Owner: Frances M. Fenn (7/12/46)

Lyman Woodruff sold a lot of land on Elm Street (the road from the Meeting house to Haverhill) on April 24, 1822, to Isaac Blunt, Samuel Valpey and Joseph Richardson for $250. The deed states the parcel between the dwelling house of Madam French and Capt. Edward West. This same parcel is later sold “with buildings” to Isaac Carlton, a Hatter, for $850 on July 15, 1824. “Between the dwelling house of John Flint Jr. and Capt. Edward West.” Carlton took a mortgage loan of $550 from Valpey & Richardson and $300 from Trustees of Phillips Academy. Deed now “between the dwelling house of Ebenezer Whittier and Capt. Edward West.”

Valpey & Richardson then assign the mortgage deed to Daniel Abbot for $500 on June 30, 1830. Ebenezer Lovejoy 3rd on May 5, 1830, also coveys the same parcel for $250. The deed now states “...between the dwelling house of John Flint and Capt. Edward West.”

Isaac Carlton b. April 28, 1783, son of Samuel & Sarah (Wilson) Carleton. Isaac married Martha Lovejoy on March 5, 1820. Martha was b. Oct. 19, 1797, dau. of Isaac & Ruth (Davis) Lovejoy. Isaac was a hat maker. They had four children: Harriot Lovejoy b. Jan. 17, 1820, AVR, Guy b. Jan. 8, 1822 – d. May 27, 1829, Mary Ann b. 1826 and Guy b. April 2, 1830. Martha died on April 12, 1830, age 32. Isaac Carlton then sells his property to Daniel Abbot for $1200 on May 7, 1830. Isaac would later remarry.

Daniel Abbot was born Feb. 19, 1799, son of Caleb & Lucy (Lovejoy) Abbott. Daniel was the youngest of 12 siblings. His mother died on Feb. 21, 1802, age 44. South Church records have Mar. 21, age 42y 7m. of fever. Caleb remarried to Deborah Baker in Nov. 18, 1802. This union produced two children. Deborah died Dec. 7, 1819, age 52.

Daniel married on Jan. 11, 1827, to Sarah “Sally” Foster born Oct. 14, 1800, dau. of Nathan & Susanna Foster. Daniel & Sally had four children: Nathan F. b. Jan. 20, 1828, Richard Merrill b. Mar. 29, 1832, Sarah Emily Maria b. Dec. 15, 1834, d. Aug. 23, 1843, age 9y and John Taylor b. May 17, 1842, d. Aug. 23, 1843, age 15m, both of cholera.

Andover 1850 Valuation Schedule for South Parish: Daniel Abbot, Dwelling house & Barn - 1/2 acre land $1650. 17 acres Howarth land $960. Personal estate 2 cows $40, 21 Bank Shares $1890.

Daniel was a butcher. He died on Feb. 9, 1869, and his widow Sally died on Feb. 2, 1886. The estate went to both sons Nathan F. & Richard M. each with half share in the property. Nathan had financial problems and became insolvent. His share of the property was auctioned off on June 13, 1879, and was purchased by his brother Richard for $1200.

Richard married on Jan. 15, 1862, in North Andover to Sarah Stevens Abbott b. Feb. 24, 1841, dau. of Orlando & Charlotte (Stevens) Abbott. Richard was a painter. They had one daughter Sarah Emily b. Nov. 23, 1863.
Richard sold the house to Frances A. Flint, wife of John Flint on July 1, 1886, ending 56 years of ownership by the Abbott family. Frances paid $5500 for the house that was used as income property and rented. The Flints lived at 1 Elm Square and owned for 34 years.

Wentworth R. & Helen M. Libby purchased the property on Dec. 10, 1920. Wentworth R. Libby was born in 1852 in St. Stephens, New Brunswick, Canada. He immigrated to the US in 1872 and was a Unitarian minister. He married on May 11, 1880, in Grantham, NH to Helen M. Moore b. 1854 in Moore’s Mills, New Brunswick, Canada. They had one daughter Marion K. b. May 1888 who was a teacher. The Libbys lived in Methuen prior to coming to Andover. They owned for seven years. The property then went to Isaac C. Brown, of Methuen on Sept. 7, 1927, via mortgage deed.

Louise M. Clark purchased the house on Oct. 23, 1929. Louise was the wife of Grandville Alonzo Clark, b. July 25, 1883, in Saugus, MA son of Francis W. & Ella L (Poole) Clark. Louise M. Wigginan b. 1878 in Chelmsford, MA dau. of James B. & Frances M. (Hazen) Wiggin, married Granville on July 11, 1905, in Everett, MA where she was a bookkeeper. Grandville was the Town treasurer of Saugus for 15 years prior to moving to Andover in 1929. Granville established the Dyer – Clark Electrical Supply Co. in Lawrence in 1926. They had two daughters: Edith H. b. 1909 and Elenor b. 1920. Edith was a public-school teacher. They owned for 15 years and then moved to 100 Elm St.
The property was sold to Thomas A. & Trelsie P. Buffum on May 26, 1945. Buffum owned 14 months then selling to Frances M. Fenn on July 12, 1946.

Frances M. (MacDonald) Fenn was born on Dec. 1, 1898, in Brooklyn, NY, dau. of Rev. Robert & Ada (Tenney) MacDonald. Her mother Ada was the daughter of J. Milton & Fanny A. Tenney of Methuen. Frances married Russell Sargent Fenn in 1925. Russell was born on July 24, 1887, in New Haven, CT, son of Bruce & Elizabeth C. (Sargent) Fenn. Russell was first married to Katherine Brewster Gray and had three sons. Bruce, Russell and Converse. In 1930 they lived in New Haven, CT., Russell was a Hardware Manufacturer. Russell died in New Haven on July 7, 1939, age 52. The 1940 Census lists Frances in New Haven with her stepson Russell and his family.

Frances had returned to Methuen at the time she purchased the house at 28 Elm St. Frances continued to live here until her death on April 23, 1981. She would be the last to use the home as a residence. The Fenn estate sold the property on July 29, 1981, to H. William Gurry of Salem, NH.

Bill Gurry converted the home into a professional office space for his Real Estate agency. Gurry owned for 18 years then sold to PSJ Realty Trust, Joseph Wadland Jr. on Nov. 2, 1999.

The property was purchased by the Free Christian Church on Nov. 2, 2004, and is used for additional meeting space for several of their programs.