20 Salem Street – Blunt Tavern – Berry House
On this site once stood the Blunt Tavern / Berry House until it was razed in 1930.

“Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. An Illustrated History of the Property” by Robert A. Domingue, he writes the following about the Blunt Tavern/Berry House. “At the time of the Academy founding in April 1778 there was only one building in place in the northeast quadrant – the Blunt Tavern. The dwelling was built by Capt. Isaac Blunt sometime before 1765 on the north side of Salem Street just east of the present site of the Commons. One of his sons was one of the first thirteen students of Philips School in 1778.
The building was operated as a boarding and rooming house by the Berry Family and was acquired by the Academy Trustees in 1923.
In 1929, the year before the opening of the Commons, the Berry House provided accommodations for eight roomers and sixty-five boarders and was under the resident leadership of Mr. Roscoe E. Drake. It was torn down in 1930, after the Commons opened, and the land was graded to provide an open expanse from the Common to the PBX Society House.”

Isaac Blunt Sr. was born Nov. 5, 1712, son of William & Sarah Blunt. Isaac’s occupation is given as Felt maker and Hatter. Isaac married on April 8, 1746 to Widow Mary (Turner) Chandler of Joseph Chandler. Mary had a right of dower in the Chandler estate which then went to the Chandler children with Joseph. Mary died April 20, 1760 age 35 years. Isaac re-married on Nov. 27, 1860 to Widow Mary (Kimball) Herrick, resident of Andover. Isaac had ten children with his two spouses. They also had two black servants George & Silas, who fought in the Revolutionary War under the surname Blunt. (CHA) Isaac used a portion of his house as a tavern. Even the Town Proprietors held meetings here “the meeting was called at Mr. Isaac Blunt’s Tavern, September 21, 1794, to meet at an oak tree on the road to Ballard’s Mills for the purpose of dividing this commonage for separate improvement….” The old bar room was near the south corner entrance to the house.

Isaac sold the west half his homestead with the lot and three other parcels to his son Isaac Jr. on June 30, 1795, reserving the east half for him and wife Mary. Isaac sold the one acre Bell Tower lot to Trustees of Phillips Academy on Oct. 9, 1784 for 30 pounds, “reserving to the second company of Militia in the town of Andover, liberty to make use & so much of the premises to train on, on public training days, forever, as I have for years past. “ Isaac died of a fever on Jan, 6, 1798 age 85y 2m. Wife Mary died of numb palsy on March 27, 1801 age 71y 4m.
Children: 1st wife Mary C. - Mary b. 2/14/1746-7, Hannah b. 9/25/1748, Sarah b. 12/12/1750, Elizabeth b. 7/27/1752, John b. 1/31/1756, Isaac b. 9/12/1757 - d. 9/13/1757.
Children: 2nd wife Mary H. – Abigail b. 10/9/1861-2, Anna b. 5/9/1863, Tabatha b. 2/7/1765, Isaac b. 9/26/1766, Mehitable b. 1/4/1769

Capt. Isaac Blunt Jr. was born Sept. 26, 1766 in Andover, son of Isaac & Mary (Kimball) [Herrick] Blunt. Isaac married on Dec. 13, 1791 to Lois Phelps, b. May 24, 1767 dau. of Joshua and Lois (Ballard) Phelps. Isaac is also listed as a Hatter in deed transactions. Charlotte H. Abbott’s (CHA) genealogy of Blunt states; “lived on Highland Road, a new site for Blunt. Blunt’s old place said to be the Berry house…. He was the only son of Isaac, so his line was the only one left in Andover after David’s line died out.” Isaac and his son Samuel Phelps Blunt also kept the Tavern together which later lost patronage after the Essex Turnpike was construed. .
Children: Polly b. 12/25/1792, Isaac Jr. bp. 11/30/1794, Isaac Jr. b. 11/25/1795, Samuel Phelps b. 5/19/1796, Hannah b. 11/11/1798, Anna b. 3/1/1801, Eliza b. 7/17/1803, Joshua b. 2/1/1806, John K. bp. 11/20/1808.
Son Isaac Jr. b. 1795 married Dolly Burnham on Sept. 5, 1822 and lived at 49 Salem St. Isaac died on Aug. 13, 1859 from a fall off a wagon load of hay. Samuel Phelps b. 1796 married Persis Bodwell on Nov. 23, 1820 and acquired 167 Highland rd. in 1834.
Isaac Blunt died on October 17, 1833 at age 67. His estate was probated with Samuel Merrill his Administrator. The property was sold at auction on Nov. 29, 1834 to Isaac Holt who paid $3624.92 for the two acre 50 rod parcel which included his dwelling house and other buildings.

