Woodland Rd was named in 1905 but prior to that was called Missionary Lane and was still referenced that in 1920 Andover Valuation Schedules. With the establishment of the Andover Theological Seminary nearby, some of these homes were occupied and owned by teachers and the name Missionary Lane was used. Old deeds list it as the “back road leading from Jonathan Holt 3rd,” and or “from Joseph L. Holt’s house to the Meetinghouse in North Parish” and later “from Charles Wardwell’s house to the Meetinghouse in the North Parish” in 1830. Present owner: Bamford, Russell & Marie (19 May 1964)

Simon Wardell Jr., Yeoman, wife Margaret (Barker) owned this land when sold for $350 to Lydia Dodge, wife of Enos Dodge on June 17, 1833. Enos Dodge was born in 1782 and married on May 23, 1803 in Andover to Lydia Beverly b. 1780. Enos & Lydia had at least 10 children; Lydia b. Feb. 2, 1806-d. Apr. 16, 1830, Tammy Sawyer b. Nov. 12, 1807, Sarah Haskel b. July 12, 1809, Jonathan Beverly b. Feb.11, 1811, Elizabeth b. Mar. 17, 1813, Joel b. 1815-d. Mar. 9, 1835, Susan b. 1817-d. June 4, 1834, Enos b. July 1820, Ann b. 1823-d. Aug. 29, 1838. Daughter Tammy married William Town on Mar. 10, 1831 and Sarah married Andrew Town on Nov. 26, 1829. Enos Dodge died on July 17, 1838 age 57 and wife Lydia two years later on Jan.5, 1840 age 58. The estate was inherited by son Enos Dodge of Salem and grandson George A. Town of Andover.

The property was later sold to George F. Strong, a bookbinder and wife May P. on Dec. 16, 1848. The property sold for $250 and included the 1 acre with buildings and a 5 acre adjoining lot called “Mars lot”. The 1850 Andover Valuation schedule lists Strong’s 1 acre house lot and dwelling house $300, 5 acre pasture $90, and farm stock $28. Strong held four years then moved to Malden and sold to James Brown for $350 on Apr. 27, 1852.

James Brown’s occupation is listed as engineer. He and wife Elizabeth owned for 12 years then selling to Joseph S. Holt, wife Lucy A. on Mar. 3, 1864. Holt paid $400 for the property and owned for 23 years. Joseph Holt was born in Maine on Feb. 5, 1808, son of Joseph & Lydia (Jones) Holt. He married May 14, 1835 in Andover to Lucy Abbott, b. Oct. 18, 1811, dau. of Job & Lucy (Chandler) Abbott. Their daughter Lucy Josephine Holt b. Feb. 21, 1836 in Andover later married Charles B. Blunt on Nov. 26, 1857. Joseph Holt was a printer in Andover and later worked worked in New York City in the office of the Bible Society. Holt most likely rented his property to his daughter and husband Charles, as it was later purchased by him on Feb. 4, 1887.

Recent research by the Andover Center for History & Culture discovered that Allen and Mary Hinton rented after their marriage. Allen and Mary lived in that house from 1867 to 1874. In her 1938 remembrance of her parents, Alice Hinton referred to that house, where (she) was born in 1870, as “Dinah’s house.”
Alice wrote that her parents lived in “Mrs. Charles Blunt’s mother’s house on Missionary Lane called ‘Dinah’s house,’ which they rented…”
Dinah Simpson, for whom the road was named, is estimated to have been born in 1731, her husband Cesar Simpson in 1723. Both were African Americans, born long before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts in 1783. If they were enslaved in the earlier years, they lived free for the last 20-25 years of their lives in this house and location.

The 1872 map of Andover places Holt here and also at the corner lot at 70 Salem St. Charles & Lucy owned ten years then selling to Sophrina L. Kempton on Dec. 23, 1897. Charles & Lucy are at 70 Salem St. in 1880.

Ella A. Silloway of Boston purchased the house on Mar. 17, 1899 and sold six months later to Harriet “Hattie” C. Franklin, wife of John Franklin, a Civil Engineer in Lawrence, MA. John bought a second parcel from Augustus C. Reemes who lived at 54 Woodland Rd. John Franklin and Hattie would transform the home during their ownership.

John Franklin was b. June 18, 1867 in Ovid, NY, son of Judge George T, & Abby J. Franklin. He studied for Cornell University, but with the sudden death of his father, took courses at home under Prof. Morris Cornell. His first position was in railroad engineering on the Lehigh Valley railroad. In 1892 John was appointed assistant city engineer of Johnstown, PA. He laid out Cedar Park cemetery in Hudson, NY and later became city engineer at Hudson. In 1895 he married Harriet C. Wilson of Ovid, N. Y. b. May 1874.

In 1899 John bought the engineering practice of Ivar Sjostron of Lawrence, MA. John would then become Chief engineer for William M. Wood, of the American Woolen Co. Franklin designed the layout for the expanded West Parish Garden Cemetery in 1908 including all the landscaping and stone bridge. From 1918-1924 John did the planning and layout for Wm. M. Wood’s Shawsheen Village in Andover. John & Hattie had two daughters; Irene Fulton b. Aug. 22, 1899 (Mrs. Wm. P. Foster of Andover) Punchard High 1918 and Gertrude Anna b. Nov. 2, 1903 (Mrs. Wm. P. Lowell of Newburyport, MA). Temp. member PHS 1921.

The period image of the Franklin's house in 1904 shows Harriet with daughters , Gertrude age one, in carriage, and Irene age 5 holding her doll. "40 Woodland Road was renumbered c. 1935 when cut through to Highland road.... Oldest part of the house was bought by Kemptour [Kempton] from Joseph Blunt. Mr. Kemptour [Kempton] built the new part of the house. My father (John Franklin) added the second story in 1918 making two bedrooms and bath over the old part of the house. The hurricane knocked down the barn in 1936. Pictured Irene 5 and Gertrude 1."

The Franklins owned the home for 57 years. John died on May 10, 1942 age 74 years 10m. 22 days. He is interred at West Parish Cemetery, Sec. H. with a view of the pond and his bridge. Hattie Franklin kept the property another 14 years then selling to Marie E. Bamford on Dec. 20, 1956. Hattie died in 1960.

The Bamfords owned for 29 years. The owner of record is now Sarah B. Young on August 29, 1985.