Themes - Architectural and Community Development
1995 Preservation Award - Certificate of Appreciation

Original owner William Blunt.
Porter Road once called South Street until 1863, and adjoining with Woburn St. was part of an ancient road from Haverhill to Boston, laid out in 1709. Early deeds refer to this road as the Great Road and The Boston Road.

The Ballard family owned the land, circa 1680's, homestead lot and was purchased by the Blunt family about 1709. William Blunt sold to David Blunt in 1724.

Samuel Blunt of Charlestown sold 25 acres of upland for 30 pounds silver to his brother William Blunt, Husbandman, on Dec. 6, 1634 recorded on April 16, 1704. Samuel sates in the deed, “formerly the same purchased by me of sd. William Blunt and William Ballard and by them of George Abbot of said Andover.” Being and lying on ye West side of the Shawshin River. Together with 1/3 part of the Great Division of Upland, which I purchased of George Abbot, being the last division.
Samuel Blunt also purchased 50 acres of Edward Phelps, (wife Ruth) on Sept. 5, 1711. (b. 23 leaf 203)

Samuel Blunt b. April 24, 1689; son of William & Elizabeth (Ballard) Blunt. m. on April 10, 1712, to Elizabeth Deane of Concord, MA. They moved to Plainfield, CT. “He had the farm his father William bought of James Rindle of Charlestown, 126 Acres, West side Shawshin” (CHA)

Brother William Blunt b. Oct. 6, 1671; m. in 1699 to Sarah [Foster?] b. about 1676 and d. Dec. 6, 1760; William died on July 7, 1738 age 67. He held land at Chester, N.H. and also in Maine. William & Sarah had eight children; David b. Nov. 18, 1699, Sarah, b. 1702; John, b. 1706; Jonathan, b. 1708, Isaac, b. Nov. 5, 1712; Elizabeth, b. 1714, Ebenezer, Mar. 8, 1717 and Ephraim, b. Feb.5, 1721

William Blunt sells to his son David Blunt on Dec. 20 1727 rec. 12/19/1729 (b. 54 leaf 177) for 250 pounds. To my oldest son two parcels not far from my dwelling house on the east side of the Great Road called Boston Road 16 acres of land.

David Blunt b. Nov. 18, 1699 son of William & Sarah (Foster) Blunt; m. on Feb.14, 1728 to Lydia Foster; they had two children: David (4), b. March 9, 1729 - d. April 11. 1729, and Lydia (4), b. April 6, 1731; m. Thomas Abbott. Their mother Lydia died the following month on May 5, 1731. David remarried int. Apr. 7, 1739; to Mary Pearce of Portsmouth, she joined Church 1756; David bought the Peter Russell p1ace- 5 acres, near Oliver Holt, and some land near Foster's Pond. David got 16 acres, East side of Great Pond, near Hezekiah Ballard. David & Mary P. had two children; David b. Jan 11, 1741 and William b. Oct.6, 1743 who was in Revolution in Capt. Joshua Holt's Co.
David died April 21, 1752 and his estate went to his son David b. Jan. 11, 1741 and daughter Lydia, who married Thomas Abbot 3rd (5 Argilla Rd.). His Widow Mary P. Blunt had 1/3 of the estate and life tenancy. She died in June 1773 and buried on June 11, age 71 years.

Lieut. David Blunt b. Jan. 11, 1741; son of David & Mary P. married on Dec. 20, 1769 Ruth Tay of Wilmington, b. 1748 Ruth d. Dec. 8, 1802 at 54, buried Dec. 31. (May have had one daughter Anna b. abt. 1772.) David remarried on Aug. 3, 1804 to a Polly Dunlap, he 63 and she 34; David and Polly had two children; a son David b. May 5, 1811; d. Aug. 7, 1814 and daughter Mary Pearce b. Feb.22, 1807; who would inherit the homestead farm. David died on May 11, 1820

Mary Pearce Blunt b. Feb.22, 1807 married on Oct. 23, 1823 to Peter Farmer Shed b. July 11, 1802 in Tewksbury, son of Joel & Dolly (Farmer) Shedd. Mary & Peter and held property and had had four children born here while in Andover: Peter b. Aug. 23, 1824 - d. Oct. 23, 1825, Peter b. July 8, 1826,
David B. b. June 27, 1828 and Joseph b. Mar. 7, 1831.

Peter & Mary sold a pasture to Asa Abbot on Dec. 29, 1830 rec. 2/8/1831 for $100; “on east side of the cross road leading from the road that passes by the dwelling house where we live to Capt. Jabez Haywards to the old Boston Road.

Peter F. & Mary Shedd also took a loan from the Andover South Parish Ministerial Fund Trustees of $1500 on March 3, 1832. (b. 263 lf. 124). The deed reads with building containing 17 acres on both sides of the road leading from Phillips Academy to Wilmington. & westerly on the road leading from Capt. Stephen Abbot to the house where Pomp Lovejoy formerly lived. (Abbot St. near the Pond)

Peter Shed later takes a mtg. loan from Thomas C. Foster on Mar. 18, 1834 for $500. (b. 275 leaf 117)
“give title to the farm and buildings there on formerly belonging to David Blunt, deceased, on the road leading from Thomas Manning’s to Capt. Jebez Hayward. 70 acres being my right to the use and improvement, rents, and profits there of during my natural life, my wife being the owner of the fee in said Farm and buildings.” There were also additional promissory notes held.
Peter and Mary relocated to Milford, NH where they had nine more children there the first Joel b. Oct. 1833. One son Abraham Bussell Shed b. May 25, 1842 died at the Battle of Bull Run on Aug. 29, 1862.
Peter & Mary Shedd sold the homestead farm to Andrew B. & Mary Ann Stimpson of Reading, MA on Nov. 15, 1837, for $2850. Alfred Poore states "Andrew B. Stimpson, the riding master and at one time connected with Ordway’s Circus at Stimpson, N.Y." He removed to Ballard Vale there deceased.

John Marland purchased from Stimpson on Aug. 31, 1844. The farm land was on both sides of Porter Rd. John Marland, owner of the Marland Mill and the Machine Shop in Ballardvale, became insolvent in Dec. 1849 and all his holdings were sold at auction. John Hackett purchased at auction a portion of the "Stimpson farm" on the south side of Porter Rd. on April 8, 1850. He had earlier purchased 7 acres and built his home at #52 Porter Rd.

John Marland leased the Blunt property for $200 / yr.to Thomas Cruikshank & Co. of Salem and his partner Thomas Turnbull, gardeners, on Nov. 3, 1845. They had planted a fruit tree orchard for Marland that Autumn. The lease was for 20 years beginning on Jan. 1, 1846. Marland then sold on Dec.12, 1846 for $3000. Excluding a piece on the northerly part purchased from Andrew Stimpson and promised to Goldsmith. (b. 376 leaf 12)

Cruikshank sold to Trumbull on March 2, 1847 for $3000. The 1850 Valuation; South Parish; Thomas Trumbulll: Dwell. House $$700, barn $200, 18 acres farm $850 = $1750. Thomas held for five years then sells to Hugh Wilson, of Salem, also a gardener on May 20, 1852. Trumball had moved to Cincinnati.

Hugh Wilson held the property for 31 years. The 1860 Valuation of the property was $1747 list him as a non-resident, still in Salem. Hugh Wilson was b. in 1818 in Scotland, married 1845 in Boston to Isabella Kilgore b. 1815 in Scotland and they had four children. Hugh was a gardener, lived in Salem. This property was used for Wilson’s business and income property.

Alfred Poore states (May 1863) "Nearly opposite Mr. Hackett and on the N. side of the street has been the residence of Joseph J. son of Joseph and Sarah (Foster) Pearson since Apr. 1853, who was b. in Andover in 1820, and follows gardening for the gentleman on Seminary Hill. Dorcas his wife, b. in South Berwick, Me. 1822, is dau. of James and Dorcas (Ricker) Chadwick. Their children are George Henry, b. on Dr. Whiting’s place 1848, and twins Frank J. and Fred J. b. here June 11, 1855.

Hugh Wilson sold to Frank M. & Annie M. Foster of Wilmington on Apr. 3, 1883 for $2000.

On April 3, 1883 Frank M. & Annie M. Foster of Tewksbury, MA purchase the homestead. Frank Mace Foster was born on Oct. 17, 1857 in Tewksbury, MA, son of Oliver & Abby (Hill) Foster. Frank was the youngest of four children and remained on his father’s farm in Tewksbury until his father died. Frank married on Dec. 23, 1880 in Wilmington, MA to Annie Maria Harnden b. 1860 in Wilmington, dau. of Everell & Julia A. (Clemons) Harnden.

The Fosters owned the property until May 1895 when they moved to the town center purchasing a new home at 29 Summer St. Frank became a carpenter, working for Hardy & Cole.
The Fosters had five children, of which two sons survived to adulthood. Both William Harnden Foster b. July 22, 1886 and his brother Kenneth Clemons Foster b. Feb. 8, 1895 were born in the 61 Porter Rd. farmhouse. A daughter Rhoda W. was born on May 12, 1900 but died at 2½ years old on Dec. 10, 1902.
Their son, William "Bill" Harnden Foster would later become a successful commercial artist. After the Fosters moved to 29 Summer St., it is there that 12 year old Bill, a budding artist submitted his drawing for the new Andover Town Seal. He merged the John Whiting logo used for the town’s 250th Anniversary in 1896 with the old circular Town Seal. Bill’s design was selected and approved at Town Meeting on March 5, 1900.

Bill Foster attended the Museum School in Boston, then joined Howard Pyle’s school in Wilmington, Delaware in 1908. Bill was an avid outdoors man, loved trains and railroading and often painted these subjects. Pyle encouraged Foster to submit his railroad life series to Scribner’s Magazine in New York. They bought his paintings at “a price that made him gasp” and his career as an illustrator began. Bill designed the first cover of L.L. Beans catalog and is a co-inverter of Skeet Shooting. 61 Porter Road can claim his birthplace.

The Fosters sold to Henry K. & Maria H. Flint on May 16, 1895 and they owned for 18 years then selling to Mary E. Ripley on July 8, 1913. RIpley held the property until her death in 1928 when the estate sold to Lillie P. & Walter A. Larkin on May 11, 1928.

George A. & Priscilla C. Stanley purchased the property with about 20 acres on Aug. 19, 1933. The George & Priscilla lived out there years in the homestead and their daughter Georgina E. Stanley inherited on Mar. 27, 1981.
The Stanleys had been great stewards of the property for 90 years. Georgina E. Stanley deeded about 8 1/4 acres to AVIS (Andover Village Improvement Society) in 1987 as a protected reservation. Georgia passed away in December 2023 and the Estate of Georgia Stanley sold the house and .88 acres in August of 2025 to Cody Enright and Kaylee Wells. The remaining 3.81 acres will be donated to Avis adding to the Stanley Reservation.

1852 map lists J. Hacket on site. (John Hackett owned 62 Porter Rd. in 1850)
1926 -1929 directory, Frederick Hall farm, owned by Ripley then Larkin
1906 atlas: Henry Flint
1856 map: Wilson
1852 map: Ballardvale Co.
1850 tax list: Estate of Jacob Shedd?
1830 map: Peter Shedd