This property was once owned by Isaac Abbot Jr. and contained five parcels of land, two dwelling houses and a barn. Isaac sold to John Foster Jr. for 573 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pence. The first parcel of 12 acres “contains the largest and best dwelling house”. The 2nd lot of 28 acres held the 2nd house and barn. The 3rd parcel of 30 acres was on the road leading from Isaac Blunt’s to Wm. Chandler’s (Salem St. to Hidden Rd). The 4th was 20 acres on Preston’s and boarding on Ballard’s Pond (Pomp’s Pond) and the 5th lot was 10 acres on Sutton’s Plain. John Foster then sold the first three parcels to George Abbot on Feb. 13, 1760, rec. July 13, 1770 for 580 pounds.

George Abbot born Dec. 14, 1724, son of George & Mary (Phillips) Abbot. George married on January 1, 1746 to Hannah Lovejoy b. Dec. 14, 1724 in Andover, daughter of John & Hannah (Foster) Lovejoy. George & Hannah had twelve children: George b. 2/9/1747/8, Hannah b. 10/15/1749, Mary b. 9/4/1751-d. 9/15/1752, Mary b. 6/29/1853, Elizabeth b. 7/10/1755, John Lovejoy b. 4/12/1757, Samuel b. 6/12/1759-d. 1759, Samuel b. 9/19/1760, Sarah b. 10/3/1762, Martha b. 10/17/1864, Dorcas b. 12/18/1766 and Tammerson “Tamesin” b. 1/14/1769.

George was in the Andover Militia, and “served in the early wars, responding to the Lexington Alarm from Andover. He was appointed quartermaster, but died too soon to serve.” [DAR]. George died on Dec. 22, 1775 at age 51 and was interred at South Parish Cemetery on December 26th. In his will he left 1/3 of his estate to widow Hannah as right of dower. Son Samuel, a minor age 15 years was administered by Joshua Holt as guardian.

George’s wife Hannah was deeded land after her father John Lovejoy died on May 10, 1758 at age 60. Her grandfather Ebenezer Lovejoy, deeded her four parcels of land, three in Andover and one in Tewksbury (12 acres) on Nov. 11, 1758. The Andover parcels included the 12 acre Frye farm. 8 acres abutting Blanchard’s Pond and one acre adjoined Ebenezer’s land. [b. 117 leaf 154-155 Dec. 13, 1758]

This property was sold by the Abbot estate for 500 Pounds to Samuel Phillips on March 1, 1777, recorded April 8, 1782. The farm consisted of 70 acres in three parcels. The 12 acre homestead lot with dwelling house and barn, “on the road leading from Solomon Wardwell’s to the South Parish Meetinghouse”. The second parcel was about 28 acres and the third contained 30 acres.

It has been written that Samuel Phillips moved into Abbot Homestead so he would be close to the development of the new Academy. Samuel was living in the North Parish prior to relocating here with his wife Phebe and infant son John. Samuel Phillips was born Feb. 5, 1752 in Andover, son of Samuel & Elizabeth (Barnard) Phillips. Samuel was “fitted for college at Dummer Academy, graduated at Harvard, 1771.” Samuel a lawyer and Judge, married on June 12, 1773 in Cambridge, MA, to Phebe Foxcroft, b. Aug. 12, 1743 in Cambridge, dau. of Francis Jr. and Mehitable (Coney) Foxcroft. They had two sons: John b. Oct. 18, 1776 and Samuel b. April 30, 1782.
Samuel won the support of his father and uncles in the establishment of an academy in Andover. In this house the Constitution and deeds of trust for Phillips Academy were written and signed by the Trustees on April 21, 1778. (b. 156 leaf 193-197) The first three parcels mentioned were these parcels.

Samuel then gave the house for the use of the fist Principal of the Academy, Eliphalet Pearson. Samuel & Phebe moved into the Chandler home at 12 Hidden Rd. where their second child, Samuel was born.

