Red Spring Road was once called Mineral St. after a natural mineral spring located near 64 Red. Spring Rd. The name was changed in 1904 by Town meeting vote.

The two houses at 51 & 53 Red Spring Road were built about 1820 -1823 by brothers, Abel & Paschal Abbot of Andover. The brothers were partners in cotton manufacturing and began operations in the North Parish of Andover in 1812. The Abbots sold their mill in 1814 and moved the operation to (what would become known as Abbot Village) the South Parish. They built their wooden mill on the west side of the river where it remains to this day (2014).
Abel Abbott was born September 7, 1786, married his first cousin Sara Abbot b. April 1789 daughter of Job Abbot and Anna Ballard. Abel’s brother Paschal married Sara’s sister Mary Foster Abbot. Uncle Job Abbott and their father Nathan Jr. were brothers.

Abel & Sara had two sons; Abel b. March 5, 1812, James Alfred b. May 17, 1818. Sara died Dec. 1, 1821 at age 32. Abel remarried a year later on December 26, 1822 to Mary Jones, a member of the South Church who joined the congregation on June 28, 1812. Abel & Mary had one son; Abiather b. May 6, 1824.
Abel was a carpenter, farmer and manufacturer. He was elected Prudential Committee the first year the newly established Village School District was created in November 1828.
It has been stated that the house at #55 was on the property when the brothers purchased the land and it was first used by Abel as a carpenters shop and then converted into a dwelling.

When the Abbot Mill failed in 1842, investors took the mill properties and then sold to Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. in 1843. The brother’s homesteads and farm containing 73 acres with three houses and barns at #51– #53 – #55 was purchased by Job Abbot, brother of Abel & Paschal in April 1843. Job was also listed as an investor in the mill operations.

Abel and Mary left for Dexter Maine along with brother Paschal, but returned to Andover. They lived out their days in their former home at #53 as his brother Job deeded them a life tenancy. The house was given to their nephew Amos in 1856. Abel died July 3, 1862 of consumption and wife Mary on January 18, 1870. Both interred at South Cemetery.

Job Abbot and wife Lucy C. Abbot owned from 1842–1847, all three houses. Job was born in Andover on August 7, 1782, married Lucy Chandler of Concord, N.H. October 1807. The couple joined the South Church on November 6, 1831. He was a man of considerable enterprise and wealth and from all documentation had a strong loyalty to his family. He gives his profession as Gentleman. He was Captain of the Andover Militia

Amos Abbot 2nd (aka Amos C. Abbot) ownership 1847 – 1869. Job sold the homestead farm to his son Amos Abbot 2nd in July 1847 for $100., essentially a wedding gift. Amos lived at #51 with his new bride Lydia H. Blanchard, age 18, daughter of Abel and Elizabeth Blanchard of Andover.

The property was divided up at this time and the two houses at 53 & 55 were separated from the original farm and were reserved for Abel & Mary Abbot for the remainder of their lives. Amos would later be gifted this other property in 1856.

Amos was a farmer and held the 72 acre farm until Feb. 1869 when he sold to John & Phebe Chandler. Amos and family then moved west and settled in Kansas.

John & Phebe R. Chandler owned from 1869-1885 – They owned all three houses, lived in #51, and rented out 53 & 55. John Chandler was born in 1812 in Andover and married in 1839 to Phebe Russell b. 1818, daughter of Joel Russell and Sally Curtis. John and Phebe had four children; John Henry b. 1840, George Warren b. 1842, Ann Elizabeth b. 1844 and Emma b.1849.
John was originally a farmer but began a very successful wood and coal business in 1870. At age 70 in 1882 he sold his business to his son George.

The David Bruce family had occupied #53 since 1870 and later Chandler sold to Bruce the parcel that included #53 and #55 in 1887. From this point forward these two houses were a separate parcel of land. The David Bruce Family were tenants 1870 - 1887, then owners 1887 – 1913. David purchased the houses and land for $2300.

David Bruce was born in Brechin, County Angus Scotland in 1823,. David married Jemina S. Bern also of Brechin. The couple immigrated in 1853, had five children; The two oldest Jeanne, Alexander, were born in Scotland and Mary, Georgina, & Susan all born in Andover. David Bruce worked in the Smith & Dove mills in Abbot Village and was Overseer in the thread mill. David died August 12, 1889. The Bruce family kept the house and rented it to various families.

