History of the farms:
Joshua Phelps purchased the land on High Plain Rd that became his homestead lot from his father Samuel Phelps on “March 6, 1762 and the second year of the Reign of King George the third”, the deed reads …”upland & meadow known as brook meadow, on the north side of the road that leads from the pond meadow Dam to Samuel Bayleys over Bald Hill so called”.. . It contained 40 acres more or less and was bounded by the “brook that runs out of Blanchard’s Pond (Haggett’s Pond) into the Merrimack.” Joshua, a “Husbandman” paid Samuel Phelps “Gentleman” 100 pounds for the parcel. The deed recorded in Salem on April 27, 1772. Samuel Phelps had purchased the 46 acre parcel from Asa Foster on April 21 1760 for 133 pounds. Joshua had an older brother Samuel Jr. but he died on Oct. 18, 1756 at Lake George in French War.

Joshua Phelps was born June 25, 1738 second son of Samuel & Priscilla (Chandler) Phelps. Joshua married on Feb. 17, 1767 to Lois Ballard, b. July 19,1746, dau. of Hezekiah & Lydia (Chandler)Ballard. Joshua was the first to come to High Plain Road and the place which was owned by Joshua Phelps, in 1904; Joshua and Lois joined the South Parish Church on August 25, 1776. Joshua and Lois had four children: Lois b. May 26, 1767, Hannah b. Sept. 10, 1769, Joshua b. April 8, 1774 and Samuel b. Aug. 15, 1777; d. Sept. 1778 1y 1m interred Sept. 26, 1778 in South Parish Cemetery.
Joshua acquired a second parcel from Lydia Abbot 2nd of 17 acres for $1 pounds. “a tract of land lying in sd. Andover joining the road that leads from Jeremiah Lovejoy’s dwelling house to sd. Joshua Phelps containing seventeen acres and fifty nine poles more or less…” Feb. 5, 1788 delivered Oct. 24, 1791 rec. Nov. 12, 1791. Joshua died “suddenly” of apoplexy Dec. 23, 1798 at age 60y 6m. Lois then lived with her son Joshua and died at age 90 on Dec.21, 1836.

Their children inherited the property which son Joshua would buy from his sisters. Sister Lois married Dec. 13, 1791 to Isaac Blunt and lived near the Andover Theological Seminary. Hannah married about 1792 to Nathan Abbot Jr., son of Capt. Jonathan & Mary (Chandler) Abbott. His mother remained in the homestead with Joshua.

Joshua Phelps Jr. b. April 8, 1774; married in 1795 to Mary Gilson of Pepperill, b. 1778 dau. of John & Elizabeth (Shed)Gilson; (her father was shot in the Battle of White Plains. CHA) Joshua and Mary both joined South Church on Sept. 8, 1799. Joshua and Mary had five children: Joshua J. b. Sept. 7, 1796, Samuel b. Feb. 15, 1800, Mary b. Aug. 21, 1802, Lydia b. Nov. 10, 1804 and Henry b. April 27, 1807. Sadly Joshua died at age 33 years 4m of nervous fever and was buried on Aug. 24, 1807 in the West Cemetery, (West Parish Cemetery 1826). Mary would become a charter member of the West Parish Church on Nov. 28, 1826. His mother Lois died on Dec. 21, 1836 at age 90. Mary d. Oct. 24, 1856 age 85y 5m and is interred at West Parish Cemetery.

Joshua J. Phelps b. Sept. 7, 1796; son of Joshua & Mary G. was only eleven when his father died. Joshua married at age 26, April 18 1822 Bedford, MA to Dolly Watson of Sandwich, N.H., b. July 24, 1795; “was a farmer, lived on the old homestead of his grandfather, Joshua” (CHA); Joshua & Dolly had four children: Dolly Perry Phelps b. Jan. 20, 1823 NH, Harriet b. Nov. 4, 1825. Joshua b. July 29, 1828 and Asa Watson b. Nov. 7, 1834.
Joshua Phelps was #9 of the 37 proprietors of the “Westerly Meeting –House Company” and purchased one share in 1826 for the construction of West Parish Meeting House. The list of shareholders gives the site of his home as “Foot of Bald Hill”. It is interesting to note that neither Joshua or Dolly are listed as charter members of the church.
The 1850 Andover Valuation – West Parish – Joshua Phelps – Dwell house $550, Barn & sheds $300, 65 acres adjoining Build $156-, 20 acres Cochran Pasture $300, 16 acres Lower Woodlot $480, 2 acres Carlton lot $50 = 103 acres and $3240 – Personal estate Farm Stock $176.
The 1850 Census list Joshua 53, Dolly 55, Asa W. 16 and mother Mary Phelps age 79. Also listed are John Cunningham 39 b. Ire., wife Margaret 26 b. Ire and their children Mary 7, James 3 and Margaret 9m. The State Census 1855 lists Joshua 59, Dolly 60, Dolly P. 32, Harriet Gilman 30 and mother Mary Phelps age 84.

