Owners:
Original: Elizabeth Frye (1811) - 1 1/2 story portion
Margaret Cooper (1831) - 2 1/2 story addition
Tomlinson, David & Mary Lou (1962)
Burns, Robert & Marilyn (6-2-65)

Theme: architectural

The 1 1/2 story portion (west side) was built for the first owner, the widow Elizabeth Frye, who purchased the 1764 sq. foot lot for $35 from John Lovejoy Abbot on Sept. 12, 1811. The lot size was 42 feet on each side. Elizabeth Frye sold the house to Susan Frye, single woman, for $400 on Mar. 14, 1821. Susan held just one year then selling for $350 to the widow Ann W. Evans on Jan. 23, 1822. Ann owned for eight years.

Margaret Cooper, widow, bought the property for $300 from Ann Evans on June 23, 1830. Margaret then purchased an adjoining parcel of land for John L. Abbot for $19.69 about 7 1/2 rods of land on Apr. 28, 1831. This parcel allowed her to enlarge the house and added the 2 1/2 story portion on the right hand side (NE) as viewed from the street. Margaret Cooper died of Lung Fever on Feb. 19, 1844 at age 81. She is interred in South Parish Cemetery and her stone give age 83. Margaret's will gives her estate to her son Samuel Cooper's children. Named at the time of sale were Samuel George Cooper, William Phillips Cooper, I Alvin & Margaret Elizabeth Farley and David March & Caroline S. Edgerly. Another son Charles Augustus Cooper had died and his share went to his father. The Cooper heirs later sold the property for Caroline L. F. Cooper, wife of Samuel Cooper of West Newton.

Caroline L. F. Cooper held the property until 1879 when it was sold to John Abbot and George F. Swift who were land developers. They sold the house and land around it for $950, which included the lot now at #83 Central St., to F. Lewis Bodwell on October 14,1879. Bodwell probably added the kitchen ell on the back.

On Sept. 18, 1893 Richard Major purchased the property for $1300. On April 18, 1896 Major takes a mortgage loan of $1300 through the Andover Savings Bank. We believe it was at this time that Richard Major and wife Ida F. built the new home at #83 Central St. Major paid off the loan on Sept. 28, 1899. He then sells the new house (#83 Central St.) to William H. Clark on Oct. 9, 1899 who transfers the property over to Ida F. Major that day Oct. 9, 1899. Both Ida and Richard Major died within days of each other Ida on March15, 1919 and Richard on March 31st. He and Ida are interred at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Ida's daughter, Hazel M. Bicknell, from a previous marriage, inherits the property through Probate will. Hazel and her husband George Bateson lived next door in #83 Central St. In October 1919 the estate of Richard Major sold 85 Central St. to Bertha N. Trott and Gustavus Trott.

1992 - Marilyn Burns reports that shoes were found in the walls of the two houses joined together as #85. Apparently it was an English good luck tradition to put a shoe in the wall when the house was completed.

Building marker 1991.