Isaac Holt was born Sept. 11, 1788 in Temple, NH son of Timothy & Ede (McIntire) Holt. Isaac married on April 22, 1812 to Elizabeth Gage Wardwell b. July 10, 1791 dau. of Simon & Ruth (Church) Wardwell of Andover. Isaac & Elizabeth had six children born on Temple, NH. Stephen b. 4/10/18813, Harrison b. 5/6/1815, Elizabeth Gage b. 4/1/1821, Sarah Church b. 4/1/1821, Charles Warren b. 6/6/1827 and Horace b. 9/29/1829.
The 1850 Andover Valuation of Isaac Holt’s property; Dwelling house $1400, barn & shed $250, Pearson house $300, Jaqueth House & shop $300, 3 aces adjoining building $180, 14 acres Parsonage lot $910, 26 acres Rogers’ Brook lot $800, 2 acres Blunt meadow $50 = $4190. Farm stock $235.
Ezra died of lung fever, Influenza on April 14, 1858 at age 70y 7m. Elizabeth inherited his estate and held the property 7 more years then selling to Mary A. Stevens on April 18, 1866 for $5000 which include the house lot and the Parsonage meadow.

Mary Stevens married Henry B. Ensworth shortly after and sold the property for $5000 to Widow Nancy M. Berry on Nov. 16, 1867. Nancy Maria Clark was born in 1828 in Eastport, ME but was living in Newburyport, MA when she married Milton Berry b. June 10, 1829 in Middleton, MA, a Physician, son of Washington & Mariah (Dale) Berry. Milton’s practice was in Reading prior to moving to Andover. AA 1861- Milton Berry MD, Physician & Surgeon
Essex St. – Residence near Messrs Dodge & Beard’s store at the residence formerly occupied by Gamaliel Gleason. [14 Essex St. Brick house]
Sadly Milton died on Dec. 15, 1866 of Typhoid fever at age 37y 5m. The Andover Advertiser Dec. 17, 1866 – “The death of Doct. Milton Berry has cast a gloom over the community. He had a very extensive practice, was devoted to his profession and beloved by his patrons. Naturally kind, and generous, he won a host of friends, and his main purpose in life was to alleviate the sufferings, and contribute to the comfort and happiness of all within the sphere of his influence. He has been taken away in the midst of great usefulness, but his memory will be cherished with the tenderest recollections…”

His Widow Nancy M. Berry purchased the old Blunt homestead the following year. Nancy & Milton had four children; Forest G. b. 2/7/1856 in Newton, MA, Carrie Edna b. 3/29/1858 in Reading, Millie Etta b. 11/1/1859 Reading, and Dora Snow b. 5/17/1866 in Andover. Nancy opened her home as a boarding house for Phillips Academy boys and Andover Theological Seminary students. The 1870 Census list Nancy her children and Mary Driscoll age 28 Cook, Ire. and Ellen Hays 22, Chamber girl Ire. Boarders included ten Phillips Academy boys, five ATS students and one Clergyman Sherwood Dickerman age 27 from CT. Nancy’s home continued as a boarding house after her death on May 13. 1890.
AA- May 16, 1890 – “The death of Mrs. N. M. Berry occurred at her residence on Salem Street last Tuesday. Deceased has been a resident of this town for many years and had gathered around her a large circle of friends…”
AT May 16, 1890 – “… Mrs. Berry’s life was one of noble usefulness. The value of her influence of the young men who lived beneath her roof was very great. Her strong, generous, faithful nature, was felt by them as a guiding uplifting, often restraining force.”
Nancy’s estate and the property were inherited by her daughters Dora and Carrie who continued to board students. Carrie died on April 17, 1893 at age 35 of appendicitis. The 1900 Census list Dora, age 34,Emma J. Bean b. Nov. 1843 in NH age 56 an Assistant Librarian at the Academy, Ann W. Phillips b. Dec. 1832 age 68 and one student John V. B. Cox b. Sept. 1881 age 18 from Tenn. In 1910 Just Dora and Emma Bean are enumerated.

Dora Berry sold the property to Warren L. Johnson, wife Mattie on June 22, 1912. Warren Lincoln Johnson was born on Jan. 12, 1865 in Wilmington, MA son of Horatio & Elizabeth Johnson. Warren married in 1889 in Proctor, Nova Scotia to Martha “Mattie” Crocket b. Feb. 1862 in Middle River, Pictou, NS. Dau. of William P. & Margaret Jane (Archibald) Crocket. They had four children; Edith H. b. Nov. 1890 N.S., Elizabeth Margaret b. Nov. 11, 1892 N.S. – d. Oct. 29, 1916 Grad. of Abbot Academy 1914, Gile C. b. May 1895 and Muriel A. b. Dec. 1899. In 1900 & 1910 they lived at 18 Morton St. and Warren is listed as a florist, with shop. In 1920 Census Johnson is listed as manager of boarding house with wife Mattie, Edith 28 was teaching 3rd grade at John Dove School hired in 1913, Gile C. 23 was a Wool buyer and Muriel 20 was at home. Also two servants, sisters Mariam 28 and Margaret 23 Murphy from NY. No students are enumerated at 20 Salem St. Johnson sold the east portion of the property to Ahlers Association, Lawton S. Brayton, Pres. on Dec. 23, 1912 and then the Blunt-Berry house on June 27, 1921.
Johnson is still listed as the resident in the house in 1923 and by 1926 William & Nettie had removed to Nova Scotia. Their daughter Edith married Douglas Donald,
Blunt- Berry house continued as a dormitory and faculty housing until razed in 1930.