1870 Census: Joshua 72, farmer $3500, Dolly 74, Joshua 42 carpenter, $800. Dolly P. 47 and Henry Doine 25, farm laborer b. NH. The Agricultural Schedule census in 1870 lists the Phelps farm; 20 acres improved land, 40a woodland, 34 acres unimproved. Cash value $3500. Farm implements $50, $375 wages paid for year, 1 horse, 4 cows, 2 oxen 1 other farm animal, 1 sheep with value =$340. 50 bushels of Indian corn and 40 of oats.
Joshua Phelps died on May 23, 1873 age 76y 8m 16d of a brain disease and is interred at West Parish Cemetery.

Their daughter Harriet b. Nov. 4, 1825 married George Edward Gilman b. Dec.29, 1825 in Salisbury, NH, son of Thomas W. & Dorcas (Fifield) Gilman. They lived in the Phelps homestead for a period of time. George, an Overseer, died in Lowell on April 26, 1862 age 35y 3m. Children: Helen Augusta b. Aug. 12, 1854 d. 9/5/1854 1m 11d, Jason Henry b. Sept.17,1855 in West Andover d. 9/23/1875, 20y 7d and George C. b. June 1858 in Lowell d. 9/17/1876 18y 4m.

Son Asa Watson Phelps b. Nov. 7, 1834; died unmarried on Oct. 15, 1862 in Silver City Nevada Territory and interred there. A memorial to him is at the Phelps lot West Parish Cemetery. There is also a tombstone in Nevada.

Joshua’s estate was probated in November 1873 and the debts exceeded the valuation of the property. To avoid public auction his widow Dolly and children Harriet Gilman of Methuen, Dolly P. and Joshua Jr. paid the bills to stay in the homestead. Widow Dolly W. Phelps died on May 26, 1880 84y 10m.
The 1885 Directory lists Joshua, sisters Harriet Gilman and Dolly P. living in the homestead. Dolly P. and Harriet Gliman sold their share of the estate to their brother Joshua on Mar. 18, 1874 for $1300.18.

Joshua Phelps Jr. b. 1828, was a farmer and a carpenter, never married, boarded with the Shermans who lived in upper part of our house (CHA); went to San Francisco 1854-56 and 1860. Joshua returned to the homestead and died on Jan.15, 1886 from a concussion from a fall off a building in Andover.

Dolly Perry Phelps b. Jan. 20, 1823 NH, never married, lived at the Phelps homestead and died there on Jan.22, 1901. Harriet P. Gilman became the sole heir and appointed Charles Warren Phelps her POA on Mar. 3, 1904 to handle her estate. Charles, a cousin was a blacksmith in North Andover. Harriet died on Aug. 22, 1905 age 83y. The Phelps and Gilmans are interred at West Parish Cemetery. Harriet’s will left $3000 to West Parish Church to support the pastor and $500 to the Andover Home for Aged. The 110 acre Phelps farm when to cousins, children of Charles Warren & Mary (Curtis) Phelps: Joshua Fred Phelps b. 1879, Henry Phelps b. Aug. 28, 1888 and Eliza Aurelia Phelps b. Sept. 1884, who married Arthur R. Engley. Eliza sold her1/3 share to her brothers.

