28 Prospect Road

Architectural Description: 

One of a few remaining gambrel roofed period homes in Andover. Structure is Cape style
Per owner interview - hand hewn and pegged beams exist in this house - old gambrel roof, front porch and dorners later additions.
Dorman's 1830 map - Lummus House.

Historical Narrative: 

present owner Edward H. Rollfs, III, Original owner Joseph Lovejoy III,

Themes: Architectural and Community Development.

Joseph & Mehetable (Foster) Lovejoy parents of Joseph Jr. attributed builder of the house.
Children: Mehetable b. Apr. 27, 1738 – d. Oct. 10, 1740, Joseph b. Mar. 2, 1739-40 –d. Sept. 26, 1740, Mehetable b. May 20, 1742, Joseph b. May 5, 1744, Asa b. Feb. 1745-6– d. Sept. 30, 1749, Asa b. Feb. 11, 1749-50,

Joseph Lovejoy Jr. b. May 5, 1744 son of Joseph & Mehetable (Foster) Lovejoy married on Dec. 14, 1769 to Mary Gorden. It has been stated that Joseph Lovejoy Jr. built the home. Joseph Jr. had acquired several parcels on land in the area during the 1770’s. Joseph & Mary’s children: Molly b. Feb. 19, 1771, John b. Mar. 24, 1773, Joseph b. Oct. 15, 1775 –d. 1799, Hannah b. Oct. 17, 1778 –d. 1797, Amos Lovejoy b. Sept. 24, 1780, Abner b. Feb. 14, 1783 – 1805.
Joseph died on Feb. 7, 1803 intestate. Wid. Mary G. got 1/3 of the estate, and Amos 2/3 share. Mother Mary G. died Aug. 17, 1808. They are interred in South Parish Cemetery.

Amos Lovejoy b. Sept. 24, 1780 son of Joseph & Mary (Gorden) Lovejoy, married on May 10, 1804 to Elisabeth Wardwell b. Apr. 4, 1787 dau. of Ezekiel & Damaras Wardwell. Children: Amos b. Aug. 20, 1804, Elizabeth b. July 19, 1806. Amos Sr. died of Consumption on Apr. 15, 1806, intestate. His widow Elizabeth inherits his share of the estate. She later remarried on Feb. 17, 1811 to Samuel Lummus.
Samuel & Elizabeth Lummus had three children; Charles b. Sept. 11, 1811, Mary b. Aug. 5, 1813 – d. Sept. 28, 1813 and Mary b. Mar. 1815.

The Lummus family removed to Hector, NY and sold to daughter Elizabeth Lovejoy to Andover property on Mar. 7, 1827. Her brother Amos Lovejoy appointed Daniel Wardwell his attorney to settle any rights he may have had to his father’s estate. The courts rule in March 1826 in favor of his sister and Amos then quit claimed all rights to her on Oct. 26, 1827. Elizabeth Lovejoy then sells to Daniel Wardwell on Oct. 26, 1827 rec. July 25, 1832.

Simon Wardwell had been purchasing parcels of land from about 1812 onward. It appears he acquired this property about 1837. Simon was a decedent of Samuel Wardwell, accused as a witch and hung in Salem Village in 1692. Another ancestor Simon Wardwell of Andover marched on Lexington in 1775 and was at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He would be later selected as a Guard to Gen. George Washington through out the Revolutionary War.

Simon Wardwell Jr, b. July 4, 1805 in Saco, Maine, son of Eliakiam & Lydia (Smith) Wardwell, a Cordwainer, marriage int. Aug. 14 1830 to Margaret Eliza Frye Dodge b. Mar. 17, 1813 in Andover, MA dau. of Enos & Lydia (Beverly) Dodge .
Children: Eliakaim b. Dec. 25, 1831-d.1834, twins George H. & Henry b. Apr. 18, 1834, Ellen b. Apr. 26, 1836, Margaret E. b. Apr. 29, 1838, Albert b. Apr. 28, 1840-d. 1844, Alfred b. Dec. 9, 1841,Maria or Mary Mariah b. Jan. 9, 1844, Georgianna b. Feb. 22, 1846,and Matilda b. Feb. 9, 1847-d. 1850 and Eliza D. b. Feb. 10, 1848. Wife Margaret died Aug. 27, 1848

Alfred Wardwell b. Dec. 9, 1841 son of Simon & Margaret E. F.(Dodge) Wardwell , also a Cordwainer, Civil War Veteran, married Mar. 4, 1865 in Haverhill, MA to Addie S. Leighton b. May 5, 1843 in Northwood, NH. dau. of John E. & Sarah L. Leighton. Children: Alfred Harry b. Feb. 6, 1867 Andover, rec. in Haverhill. Sadly Addie died in childbirth on Oct. 6, 1868 of Diphtheria. Their infant son was still born. Alfred remarried Deborah “Dora” Sofronia Leighton on Aug. 26, 1869. Dora b. Feb. 18, 1842 in Stratford, NH dau. of Stephen & Susan Leighton. Children: Adelaide b. Aug. 1870 Stratford, NH, Walter Simon b. Feb. 14, 1873 Andover d. Apr. 3, 1878, Mabel b. June 16, 1875-d. July 24, 1875 and Benjamin Franklin b. Nov.11, 1876.

