Themes: Architectural, Community development

Henry Hardy owned this property in 1850. The Andover Valuation Schedule lists his property in West Parish as; Dwelling house $450, Barn and shed $200 50 acres adjoining building $1250. total assessment $2250 and Farm Stock $166.

Henry Hardy was born in Tewksbury, MA on Aug. 6, 1812, son of Stephen & Sarah (Bailey) Hardy. Henry married on May 8, 1836 to Abigail Wood Abbott b. July 3, 1813 in Tewksbury, dau. of Rev. Jacob & Catherine (Thayer) Abbott. Henry & Abigail had eight children; a dau. b. 1/13/1837 - d. 1/15/1837, Charles Henry b. 7/1839 - d. 5/18/1843, George Albert b.2/6/1841, Ruth b. 1842, Abigail Josephine "Abby" b. 12/6/1843 - d.9/8/1867, Mary b. 1847, Andrew Newton b. 5/12/1848 - 3/12/1874, Charles Henry b. 12/8/1849. Sadley Abigail died two days later Dec. 10th of childbirth.
It is worth noting that the US 1850 Census done on Aug. 17th lists Abigail age 44. Andover Vital Records states death on 12/10.1849 childbed). Henry remarried on Dec. 12, 1850 to Harriet Bailey b. Jan. 23, 1820 in Andover, dau. of John Moore & Elizabeth (Boynton) Bailey. Henry and Harriet had one daughter Harriet Florence "Hattie" b. Aug. 31, 1857. Henry worked the farm and son George with his wife Ruth, are living with his father in 1870. The 1885 town directory lists Henry as Farmer of H. Hardy & Son - market gardeners. George and his brother Charles also worked the farm. Henry died on May 26, 1887 at age 75y 9m. and is interred in West Parish Garden Cemetery in the Hardy family lot. George Albert Hardy would inherit the family farm in 1887. His step-mother Harriett died on Dec. 17, 1899 at age 79y 11m. Her obituary mentioned her love and dedication to the children and the family business. "A sheaf of wheat sinply and fittingly adorned the casket"
George married on Dec. 20, 1866 to Ruth Dixon b. Jan. 26, 1842 Sackwell, New Brunswick, Canada, dau. of Edwin & Martha Dixon. George and Ruth had four children of which two reach adulthood; Eva Adelaide b. 12/26/1871, Edgar b. 11.13.1873-d. 12/8/1873, Edna Ruth b. 10/8/1878 - d. 4/13/1881 in Boston, and George Henry b. 7/8/1883. Ruth died Nov. 7, 1900. George later remarried in Jan. 1905 in Dracut, MA to Louise (Rich) Best b. 1850 in Swanton, VT, dau. of Joseph & Margaret (Twombly) Rich. It was both a second marriage. The Andover Townsman Dec. 8, 1905 West Parish - George A. Hardy and family have gone to Lowell for the winter. George sold the Homestead property on Dec. 18, 1907 to August E. Johnson and moved to Lowell. Both Eva and George Henry lived with their father and are listed in the 1910 Census. Eva was a teacher in Andover, for eight years; first at the Scotland District school in1896 on South Main St., then Holt District School 1897 on Salem St. He last six years at her neighborhood Bailey District School on Bailey Rd. 1897 - 1903. Brother Charles worked the farm with his father then became a bookkeeper for an Express Co. in Lowell. George died on Aug. 16, 1915 and is interred at West Parish Cemetery.

August Erhart Johnson was born Jan. 12,1866 in Sweden and immigrated to the USA in 1892. He first worked as a Coachman in Lowell. He married Hannah E. Nordin b. 1871 in Sweden. August & Hannah had four children; Rudolph b. 4/4/1899, Helen b. 7/30/1903, Edna b. 8/10/1906 and Edith B. b. 1910. August was a market farmer and owned the property for 46 years.