Themes: Architectural, Community development
Known as the Phelps Farm in the 19th century.

Henry Phelps b. July 15, 1783 a twin, and his brother Chandler Phelps b. March 5, 1786 shared the former homestead at 7 High Plain Rd. They were the two surviving sons of Henry & Mary (Ballard) Phelps. Henry & Mary B. children: Samuel b. Aug. 9, 1781 -d Mar. 4, 1796, twins Henry and Molly b.1783, Chandler b. 1786, and Harmon (Herman) b. Dec. 31, 1788-d. Apr. 21, 1796.

Henry a Blacksmith and Yeoman never married. Chandler Phelps married on Feb. 4, 1815 to Lydia Parkhurst b. Oct. 4, 1789 in Mason, NH dau. of Andrew & Lydia (Chandler) Parkhurst. Chandler & Lydia had two sons; Herman b. May 30, 1816 and Jacob Sidney b. Oct. 14, 1820. Lydia died on Sept. 6, 1830 at age 39. Chandler remarried on May 7, 1834 to Hannah Frye Ballard. Hannah died two years later on July 7, 1836. Henry, a bachelor, deeded his half of the homestead to his brother Chandler on July 4, 1839 with a life tenancy for himself with the rent "one peppercorn, if demanded. The brothers worked the farm together. In 1834 Chandler was chosen as Sexton of the West Parish Church. The 1850 Valuation schedule list Henry & Chandler: Dwelling house $550, Barn & other building $300, 20 acres North East lot $740, 24 a. Front pasture & Woodland $720, 24a Stanyan land $600, 15a Rough meadow $250, 4a Brook meadow $60, 15a Further Pasture $300 10a Woodland $400 = 112 acres value - $3920. Farm Stock $252. Henry died Jan. 31, 1865 of old age at 81y 6m. Chandler died on Dec. 27, 1868 age 82y 10m.

Herman inherited the homestead and moved over from his the stone house at 183 Lowell St. to 7 High Plain Rd. On April 20, 1869 the stone house on Lowell Street was sold to William & Hannah Bailey.
Apr. 11, 1873 Andover Advertiser – Herman Phelps is razing his old dwelling house in the same neighborhood and will erect a new two story residence on the site of the old one.
May 16, 1873 Andover Advertiser – While putting in the cellar wall of the new home of Herman Phelps, Ezra Farnham found a copper coin which is no doubt hundreds of years old. How it came there is of course a mystery.

Herman, a Yeoman, married Oct. 26, 1841 int. to Esther B. Merrill b. Mar. 3, 1821 in Newbury, NH dau. of Israel & Betsey Merrill. Herman & Esther had two sons Frank Chandler b. Feb. 20, 1850 and Herman Sydney b. Mar. 25, 1852. Herman's brother Jacob Sidney lived nearby but died on Sept. 29, 1851. Esther Phelps died on Nov. 26, 1876 and Herman died of Heart disease on Oct. 11, 1878 at age 62. Herman's sons Frank C. and H. Sydney Phelps would both inherit the farm.

Frank C. Phelps married Abby Jane Hardy, b. Aug. 7, 1845, daughter of Stephen & Mary (Webster) Hardy. Frank C. & Abby had three children: George Gerry b. Apr. 15, 1876, Esther b. Feb. 3, 1880 and Laura H. b. Aug. 1882.
Herman Sydney married Ella T. Ward b. 1856 daughter of Anthony & Sarah Ward. H. Sydney and Ella also had three children: Emma Marie b. 1878, Leuella "Lulla" b. June 1881 and Frederick Sydney b. May 1884. The two families shared the farm and home their father Herman had built.

H. Sidney Phelps died on July 19, 1883 of Peritonitis and his wife and children inherit his share of the farm. Brother John C. Phelps then purchased his brother half on Nov. 17, 1883. Ella and her children then moved to Lowell St. next door to her parents, Anthony & Sarah Ward. Frank C. continued to farm the land until his death on Feb. 16, 1904. He also died of heart disease at age 54. His wife Abby and children, George G., Esther and Laura H. continued to live in the homestead. Son George continued to work the farm, but tragically took his life on July 8, 1908 at age 32. Abby would later sell the farm to William B. Corliss on Jan. 24, 1918.

The Phelps farm was purchased from Corliss by William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Co. on July 25, 1922. The Phelps - Corliss farm of about 110 acres would become one of the five working farms of the American Woolen Co. that supplied fresh milk, eggs, poultry and vegetables to the new Shawsheen Village community built by Wood. Wood resigned form the A.W.Co. in 1924 and the company then began selling off unrelated properties to the woolen manufacturing. The Former Phelps farm was sold in June 1925 to Ruth T. Stevens, wife of Carl H. Stevens. The homestead lot then contained nine acres of land.