54 Chestnut St Charles B. & Mary J. Jenkins House Built 1890

This corner lot was purchased by Mary E. Abbott, wife of James Alfred Abbott, from Nathaniel Whittier in 1870. They built a home at 41 Whittier St. J. Alfred was a carpenter. This lot was sold after Chestnut St. was extended eastward from Bartlet St. up the hill to Highland Rd.

The lot was sold to Charles B. Jenkins for $800 on Nov. 25, 1889.
Andover Townsman Nov. 29, 1889, p. 1 – J. Alfred Abbott has sold a house lot on Chestnut St. to C. B. Jenkins.
AT May 16, 1890 - Work has been commenced on a new house for C. B. Jenkins on East Chestnut Street. John McCarthy puts in the foundation, and Brainerd Cummings will do the carpenter work.

Charles Berry Jenkins was born on March 24, 1857, son of John Brooks & Ellen (Holt) Jenkins. Charles attended the local schools and was enrolled at Punchard Free School class of 1875.. Charles became a bookkeeper for T. A. Holt & Co. and grocery and general store located in the basement of the Baptist Church.
Charles married on Jan. 17, 1883, in Salem, MA to Mary Jane Ashby b. July 29, 1858, dau. of Thomas & Mary J. Ashby. Mary was a schoolteacher in Salem and a graduate of Salem Normal School. They had two daughters: Grace Ashby b. March 3, 1885, and Mildred b. Aug. 9, 1893. Grace graduated from Punchard Free School 1903 and Mildred class of 1910.
Grace became a drawing teacher and later Supervisor of Drawing in Wakefield. Mildred married Henry J. Stevenson.

The Jenkins family owned the property for 57 years. Both Charles and his wife Mary died on the same day, hours apart on Dec. 1, 1932. The daughters were heirs to the property. Grace Jenkins and her sister Mildred and husband Henry Stevenson, a mechanical engineer, continued to live in the home until 1939 when Henry & Mildred purchased a lot at 68 Cheever Circle. The sisters then rented the house to Harold & Myrtle Smith who later purchased it on June 10, 1946. Harold is listed as an electrical & Mechanical engineer.

Andover Townsman - Dec. 2, 1932, p. 1, "Couple Pass Away Few Hours Apart"
Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Jenkins, respected residents of Andover for many years, passed away Thursday morning at their home on Chestnut street within a few hours of each other. Mrs. Jenkins died at 3:40 am. and she was followed about nine by Mr. Jenkins, who, however, was unaware of his wife’s passing. Mr. Jenkins had had a heart attack Monday night, and it was undoubtedly because of this that Mrs. Jenkins suffered a shock the same night. She never regained consciousness. Mr. Jenkins had a severe attack at two Thursday morning, and this was the immediate cause of his passing.
The late Mrs. Jenkins, nee Mary I Ashby, was born in Salem, Mass., July 29, 1858. She later graduated from Salem Normal school and taught in the public schools of Salem. The couple would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on January 17, 1933. Since their marriage in 1883 they have lived in Andover.
Mr. Jenkins was the son of John B. and Ellen Holt Jenkins. He was born March 27, 1857, at the old Jenkins homestead built by his grandfather at Jenkins corner. He descended from a long line of Holts beginning with Nicholas Holt who settled on Prospect Hill, now called Holt’s Hill. He attended the local schools and Phillips academy.
For forty years Mr. Jenkins was with T. A. Holt and company, and was recently manager at the Andover News company, which post he entered exactly two years prior to his passing. For a number of years he was town auditor.
The late Mrs. Jenkins leaves two daughters Grace A. Jenkins, supervisor of drawing in Wakefield, and Mrs. Henry J. Stevenson of North Andover. She also has as survivors some cousins in Salem. The late Mr. Jenkins leaves besides his daughters a brother, Frank B. of Newton and a sister, Mrs. Bessie M. Jenkins of Bradford. The funeral will be held at two o’clock Saturday afternoon at the late home, with Rev. Frederick B. Noss officiating. Interment will be at Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, MA.