Mrs. F. C. “Marie” Hunkins purchased the property on Oct. 10, 1885 and held just five years. Marie was the daughter of Simon & Margaret E. F. (Dodge) Wardwell , b. Jan. 9, 1844. Marie married on Dec. 24, 1873 to Frank Hunkins b. Oct. 1846 in NH, son of Maynard & Rhoda (French) Hunkins. He was a shoe cutter. They sold to Richard C. & Jane A. Reed on Oct. 13, 1890 and moved to Haverhill, MA. Children: Carolyn and Esther.

Richard Cornish Reed b. July 14, 1845 Liverpool, England, son of William & Mary Ann (Cornish) Reeds, Seaman, img. to New Orleans, LA, married Jane A. Gray. Purchased the property on Oct. 13, 1890 from Marie W. Hunkins who held the mortgage. Richard is now a House Painter. Children: Winifred b. 1884 = Sept. 1900, adopted Annie Lillian b. April 1895. Richard transferred the deed to Jane in 1895. He died Mar. 4, 1914. Jane would later sell to Frank J. and Annie Borneman on May 5, 1916.

The 1920 Valuation of the property Frank J. Borneman: House & shed $950, Barn $250, Henhouse $100, Shed $150, 35 acres $800 = $2250. Frank Joseph Borneman b. Apr. 13, 1867 Leeds, Androscoggin, ME, so of Jacob & Lois (Hatch) Borneman. Married Feb. 4, 1889 in Lawrence, MA to Anna E. Heyworth b. May 1871 in Lawrence, MA dau. of Robert & Agnes Heyworth. Children: Robert A. b. Jun.1890, Eva E. b. Aug. 1892, Merle E. Apr. b. 1894, Bertha b. June 1896 and Ethel b. Mar. 1900. Frank was a house carpenter and they lived in Lawrence prior to moving to Andover. Frank died in 1941. In 1949 Anna sold the property to her daughter Ethel M. (Borneman) Buchan, wife of William A. Buchan. The home remained in the family for 56 years until sold to Craig D. & Joy Rooney on Mar. 15, 1972.

Edward H. & Susan B. Rollfs purchased on Oct. 30, 1973 and are owners of record in 2017.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Ancestry.com Lovejoy, Wardwell, Reed, Borneman, Buchan histories
Federal and State census
Andover Vital Records
South Parish Cemetery records, Spring Grove Cemetery Records
see also Barn Survey
Adam Rollfs research

Owners:
Joseph Jr. and Mary (Gorden) Lovejoy - 1769-1803
Joseph Lovejoy Jr. estate, d. Feb. 7, 1803 heirs Mary G. Lovejoy 1/3- Probate
Amos & Elisabeth (Wardwell) Lovejoy - 1804-1806
Amos Lovejoy estate, d. Apr. 15, 1806 –heir Elisabeth (Wardwell) Lovejoy
Mary Lovejoy estate died Aug. 17, 1808 –Elisabeth W. Wardwell (1808-1811)
Elisabeth [Lovejoy] Lummus husband Samuel Lummus - 1811-1827
Elisabeth Lovejoy – Feb. 22, 1827 – b. 245 leaf 65 - $100
Elisabeth Lovejoy – Oct. 26 1827 – b. 248 leaf 40 -
Daniel Wardwell – Oct. 25, 1827 rec. July 25, 1832 -. 266 leaf 45 (1827-1844)
Simon and Margaret E. F. Wardwell (1844-1848)
Margaret E. F. Wardwell estate, died Aug. 27, 1848 -heir Simon
Simon Wardwell - 1848-1873
Alfred Wardwell – June 5, 1873 – b. 21 p. 458
Simon Wardwell - June 5, 1873 b. 22 p. 15 life tenancy and support
Mrs. F. C. “Marie” Hunkins - Oct. 10, 1885 – b. 83 p. 305
Richard C. & Jane A. Reed – Oct. 13, 1890 – b. 108 p. 583 see p. 585
Jane A. (Gray) Reed – Jun. 25, 1895 rec. May 8, 1914 – b. 341 p. 9
Minnie F. Swarthout – May 8, 1914 – b. 341 p. 11 – Quit claim deed transfer
Jane A. Reed – May 8, 1914 – b. 341 p. 12
Frank and Annie Borneman –May 5, 1916 – b. 364 p. 11
Frank Borneman estate, 1941, heir Annie Probate - #200382
Ethel M. (Borneman)Buchan – June 8, 1949 – b. 724 p. 36
Ethel and William Buchan –May 15, 1956 – b. 833 p. 401
Craig D. & Joy Rooney – Mar. 15, 1972 b. 1189 p. 393
Edward H. & Susan B. Rollfs – Oct. 30, 1973 – b. 1230 p. 663

Inventory Data:

StreetProspect Rd
PlaceHolt District
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameProspect Farm - Lummas Farm
Present Useresidence
Original Usefarmhouse
Construction Datec.1769 ?
SourceECRDS, ENRDL, style-njs
Architectural StyleQueen Anne
Architect/BuilderLovejoy
Foundationstone/granite/brick
Wall/Trimshingles and clapboards
Roofgambrel - asphalt
Outbuildings / Secondary Structuresgarage, barn
Major Alterations1896 altered
Conditiongood
Acreage1.15 acres, 14 ' from street
Settingresidential
Map and parcel7-4
Recorded byStack/Mofford, Adam Rollfs, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission & Andover Historical Society
Date entered1975-77, 12/29/2017

Map: