Themes: Architechtural, Community development.
Maple Ave. This house was once numbered 19 Maple and was changed to #37 Maple Ave about 1927. It is difficult to imagine that his house was built as a high style Second Empire home with a mansard roof in 1882. The house was half the size then with the one double bay in front to the right of the front door. The mansard roof (still there in 1975) was replaced with the gable roof to mirror the addition to the left of the front door. It was done during the Richmond ownership after 1978.

Oct. 23, 1874 Andover Advertiser - AA – John H. Flint is at work on a new avenue leading through his land from Elm Street to Carmel lane.
AA - March 16, 1883 p. 3 John H. Flint has sold his big house and all his land on the east side of Maple avenue, to Henry A. Bodwell, formerly of this town.
AA - April 20, 1883 - p. 2 Henry A. Bodwell will soon build a barn near his residence he recently purchased on Maple avenue.
April 21, 1883 Henry A. Bodwell has made an addition to his house on Maple Avenue, built neat piazzas and fences and laid out driveways and walks, making it one of the finest residences in the place.

John H. Flint was a local businessman, married Frances Tyer, and lived at 8 Elm St. Flint owned most of the land near his home and created Maple Ave in 1874. The property once was part of the Locke estate at 70 Elm St.

Flint sold this property on the east side of Maple Ave to Henry A. Bodwell on Mar. 31, 1883. The 1882 Birdseye map of Andover Center clearly shows this home on the new avenue. A map created for Bodwell in Dec. 1890 (map #709) shows eleven lots laid out on this side of Maple Ave.

Henry Arnold Bodwell was born on Aug. 27, 1820 in Methuen, MA, now a part of the north side of Lawrence. Henry was the son of Joseph & Mary (Howe) Bodwell. Henry moved to Andover about 1854-5 and had a Hacking business to the railroad depot. Henry was the Proprietor of the Mansion House on Main St. at Phillips Academy, located across the street from Salem St. May 24, 1856 AA - Henry A. Bodwell – Coaches for hire – at the Mansion House Henry married Myra J. Day on Nov. 3, 1846 in Haverhill, MA. They had four children all born in Methuen. Henry Merritt b. 1848 - d. 1849, Edward Scott b. 1850, Mary Tyler b. 1853 - d. 1855, and Emma Grace b. 1856. Myra died on May 20, 1859. Henry remarried in 1861 to Ruby Thaxter Tenney b. 1822. Sadly Ruby died in 1866. Henry married a third time on Oct. 17, 1867 in Bradford, MA to Emma Arabella Kimball b. 1840. About 1870 Henry sold his Mansion House hotel business to Charles L. Carter and moved to New York City to manage a hotel there for a few years. Henry then moved to Keene, NH entering into the granite business. about 1872-1879. They then moved to Pittston, ME where Henry ran a Lumber and ice business. Henry & Emma had four children; Charles Arthur b. Apr. 3, 1871 in NYC, Myra Jane b. Mar. 12, 1873 in Keene, NH, Henry Albert b. Jan. 22, 1878 in Keene and Helen Elizabeth b. July 11, 1881 in Pittston, ME.

Henry and family returned to Andover in 1883. Feb. 27, 1885 Andover Advertiser (AA) pg. 2 col.9 H. A. Bodwell has opened a furniture warerooms in Carter’s building on Main Street. It is his intention to keep on hand and for sale, a full assortment of the most desirable goods in his line of business. Carpets of the latest patterns and all grades, may be found at the establishment, and upholstering and repairing will be done at short notice and reasonable prices. [See advertisement on pg.3 col. 3 H.A. BADWELL – next issue corrected his name to Bodwell.]

This business lasted a short time when he then partnered in a firm Bodwell & Clark owners of the Sargent Laundry in Boston. Henry died of heart failure in Andover on May 17, 1891 and was interred in the Bodwell family lot at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Methuen. Henry left his estate to his wife Emma and all his children. He willed "$2000 to his daughter Emma Grace, with all the furniture in her room and my arm chair and her mother's effects, because she lost her hearing and is unable to get work".

Bodwells, widow Emma A., Myra J., Henry A., Helen E., Charles A., and Emma Grace. No mention of Edward S. The Bodwells remained in their home another 15 years then sold to Arthur Bliss, wife Letitia on Sept. 19, 1906. Arthur Bliss moved over from 37 High Street. [see 37 High St. for more on Bliss] Arthur was a druggist with his store in the National Bank building and was Andover's Post Master from 1898-1916. Bliss owned just six years then selling to Helen A. Remick, wife of Harry H. on Mar. 14, 1912. It was a common practice to place the property in the wife's name to protect it from creditors should a spouse's business should fail.

Harry Herbert Remick was born on Mar. 12, 1863 in Tamworth, NH, son of Charles H. & Amanda (Tarlton) Remick. Harry married on Jan. 8, 1908 in Nashua, NH to Helen Augusta Wheeler b. 1874 in Lowell, MA, daughter of Joseph A. & Julia A. (Kingsbury) Wheeler. They had one son Charles Wheller b. 1908 in Tamworth, VT. Henry was a dealer of coal and wood fuel and President of the Andover Coal Co. with his office in the Musgrove building. Harry's two sisters Sarah E. b.1859 and Adelaide "Addie" H. b. 1869 came to Andover after the death of their parents and lived with Harry & Helen. The 1920 Valuation lists the Remick house $4000, Barn $800, 53,950 sq. ft. of land $3000 = $7800 assessment valuation. Son Charles graduated from Punchard High School in 1927. Harry retired in 1932 and the property was sold to Teresa A. Fleming, wife of John J. on Aug. 16, 1933. Sadly Harry died on Dec.27, 1933 in Tamworth, NH. He and his family are interred at West Parish Garden Cemetery.

The property deed remained in Teresa A. Fleming's name for ten years then to both John and Teresa on Aug. 2, 1943. It was the Flemings who converted the home into apartments in the 1930s. By 1937 eleven residents live in the house and former carriage house. The 1943 Andover Directory lists seven residents at 37 including the Flemings and five residents at 37r. John Joseph Fleming was born Mar. 2, 1890 in Co. Mayo, Ireland, son of Edward and Elizabeth Fleming. The family immigrated in 1905 and settled in Shawsheen Village at 54 Haverhill St. John became a plumber and contractor. He married in 1927 to Teresa and they lived on Hillsiide Ave, now known as Fleming St. The Flemings owned this property for 29 years.

Local real estate broker Frederick Bradley and his wife Mary E. Bradley purchased the property on Jan. 18, 1962. The property was placed in the Rittenhouse Realty Trust on Oct. 1, 1965 with Mary Eliz. Bradley and Susan B. Traynor Trustees. It was later sold to Donald I & Barbara Richmond on Oct. 4, 1977 then put into ARCO Properties, LLC with all the Richmond family properties on June 26, 2007 now owned for 41 years in 2018.

Notes from a file at AHS: "Henry Bodwell's barn in back" Town of Andover came into Bodwell's property and eventually had to demolish it as fire hazard.