This property on Salem Street once belonged to Asa Abbot who sold about one acre to Jonathan Phelps on February 22, 1811 for $400. The deed states: “the same land and buildings now occupied and improved by Jiendal (Kendal) Parker”. The parcel also included the lot at #39 Salem St., the location of the Phelps Homestead. The property was held by the Phelps family for 75 years. The deed passed to the Phelps children and then was sold to the grandson Myron Gutterson in 1900.

Myron subdivided the property in 1911 and sold off this lot at #41 Salem St. to Mary M. Fletcher of Groton, MA on Sept. 1, 1911. The deed includes the statement “Being the same property which has been owned and occupied and described in and by the Phelps family for seventy five years without a break and being the same property described in a plan annexed hereto made by John E. Smith, Engineer marked plan of lot on Salem Street owned by Myron E. Gutterson, Andover, Ma. Sept. 1900.”

We believe this was the site of the old Phelps Homestead as the deed to 39 Salem St. does not include that specific reference. The obituary of Hannah Phelps Gutterson who died Aug. 25, 1917 –“died at the home of son Myron at 57 Chestnut St. Lived in the Phelps homestead on Salem St., now demolished to make room for more modern houses…graduate of Abbot Academy 1841, children, Myron, Rev. George H. and Clara….”
It is interesting to note that the houses built at 57 Chestnut St. and 41 Salem St. are the same and were probably built about 1912.

Mary W. Fletcher was born on Dec.16, 1868 in Dedham, MA, dau. of Jesse & Minnie (Morton) Woodbury. Mary married on Nov. 11, 1890 in Francestown, NH to Etna J. Fletcher born Apr. 1, 1868 in Greenfield, NH, son of John & Amanda (Tarbell) Fletcher. Etna was a farmer and moved here from Greenfield, New Hampshire in 1911. Mary & Etna had three children: Herta b. July 4, 1893, Saxton b. March 1895 and Morton b. 1901 all in Greenfield. The Fletcher family are listed in the 1913 & 1916 Andover Directories with Herta and Saxton both students. Etna J. has a Stock Farm in NH. The 1910 Census lists Ralph O. & Constance Ingram as renting #41 Salem St. most likely the old Phelps homestead before they built #39.
The Fletcher family moved to New York in 1920 and sold the property to Julia M. Biery, wife of Thomas J. on Jan. 19, 1921. Biery held for a year and 9 months then selling to Archie N. Frost on Oct. 4, 1922.

Archie Norwood Frost b. July 26, 1872 in Lawrence, MA son of Thomas P. & Sophia K. (Landers) Frost. Archie graduated from Lawrence High and Brown University. Boston University Law School passing the Bar in 1897. Archie married in Boston on Dec. 14, 1898 to Charlotte Elizabeth Hovenden b. Sept. 13, 1872 in Boston dau. of Thomas & Mary J. (Penny) Hovenden. They had two children; Mildred Harriet b. May 16, 1900 and Malcom Hovenden b. July 9, 1903.

Archie served from 1908-1914 as Special assistant district attorney general of the U.S. “He took part in a number of land suits which resulted in returning to the Indians more than 4,000,000 acres of Western land which had been illegally seized from them.” In 1914 opened a law firm Coulson & Frost in Lawrence. In 1917 appointed Essex County Superior Court Clerk, which he served for 38 years until his death on Feb. 11, 1955. Archie also served as a State Representative and Senator.
Archie’s father Thomas P Frost b. 1844 also resided with them.

Charlotte Frost continued to reside in the home and sold to the Trustees of Phillips Academy on Jan. 4, 1965. Charlotte died in 1967.

Phelps Family History:
Jonathan Phelps was born in Tewksbury, MA in 1781, son of Joseph & Ruth Phelps. Jonathan married on Dec. 21, 1811 in Andover to Abigail Abbott b. Dec. 23, 1783, dau. of Capt. Moses & Elizabeth (Holt) Abbot. Jonathan’s occupation was Cordwainer or shoe maker. They had eight children; Abigail French b. 10/16/1812, Caroline b. 11/12/1813-d. 12/11/1826, Elizabeth Holt b. 4/5/1815, Belinda Jane b. 4/4/1817, Jonathan E. b. 9/24/1818, Priscilla F. b. 1821-d. 9/26/1847, Mary Holt b. 5/28/1822-d. 5/25/1826, and Hannah b. Aug. 31, 1824.

Jonathan took a $250 mortgage from Nathaniel M. Davidson on Feb. 9, 1819. That mortgage deed was later sold on Jan 13, 1824 from Davidson’s estate to Anna and Phebe Abbot of Andover for $342. Both are listed as single women and spinsters. A second loan was taken from Joseph Brown of Tewksbury for $300 on Nov. 13, 1819.

Jonathan’s wife Abigail died on May 9, 1827 at age 43 years. Daughter Priscilla F. Phelps married on July 29, 1846 to George Gutterson age 24 of Milford, NH b. 1821 son of Josiah & Phebe (Buss) Gutterson. They had one son George H. b. May 12, 1847. Sadly Priscilla died of consumption four months later on Sept. 26, 1847. The 1850 census lists Jonathan Phelps age 70, daughters Elizabeth 35, Jane 33 and Hannah H. 25. Also son-in-law George Gutterson age 29, Trader and grandson George H. age 3. George would later remarry to Hannah Phelps, and had two children; Clara P. b. 1856 and Myron E. b. 1863. The State census of 1855 lists Jonathan 73, Elizabeth, Jane and 17 male students of the Andover Theological Seminary boarding in the Phelps house.

Jonathan Phelps died on March 1, 1866 at age 88 years. The children; Jonathan E., Elizabeth, Belinda Jane, Hannah, & Geo. Gutterson (Priscilla Phelps) were the heirs of the homestead. George Gutterson later purchased property at 59 Salem St. in 1871. He died on April 16, 1887 of cancer, age 66. The Phelps property was deeded to Myron Gutterson in October 1900 who then subdivided into two lots #39 and #41 Salem St.