This home was the first to receive a Special Dimensional Permit with Preservation Restrictions in 2003. The lot was sub-divided into three parcels saving the historic home from demolition.

The deeds trace back to Samuel Downing selling the 75 acre farm to Zebadiah Shattuck and Zebadiah Shattuck Jr. for 300 pounds on Mar. 26, 1793. They take a mortgage from Lemuel Shaw & Timothy Fuller of Boston on July 11, 1823. Both are married to women named Sarah. Zebadiah Sr. first married Elisabeth Abbot on Aug.30, 1759. Elisabeth died Sept. 9, 1780 at age 40 y. Zebadiah remarried to Wid. Sarah (Chandler) Holbrook on Dec. 25, 1781. Zebadiah Jr. married Elizabeth Martin in March 1792. He remarried to Sarah Durant on Nov. 29, 1804. The property was sold to brothers Jonathan & Nathan C. Abbot on May 25, 1831 with buildings.

Jonathan Abbot Jr. was born June 12, 1796 and Nathan C. on July 5, 1799, sons of David & Priscilla (Chandler) Abbot who had eleven children and lived close by. The 1830 map of Andover lists J. Abbott, (Jonathan Abbott) at this location. Jonathan married on Feb. 16, 1826 to Lydia Phelps b. Nov. 10. 1804 dau. of Joshua & Mary (Glisson) Phelps. They had two sons David Warren b. Aug. 3, 1830 and Jonathan Edward b. Jan 5. 1828.
Nathan C. Abbot’s marriage intentions were recorded on Dec. 6, 1836 to Hannah B. Grant of Hancock, NH. Their father David died intestate on June 21, 1823 and Jonathan was appointed Administrator of the estate. Several parcels of land were held by siblings. Two parcels listed as “Mortgaged land” were held by Jonathan, one parcel of 2 acres 151 sq. rods bounded on the south and east by town roads appears to be this lot. The property was sold on Sept. 23, 1834 to Daniel Varnum and his wife Nancy. David, a yeoman, held the property for nine years then sold to Charles French on Aug. 5, 1843.

Charles French was born Feb. 26, 1815 in Andover, son of Peter and Elizabeth French. Charles married on Nov. 7, 1843 to Charlotte Ingalls, b. 1822 in Salem, MA. They had four sons: Charles Albert b. Mar. 29, 1843, Frank Jackson b. Sept. 13, 1846, Clarence b. 1850 and Hiram W. French b. 1854.
The 1850 Andover Valuation lists Charles French: West Parish, Dwelling house $800, barn & shed $200, 45 acre farm $1000 = $2000. Farm stock $118. Sarah Foster held a mortgage deed on the house lot property which reverted to W. Phillips Foster who administered her estate. French then bought the mortgage from Foster on Sept. 16, 1856.

Jonathan F.C. Hayes bought from French on Sept. 16, 1856 for $3000 and two months later sold to Christopher C. Webster for $3500 on Nov. 25, 1856. Christopher C. Webster was born Feb. 26, 1828 in Pelham, NH son of Enoch & Betsy Webster. Christopher was a Millinery merchant, married Abiah E. Gage, b. Aug. 6, 1830 in Pelham, NH dau. of Nathan & Mehitable (Woodbury) Gage. They had three children, two daughters survived, Hattie L. b. 1853 and Ida A. b. 1855. Valuation Schedule 1860 - C. C. Webster: Dwelling house $1100, barn $200, 17 acres $737 = $2037 – Farm stock $135
They did not reside in the house very long but Christopher’s brother Stephen Webster b. Apr. 5, 1823 did and farmed the land. Stephen Webster purchased the property on July 26, 1869. Valuation 1870 - C. C. Webster: Dwelling house $1100, barn $500, 17 acres $600 = $2200, Stephen Webster – Farm Stock $475

Stephen Webster first married about 1852 to an Elvira “Ella” b. 1821 in MA. They had one son Emery D. b. 1853 in NH. Ella died in the 1870s and Stephen remarried on Sept. 25, 1878 to Mary (Drew) Ames, b. Oct. 1824 dau. of Joseph Drew. It was both their second marriage. Son Emery later married Amelia M. Eaton, lived in Lawrence and had three children: Iva M. b. 1877, Stanley b. 1880 and Henry K. b. 1881. Stephen died May 5, 1895. The property went to his wife Mary on Sept. 23, 1896 who then sold to Herbert A. Patterson, wife Iva M. (Webster) on Oct. 1, 1896.

Herbert A. Patterson b. 1872 in Saco, ME, son of Thomas D. & Sarah Patterson. Herbert married Iva M. Webster, dau. of Emery and Amelia Webster, Mary’s step-granddaughter. Both Mary and step grandson Henry K. Webster are listed in the 1900 Census. Henry K. is listed as an apprentice machinist. Henry married on May 20, 1901 to Mabelle Johnson b. 1881 in MA. dau. of Isaac & Christina (Olfestrom) Johnson. Henry and Maybelle would purchase the house at 79 North St. on Nov. 28, 1911. Then built the new home at 5 Webster St. They owned eight years then selling to Bourque Construction Co., Frank Bourque, pres. on Jan. 28, 1919. Webster then moved to Everett, MA.
Andover Valuation Schedule 1920 - Bourque Construction Co.: House & shed - $1500, Barn $400, 2 acres 10 rods - $400, 34 acres 59 rods $1800 = $4100.

The land use in the West Parish district of Andover remained agricultural well into the 20th century. West Andover became home to two ethnic groups in particular who established farms: the French and Armenians. The French had only their nationality in common. Most of the Armenians came from a single village, Khartirb, in Turkey as a result of the Armenian genocide of 1913.

Bourque Construction Co. of Lawrence, MA held the deed four years then transferred to Louise Bourque, wife of Ernest on Feb. 8, 1932. Ernest was a house carpenter and builder. They lived on Beacon St. in Lawrence, had 13 children, 11 survived and some sons worked with their father.

John & Nellie M. Drouin purchased the property on Dec. 17, 1935. Dronin held for 12 years then sold to Arthur R. & Eva M. Comeau on June 27, 1947. Comeau owned five year then selling to Etienne C. & Susanne Denise on Sept. 30, 1952.

Etienne Charles b. Dec. 14, 1914 in Nord, Pas-de-Calais, France son of Etience & Cecil (Janssens) Denise. Married in 1938 in France to Susanne Van Coppenolle b. Nov. 15, 1918 Roybaix – Pas-de-Calais, France. They came to America in 1947 via NYC with three children; Jean Pierre (John) b. Oct. 1938, twins Michelle Suzanne and Jestine Eugenia b. 1941. They later had Mark, Noella, George F., Daniel P., Robert and Alan F. Denise. The Denise family owned for 52 years. Etienne was last as a carpenter when he first arrived then worked at Waveille Concrete Products in Lawrence, then Bolta Rubber Co. in Lawrence. Suzanne died on Feb. 5, 1994 and Etienne on Sept. 28, 2000. The property was inherited by the surviving children who sold to E. F. Builders on Jan. 21, 2004.

Lawrence was important to the survival of the West Andover farms. Initially, mill jobs had attracted these immigrants and then after establishing farms in Andover, most men continued to work full or part time in the Lawrence mills. In the 1920s mechanization and irrigation both played a large part in improving the quality of life for farmers everywhere. The biggest change has been the rapidly increasing value of land in the last decade. Local farmers have been convinced that it was more profitable to sell their land for residential development than it was to continue farming.