Present owner: Lally II Real Estate Trust

Subsequent uses: John Aikin Homstead, brother-in law to Franklin Pierce.
"President Franklin Pierce's Summer White House"

Themes: Aboriginal, Architectural, Community development, Education, Political, Transportation

Historical significance: Owner Richard Lally claimed that there was once an Indian settlement on grounds - archeology digs have been made recently.

Original builder - owner not ascertained, but house is earlier than 1849, when John Aiken, "Lowell manufacturer, moved to the large house on Central Street".

John Aiken was born Jan. 30, 1797 in Bedford, NH, son of Phineas & Elizabeth (Patterson) Aiken. John was a lawyer and spent his early career in Vermont before being made an agent for Tremont Mills/Lowell (Appleton Manufacturing Co.) In 1840s he was agent for Bay State Woolen Mills, Lawrence, owned by Samuel Abbot & Amos Lawrence. Aiken was President of Phillips Academy and Andover Seminary Trustees, 1854 - 1857 and lived here until his death on Feb. 10, 1867.
John married on Nov. 14, 1826 in Hanover, NH to Harriet Russell Adams b. Sept. 14, 1804 in Leicester, MA, dau. of Professor Adams. They had three children Charles Augustus b. 10/30/1827 in VT., Harriet Adams b. 2/25/1829 and John b. 4/28/1830 - d. 7/18, 1831. Sadly wife Harriet died on July 30, 1830. John remarried in May 1832 in Amherst, NH to Mary Means Appleton b. Oct. 29, 1801 in Hampton NH. dau. of Rev. Jesse & Elizabeth (Means) Appleton, and the elder sister of Franklin Pierce's wife Jane Means Appleton. John & Mary had five children; William Appleton b. 4/18/1833 in VT, John Francis b. 10/31/1835 in Lowell, MA Mary Elizabeth b. 2/5/1838, Alfred Lawrence, b. 5/13/1840 – d. 8/11/1854 and Jane Appleton b. 1/5/1845.
The Aiken’s purchased the house in Andover on August 14, 1849. It was after the president-elect spent Christmas holidays here in 1852 that their only surviving child, 11 year old son Bennie, was tragically killed in a railroad accident near the Almshouse in Frye Village (Shawsheen Village) Jan. 6, 1853. The body was brought back to this house and the funeral held here Jan. 10, officiated by their minister from Concord, N.H. Bennie's school chums were the pall bearers. He was interred in the family lot at Old North Cemetery in Concord, NH. What is also extraordinary is the Aikens would also share the loss of son Alfred who died on Aug. 13, 1854 at age 13 in Rye, NH of diabetes. He is interred in the Chapel Cemetery at Phillips Academy in the Aiken-Ripley lot.

During President Pierce's term in office, 1853-1857, he made numerous visits to this house and later addressed Andoverites at the time of the Civil War Rally. During Pierce's visits, this was "the Summer White House" with his administrative staff across the street at #47 Central St. (Samuel Abbot House).
Pierce and Rev. Calvin Stowe, husband of Harriet Beecher Stowe, were close friends from their Bowdoin College days in Brunswick, ME. The Stowe family lived in Andover from 1852-1864 while Rev. Stowe taught at the Andover Theological Seminary. It has been stated that after President Peirce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, permitting state option on slavery, nullifying the Missouri Compromise and supporting pro-slavery forces in Kansas, that Mrs. Stowe would not allow Peirce in her home in Andover.
Mrs. Jane M. Pierce, was born Mar. 12, 1806 in Hampton, NH. She was the daughter of Rev. Jesse & Elizabeth (Means) Appleton. When Jane became First Lady of the White House on March 4, 1853, after the death of her only surviving child, "Her grief was so great she lost interest in other matters. She always dressed in black while in the White House." Always resentful of the demands the political life made on her husband, she chose to believe that God willed her son's death, thus enabling her husband to undertake his White House duties undistracted by concern for their child's well-being."

The second wife of Mrs. Pierce's uncle, Mrs. Abby Kent Means, acted as White House hostess." Jane Peirce never recovered mentally from her son's death and died here on Dec. 2, 1863. The former First Lady's funeral also took place at the Aiken house.

After the death of John Aiken the children inherit the estate and son-in law George Ripley, husband of Mary E. Aiken purchased the house in 1873. The house was later known as "The Ripley House" for Col. George Ripley (1873). He had green-house and barn on the property - He also owned Atkinson House, 17 Abbot Street, 1900 and had large farm at end of Abbot Street.

Advertisement "Andover Townsman", May 9, 1890 - "excellent new milch cows, carefully bred, are offered for sale by Col. Ripley's Rock Farm on Abbot St. near Spring Grove Cemetery".
George Ripley was born on July 29, 1830 in Greenfield, MA, son of Franklin & Charlotte (Barrett) Ripley. His father was a banker and George pursued the same occupation. He would later become president of the National Hide and Leather Bank of Boston. George married on Dec. 17, 1857 to Mary Elizabeth Aiken born Feb. 5, 1838 in this home, daughter of John and Mary (Means) Aiken.

George & Mary had seven children: Alfred Lawrence b. Nov. 6, 1858 in Hartford, CT, Sarah Franklin b. July 20,1861, George Barrett b. July 30, 1863, John Aiken b. Mar. 9, 1865 – d Jan. 6, 1868, Mary Appleton b. Dec. 24, 1867 and Philip Franklin b. Jan. 19, 1876. George was a Trustee of Abbot Academy and Phillips Academy. His son Alfred L. would follow his father’s profession and became president of the Bank after his father retired. George Ripley died on Oct. 24, 1907. The estate was in trust with Alfred the administrator. Alfred remained at 48 Central St. His mother Mary died on Dec. 31, 1927. They are interred in the Chapel Cemetery at Phillips Academy. Sarah F. Ripley married Rev. Charles H. Cutler of Bangor, ME. Mary Appleton Ripley married Rev. Frank Shipman, minister of South Church.

Alfred L. Ripley died on Oct. 13, 1943. He was president of Merchants National Bank in Boston, Pres. of Trustees at Phillips Academy from 1909-1929. Served as Town moderator for 10 years.

The house came into Barnard family possession in November 1950, when W. Shirley & Winifred M. Barnard purchased the property. The Barnard daughters, Nance Soule and Patricia Lally inherited 1964. Richard & Patricia Barnard Lally have owned since 1965. Since their deaths the property has been placed in the Lally II Real Estate Trust, John J. McCardle III Trustee - Apr. 23, 2001