Eliphalet Pearson, LL.D. was Principal from 1778 to 1786. Eliphalet was born in Byfield, Newbury in 1752 son of Daniel Pearson. He graduated from Harvard in 1773 and taught in the Andover Grammar School in 1774. Eliphalet married on July 17, 1780 to Priscilla Holyoke, daughter of Harvard’s President Holyoake. They had a daughter Mary Holyoake bpt. March 10, 1782. Priscilla died on March 29, 1782 age 42. Eliphalet remarried to Sarah Bromfield, in Harvard on Sept. 29, 1785, dau. of Edward Bromfield. Their children were Henry Bromfield, Edward and Margaret Pearson. In 1786 Eliphalet was elected Professor of Hebrew at Harvard College.

Ebenezer Pemberton LL.D. was the second principal of the academy from 1786 – 1793. He was born in Boston 1747, and was a graduate of Princeton College in 1765. He studied theology and law and was principal of Plainfield Academy in Connecticut. Ebenezer married Elizabeth Whitewell of Salem, MA and had a son and two daughters. Ebenezer “was beloved by the students of the Academy, and governed with ease.” He resigned in 1793 and removed to Billerica. Ebenezer died on June 25, 1835 at age 89 years.

Rev. Mark Haskell Newman was 3rd Principal of Phillips Academy, 1794-1809. Mark was born on Sept. 7, 1772 in Ipswich, MA and "fitted for college at Phillips Academy, Exeter", graduated from Dartmouth College in 1793 and was Assistant Principal of Phillips Academy in 1794. Mark was Preceptor for 15 years, on the Board of Trustees for 40 years and clerk of P. A. Board of Trustees 1809-1836. Mark was member of the South Church for 57 years, Deacon from 1811-1845 also first Sunday School Supt. in 1818.

Mark married on Sept. 29, 1795, in Boston to Sarah "Sally" Phillips. The had seven children: Samuel Phillips b. 6/6/1796, Mark b. 7/13/1804-d. 9/10/1805, Mark H. b. 6/9/1800, Margaret Wendall
b. 3/3/1801, Sarah Phillips b. 3/19/ 1802-d. 11/22/1827, Hannah Haskell b. 6/6/1809, and William John b. 10/26/1811, Wife Sally died Nov. 18, 1811 at age 46. Mark later remarried to Mrs. Abigail Dodge of Tamworth, NH. int. Oct. 21, 1814. They had one daughter Anna Dodge b. 4/1/1816 d. 3/19/1840 age 24.
On March 30, 1805, Mark purchased a lot of land at 210 Main Street from Isaac Blunt and built a home in 1809.

After he resigned as Principal, he was for many years a bookseller and publisher of religious books. By 1811 he built a store to south of his house on the former Dwight Street. The store later occupied by Albert Abbot was razed 1897. In 1829 Mark gave an acre of land for new Abbot Academy and served as Pres. of Board of Trustees until 1843. Mark died on June 15, 1859.

By 1807 the old house “had fallen into a state of disrepair and the Trustees were forced to reconstruct it. When the Seminary opened in 1808 this was the only house available for Dr. Leonard Woods. He delivered his lectures there for the first year of existence of the Seminary – until Phillips Hall was completed in 1809.” [PA Illustrated History of Property Chapter 6 p. 111]

“In later times Dr. Leonard Woods lived here and delivered his first course of lectures in theology in the west room, which is now used as a dining-room by the Andover Club.” (1882 HSA p. 534)

The old Abbot House then became a boarding house and commons or dining hall for academy boys.
It was known as the “Shawshine” or “Shawsheen Club” by the spring of 1874. A row of six Latin Commons dormitories stretched along Phillips St. just east of this house.

The house was managed by “various proprietors - good, bad and indifferent; the last of these was Maj. Marland… the food, although abundant, was reportedly not enticing.” [PA Illustrated History of Property Chapter 3 p. 27-28]

“The barn behind the house was razed in 1887 and the house, now structurally unsound, was razed in December 1889. The lot has remained vacant ever since.