864 and three years later the homestead was sold to Plato Eames on Sept. 4, 1867 for $3750. It is interesting to note that in the 1870 census Hobart Clark now age 90 is a boarder with the Eames family.

Plato Eames was born on Apr. 7, 1824 in Wentworth, NH son of Jonathan & Dorothy “Dolly” (Page) Plato, a farmer, married the widow Elizabeth Maria (Valpey) Millett on Feb. 22, 1861 at Christ Episcopal Church in Andover. Elizabeth M Valpey b. Sept.6, 1825 - d. Oct. 13, 1911, dau. of Samuel S. & Elizabeth (Abbott) Valpey of Andover. Her brother Samuel G. had the butcher shop in Andover. Elizabeth first married on Dec. 25, 1845 Joseph Ropes Millett b. Dec. 9, 1819 Andover, MA, son of Jonathan & Sarah (Punchard) Millett. His mother Sarah was Benjamin Punchard’s sister. Joseph Millett was a Grocer in Lawrence, MA. and died age 37 on Mar. 31, 1856 in Lawrence, MA. Children: Samuel Valpey Millett b. Feb. 22, 1848 Andover d. Oct. 13, 1863 Newbury, VT Typhiod, Clara L. Millett b. 1852 -d. before 1860 and Harry Lawrence Millett b. July 9, 1853 Andover -d. Feb. 14, 1920 Andover, MA. Elizabeth’s son Harry Lawrence Millett later changed his name to Harry Millett Eames. Plato & Elizabeth did not have children. Plato Eames died on May 10, 1903 at age 79 from heart failure brought on by the Grippe. Elizabeth inherited the 63.7 acre farm. Elizabeth died on Oct. 12, 1911 and her son Harry M. Eames inherits the homestead.

Harry Millett Eames was a wool-sorter in Lawrence and member of Lawrence Fire Dept.. Harry later married on Dec. 21, 1891, at Christ Church in Andover, to Hetty W. Snyder b. in New Bedford, MA dau. of Henry H. & Ann Elizabeth (Howland) Snyder. Harry & Hetty returned to Andover and lived with Plato and Elizabeth. Harry became an Assessor. Harry died on Feb. 14, 1920. Hetty Eames then sold the estate to Smith P. Burton Jr. of Newton, MA on Nov. 4, 1920.

Smith Payne Burton Jr. was born Oct. 26, 1856 in Albany, NY, son of Smith P. & Elizabeth (Strain) Burton. He became a coal merchant in Boston, married on Oct. 4, 1882 in Wakefield, MA to Carrie Lincoln Blake b. Aug. 14, 1860 in Roxbury, MA dau. of George W. & May A. Blake. Smith & Carrie one adopted daughter Katherine b. June 26, 1898. The Burton’s lived in Newton, MA . Carrie Burton died Feb. 19, 1921. Smith remairred about 1927 to Lilla L. Davis. Smith Burton was a gentleman farmer, maintaining his residence in Newton and spending time and money on his model dairy in Andover called “Braeland Farms”. Smith Burton died Sept. 25, 1941 and the farm went to his wife Lilla A. There may have been a dispute over ownership with Burton’s adopted daughter Katherine, as the farm ended up in land court.
Lilla A. Burton was heir to the property and with the death of her husband the working farm ended.

Lilla then sold off parcels of the farm. One of the former barns was converted into a residence by David Klein in the summer of 1946. Two parcels including the old homestead was sold to Howard & Ruth L. Eveleth on July 7, 1948.