H. Evelyn Hardy ownership 1913 -1923 - #53 & #55
On October 7, 1913 Miss H. Evelyn Hardy of 17 Maple Street, Andover, daughter of Lewis T. Hardy of Hardy & Cole Company, builders, purchased the property solely as an investment.

In 1913 William D. Valentine & wife Isabel Ness Valentine were renting a house on Red Spring Rd. and by 1916 are listed at #53. The Valentines purchased the houses from Miss Hardy in 1923.

Isabel Ness Valentine & William D. Valentine – tenants 1913-1923, owners 1923 -1979
The Valentines purchased the property on July 14, 1923. The couple had five children, four who survived to adulthood. Mae or May D. b.1910, b. Bruce 1913, Ronald M. b. 1917, Edith b. 1921, and infant son William Jr. b. 9/ 7/ 1923 d. 9/ 9/1923.

William D. Valentine was born in 1887 in Arbroath, Scotland. In 1902 at age 15 William immigrated to America with his mother Jane and his sisters Isabella & Margaret. All three children were employed with the linen company of Smith & Dove. William became a bookkeeper/clerk in the office until the mill closing in 1928. William then was employed with the Arlington Mills in Lawrence.
He loved sports and was affiliated with various sporting teams. He served as secretary for the Shawsheen Soccer Club, the Andover United Football Club and Smith & Dove Overseers Club. He was also a member of the Clan McPherson. He died in 1930. His wife Isabel continued to maintain the homes and rented 55 to family and friends. A clay tennis court was constructed on the west lawn of the house at #55 and rented to residents in town. Neighborhood kids could play for free if they helped weed the court. Oldest daughter May Valentine would eventually live in and own #55.

After Isabel's death in 1979 the two houses were separated as two individual parcels and inherited by the daughters. Each quit claimed their share to the other. May got #55 and Edith #53.

May Donald Valentine was born on June 29, 1910 and graduated from Punchard High School in 1929. She was the class artist and graduate of Vesper George School of Art in Boston. Mae was a charter member of the Andover Artists Guild. She was also form matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, Andover Chapter. Mae married Ralph I. Robbins b. 1908 in Lawrence, MA and they moved into #55. They had two children Valentine W. b. 1934 and Edith M. b. 1944. Ralph was an engineer with Stone & Webster Co., Inc. of Boston. He was a member of the Professional Engineers Society of Boston, member and past master of the Tuscan Phoenician Lodge AM & FM and the Aleppo Temple Shriners of Wilmington. They were members of South Church. Ralph died Jan. 21, 1987. Mae died Sept. 1, 1994. Both are interred at Ridgewood Cemetery in North Andover.

The Robbins house was sold to Katherine S. (Sarris) & Thomas D. Shaw in 1995. The Shaw's began to restore the house and received a Preservation Award in 1997.

They sold to Mary Jane (Wessels) Harpley in May 1998. Mary, a single mom with two young daughters lived here for five years then sold to Carrie Lilly and Timothy Soule on Dec. 18, 2003. Tim was a restaurant manager for "The Chateau" and later "The 99". Carrie a court interpreter and later court lawyer. Carrie has one daughter Laura Lilly.

Red Spring Development, LLC of Danvers, MA, Erick Keyes manager purchased the property on Dec. 9, 2015. They renovated the house with new roof, windows and updated the interiors. The house was sold on Aug. 18, 2016 to Lora Morgan, an Andover native. Lora and Bill Vasquez continue to make improvements to the home.

Former Tenants; 1891-1893 John Mahoney, 1897 William Steel, 1899-1900 James & Mrs. Ann Souter, James Jr. and Mary, 1901-1908 Mrs. Jennett (Alexander) Anderson & David A. and James F. Anderson, 1908 Isabella Anderson, 1913 Mrs. J. and Mary Mitchell, 1923-1928 Alexander & Helen C. Ness, 1929 David Keith, 1930-1932 Mary H. Keith, 1932 David W. & Mary J. O'Neil, 1935 James Corey, 1937-1979 May V. & Ralph Robbins.