Themes: Agricultural, Architectural and Community Development.
1980 National Register Nomination

Built as two parts for two brothers. Original owners Asa A. and Sylvester Abbot - brothers.

Porter Rd. was formerly South Street. 1891 -"name of street from westerly end of Highland Road and easterly end of Boston St., changed from Back Street to Porter St. " (Bessie Goldsmith, Townsman's Andover p. 91-91)

The present double house, the third on this site, was occupied by Asa Albert and Sylvester Abbot of the 7th generation of Andover Abbotts. This site was homestead of Timothy Abbot, who was captured by Indians in 1676. Old well on land now covered, was place where a later Timothy Abbot drowned in 1777.

Asa Abbott was born on Nov. 15, 1770 , son of Timothy & Sarah (Farnum) Abbott. Asa married on May 29, 1798 to Judith Jaquith b. 1776. They had seven children; Asa Albert b. March 29, 1789, Adeline Alton b. Dec. 31, 1800, Sylvester b. Feb. 26, 1803, Sereno Timothy b. Aug. 17, 1807, Elizabeth Jaquith b. Nov. 8, 1807, Sarah Ann b. Dec. 23, 1811, and Hannah Jaquith b. Aug. 31, 1815.

Asa Alfred Abbott and brother Sylvester Abbott are said to have built the double house about 1835.
Asa A. married on Sept. 17, 1829 to Mehitable H. Ingals b. Nov. 11, 1800, daughter of Jonathan & Sara Ingals. They lived in the east side of the house and had no children. Asa’s sister Sarah Ann lived with her brother. The 1865 Mass. State census also includes Sarah Ingals age 69 and Emma Ingals age 12 living with Asa. Mehitable died on May 15, 1866. In the 1870 Census only Asa, sister Sara Abbott a housekeeper and sister-in-law Sarah Ingals age 74 are residing here. Sarah Ann Abbott died on June 2, 1879. Asa died on June 19, 1886 at age 87. They are interred at South Church Cemetery.

Brother Sylvester Abbott b. Feb. 26, 1803 married on Nov. 5, 1845 at Hampton Falls, NH to Rhoda Batchelder b. Aug. 24, 1814 Hampton Falls, NH daughter of Reuben & Elizabeth (Tilton) Batchelder. Sylvester & Rhoda lived in the west side of the house. They had four children; Caroline “Carrie” Brown b. Sept. 23, 1846, Horace Sylvester, b. Nov. 6, 1848 – Aug. 18, 1849, Elizabeth Batchelder b. July 27, 1850 and Mary Smith June 8, 1854. Sylvester died on Oct. 20, 1875 age 72. Rhoda B. died on April 8, 1895. They are interred at South Parish Cemetery.

The following quote from Alfred Poore’s, "A Genealogical Historical Visitation of Andover, Mass. in the year 1863" Essex Institute Historical Collections., Vol. 48, 1912
"Asa A. and Sylvester Abbot own and occupy the homestead of 155 acres, and since their barn which stood on the opposite side of the street was burned June 21, 1855, each has built a barn of uniform design. In the old barn was stored large collection of old furniture, as well as very old papers and books, taken from the old house, all of which were burned. The present house was built on site of old one that stood about 80 years, having been built by Asa Abbot, of the 4th generation from George, emigrant, when Timothy was 9 years old, about 1754. Original house stood on opposite side of street about 6 rods SW"

It is interesting to note that Asa & Sylvester's sister Adeline Alton Abbott b. Dec. 31, 1800 married Timothy Manning and lived at 37 Porter Rd. Their brother Sereno Timothy Abbott b. Aug. 17, 1807 attended the Andover Theological Seminary, became a Minister, died at Seabrook, NH, at is buried in the Chapel Cemetery at Phillips Academy.

Both Asa & Sylvester were farmers. Of Sylvester & Rhoda’s children, Carrie B. married John Harry Hewes b. March 8, 1844 - d. Mar. 21, 1921. They lived in Cincinnati, Ohio and had a daughter Carrie Madeline Hewes, b. Oct. 31, 1878. They returned to Andover where Carrie B. died April 25, 1881.

Elizabeth B. Abbott b. July 27, 1850, graduated from Abbot Academy, became a teacher then married widower Samuel Henry Bailey on Nov. Dec. 19, 1882. Samuel and his first wife Ada Carpenter had two children; Alma R. b. Aug. 1876 and Clara L. b. Aug. 1878. Samuel Henry was born Sept. 1848 in Andover, son of Samuel G. & Charisa (Needham) Bailey. Elizabeth & Samuel also had two children; Ralph A. b. Aug. 27, 1884 and Helen E. b. Aug. 7, 1888.

Samuel H. Bailey took over farm in 1890 and his son Ralph also joined with his father in managing the farm. Elizabeth B. Bailey bought ownership of the property on Aug. 23, 1900 from her father Sylvester’s estate. Her niece C. Madeline Hewes also lived with them after she graduated from Smith College in 1902. Asa Abbott’s side of the house was occupied by Samuel G. Bailey, father of Samuel H. and his daughter Lucretia A. in the 1900 Census.
Elizabeth B. Bailey died on March 7, 1917 and her children Ralph and Helen and niece C. Madeline Hewes inherit the property. Samuel H. died on March 2, 1939. They are interred at West Parish Garden Cemetery, Andover, MA

Helen Elizabeth Bailey b. Aug.7, 1888, married on Nov. 14, 1914 to Gordon Roderick Cannon b. Jan. 22, 1883 in Lawrence, MA son of Gordon C. and Sara I. (Alexander) Cannon. They lived at 54 Salem Street. Gordon’s first job with his father was a Teacher of Penmanship. He later became an Antique dealer and refinisher and had his own shop. Helen was the Alumni secretary at Phillips Academy. Helen & Gordon R. had one son Gordon Bailey Cannon b. Dec. 4, 1923. He married Barbara Ann Smyth b. May 20, 1924 in Poughkeepsie, NY, daughter of James John & Agnes B. (O’Keefe) Smyth. Barbara grew up in Andover, MA, graduate of Punchard High School. They continued to live at 54 Salem St.

Helen E. (Bailey) Cannon would inherit the Porter Rd. property after the deaths of her brother Ralph in Aug. 1965 and C. Madeleine Hewes on July 30, 1968. Helen deeded the property to her son Gordon Bailey Cannon on Oct. 15, 1974. Gordon B. had the property divided into two separate properties in Jan 1976 through the Andover Board of Appeals. #15 to Helen E. Cannon and #17 Gordon Cannon. On April 2, 1976 the divided properties were both sold, #15 to Gwynn & Donna Crowther III and #17 to Stephen H. & Hilary L. Loring.