The 1908 Directory lists Charles W., wife Mary A. and sons Joshua Fred and Henry Phelps. Joshua F. sold his share to his brother Henry for $1500 on Sept. 25, 1908. Henry, a minor at the time of inheritance, was 20 years of age. Henry sold two years later to his father Charles Warren Phelps on May 4, 1910. The 1910 Census lists Henry as a variety storekeeper. He enlisted during WWI serving in Mass Sec. 471 Aero Squadron. Charles sold the farm to Henry B. Bailey of Lawrence on Jan. 3, 1916. The Phelps family owned the property for 154 years but the family remained in the homestead with Henry Blanchfield Bailey.
The 1920 Valuation West District – Henry B. Bailey: House and shop High Plain Rd. $850, Barn & shed $800, 65 acres $1600, 5 acres Woodland, Pitts, (Bailey Dist.) $100, 3 acres meadow $50, 2½ acres Wood land $75 = $3475.
Henry, b. June 5, 1870 in Lawrence, son of James R. & Catherine Bailey was unmarried. He was a Chief Machinist Mate in the US Navy and did duty during the Spanish-American War and World War I. He retired after 37 years of service in 1927. Henry owned the farm for eight years then sold the farm on Jan. 12, 1924 to John Franklin, a Civil Engineer, who worked for Wm. M. Wood. The deed was then transferred to the American Woolen Co. Henry moved to North St. and died age 86 on Jan. 19, 1856. He is interred at West Parish Cemetery.

It appears that William M. Wood, President of the AWCo., acquired the Phelps Farm to extend his model farms in Andover to the adjoining “Lake View Farm” on the south side of High Palin Road. This purchase was short lived as Mr. Wood was forced to resign for the company in 1924. All the company holdings not connected to wool manufacturing were transferred to the Phillips Corporation of Maine to be sold off beginning in December 23, 1926.

Elizabeth M. McDonnell and Isaiah R. Kimball purchased seven parcels of the farm on Jan. 7, 1927 as investment properties then sold to John Budziszeski and John Chmielecki on Jan. 27, 1927. The farm parcels were then divided up and John Chmielecki took ownership of parcels #1, #5, #7 with all the buildings. Parcel #1 was the 2½ acre woodland, #5 was 77.7 acres by the old railroad line and #7 was 25.7 acres.

John Chmielecki was born Nov. 10, 1888 in Sienawa, Poland, son of Simon & Victoria Chmielecki. John came to Boston in 1906. John marred on Oct. 18, 1914 in Cambridge MA, to Sophia Koflinska b. 1896 in Poland, dau. of Michael & Katherine A. Koflinska. Sophia immigrated in 1908. John was a cook and Sophia was a waitress at the time of marriage and were living at 143 Gore St. in Cambridge. They had for sons, John Jr. b. July 20 1915, Stanley b. 1919, Walter b. 1920 and Elmer b. 1923. They moved to Andover in 1927. John and sons John Jr., Stanley and Walter all worked on the farm in 1941. Stanley and Walter both graduated from Punchard High School with honors in 1935 and 1937 respectively. The construction of routes 95 in 1957 and 495 in 1962 cut through a portions of their farm. Sophia died on April 11, 1963 age 66. John sold the farm with two parcels the following year on Aug. 25, 1964 to David & Catherine A. Netti. The first was the homestead lot of 5.57 acres and the second was 20 acres east of the old railroad line. John Chmielecki died on March 10, 1967 at 78 years. He and Sophia are interred at Spring Grover Cemetery, Andover.

David & Catherine Nitti owned the farm for eight years. David b. 1933 was an assistant editor, wife Catherine b. 1931. The Netti’s lost a portion of their property to the town of Andover for the “Fish Brook Project” on Nov. 9, 1965. The Nettis sold the homestead lot of to J. Terrance & Patricia A. Sullivan on Sept. 9, 1972. Sullivan would purchase the 20 acres east of the old railroad from Netti on Sept. 29, 1975.

John Terrance Sullivan, known as Terry was born July 27, 1930 in Lawrence, MA, son of John F. & Eva (Hyde) Sullivan. He graduated for Lawrence High School in 1947 and joined his father’s business “Sullivan Ceiling Co.” until his retirement in 1994. John married Patricia A. Gemmell, b. 1930 They had five children; J. Terrance Terry” Jr., Kathleen, Mary Lou, Thomas G. and Timothy A.

Terry Sr. was an avid antique and bike enthusiast and a member of several antique car clubs. Terry is remembered in Andover as the man who stepped in and saved the three Shattuck Homestead buildings on River Rd from demolition. The houses and store building were moved to 233, 239 and 243 High Plain road in 1988. Terry then spent several years restoring the historic buildings.

J. Terrance “Terry” Sullivan died on Jan 2, 2009 age 78 years and is interred at Ridgewood Cemetery in North Andover. The property was held by the Sullivan Family Trust until Nov. 17, 2023 when the house was sold to Douglas & Sandra Dukeshire.