Themes - Architectural, Community Development and Transportation.

Land of Deacon William Lovejoy - Capt. William Lovejoy
Although no records are available to show exactly when the house was built, we know Issac Abbot had this house large enough to convert into his inn, 1776. The house was probably built c.a. 1680 (says Goldsmith), on land of Deacon William Lovejoy, whose granddaughter, Phebe Lovejoy Chandler was married to Issac Abbot.
Architect LeBoutillier dates the house 1740, stylistically.

Issac Abbot was a school master in 1728, after graduation from Harvard, he served as 2nd Lieutenant in Capt. Benjamin Ames' Company. Col. Frye's regiment and was wounded at Bunker Hill. Isaac was also a storekeeper. In 1776 Abbot petitioned General Court "to keep a house of General Entertainment;" complaining of "extraordinary travel which is rendered necessary by means of the Army before Boston", as his house is, "near the old stage road. The house near having been closed, I have been subjected to no small inconvenience for the application of passengers for refreshment."

So Issac Abbot became innkeeper and "The Abbot Tavern" found its place in history and local legend when George Washington stopped Nov. 5, 1789. Daughter Priscilla Abbot got a kiss on the cheek for mending the First President's riding glove. In 1795, The Issac Abbot Tavern became Andover's first post office. The innkeeper served as postmaster, 1795-1825. After 1788 he was also Selectman, Town Clerk and Clerk of Markets. He was a Deacon at South Church 1794-1825. I

In 1795, Issac Abbot Jr. sold for $2850., the 25 acre homestead lot and Inn, a 3 1/2 acre lot, 14 acre pasture and 15 acre woodland parcel to Jonathan Patten Hall of Boston, a Druggist. The deeds came with two mortgages held by Samuel Abbot, Esquire. The first from from Issac Abbott and son Issac Abbot Jr. for 158 pounds on Dec. 29, 1783, and the 2nd from Isaac Jr. for 230 pounds given on Feb. 13, 1793. 44 lbs had been paid of the the first loan and 30 lbs on the second loan.

Jonathan Patten Hall, wife Abigail, deeded property on Dec. 11, 1799 to John Cornish, "tailor" of Boston. It would be John Cornish who paid off the Abbot loans to Samuel Abbot on May 16, 1801. John Cornish died and in his Will he deeded a live estate to his wife Zeviah. Zeviah Cornish re-married to Theophilus Bacheller, a cabinet maker from Lynn. She would quit claim her life estate when John Cornish's estate was settled in 1818. William Batchelder & Lucius Bolles the Cornish Trustees sold the property to Nathaniel West, a Salem Merchant for $3500 on Jan. 21, 1818. In April 1818 Nathaniel West leased the property to his brother Edward West, which included a live estate. Capt. Edward West from Salem resided here for 30 years.

On November 10, 1848, Nathaniel West sold the property to his son-in-law, Amos Abbot who owned for thirteen years. Amos sold the property to Samuel B. Locke of Charlestown, MA for $7000. on Nov. 1, 1861. Land he bought from Abbot stretched from Elm St. to Walnut Ave. and included Wolcott and Carmel Roads. Lockway Road is named for Squire Locke. Samuel took two mortgages out, one from the Andover Savings Bank for $2000. and a second for $6000. from William M. Hall. Sadly Samuel Locke was over extended and was declared bankrupt in 1871. Alex Dearborn of Boston was assignee of the Locke estate. He sold the property containing the 25 acre homestead lot and the small 2 1/2 acre parcel at auction for $800. to Charles O. Cummings on Nov. 16, 1871.

Cumming held the property for five years then sold the property back to the Locke family. Anne H. Locke, wife of Samuel B, purchased the homestead on April 12, 1876 for $2000. The homestead property was placed into a Trust in 1909 with several family members acting as trustees through the years. Since 1941, it has been the residence of Locke's great-grand daughter, Eleanor Castle (Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Young)who purchased the property on Oct. 5, 1945. Ernest died on June 12, 1985 and Eleanor Castle Young later sold to George H. & Patricia Hope Edmonds on Jan. 25, 1989. The Edmonds family built a new garage to the east of the house. The owned until Mar. 21, 2002 when the property was sold to Joseph J. & Ann Marie Nunes.

In 2014 the Nunes family renovated the rear shed into a family room and updated the kitchen. They received a Preservation Award in May 2015 for the sensitive rehabilitation of the historic home. Mark Ratte was the contractor on the renovation.

The building has been altered some over the years, but retains its unusual paneling in the dining room, broad floor boards and overhead beams, which testify to its early age construction. The great central chimney of its Colonial past was torn out to make room for bathrooms on each floor. Its past history as a tavern is evident in chambers on the West side with their paneled partitions held in place by brass bolts which can be removed to make a long ballroom. The tap-room was back of the east parlor. The vestibules on the west and southern exterior are later additions, the small, highly arched windows typical of a local craftsman, who probably executed the arches at the Jonathan Swift House (23 Central St. ) and the Rose Cottage, around 1795. Priscilla Abbot married Squire John Kneeland just before she turned 50, and such family connections between the houses would logically lead them to choosing the Andover craftsman to ornament their dwellings.

1994 presented certificate of appreciation at Annual Preservation Awards - George & Pat Edmonds
2014 Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse - Joseph J. & Ann Marie Nunes