395 South Main – 81-30 – 0.45914 acre

Jerimiah Goldsmith b. 1762, son of William & Hannah (Burnham) Goldsmith. His father William was a large land holder in Andover, said to have held 1000 acres prior to moving here. William enlisted in the Andover Militia under Capt. Henry Abbott’s company and marched on the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775. His son Jeremiah, age 16, was a drummer boy in Capt. John Abbott’s company, in reinforcement of the army in Cambridge on Dec. 9, 1775. Jeremiah remained in service through-out the war as a Private. He was present at Burgoyne’s surrender and stood a few yards from General Gates. “His graphic description of this historic event is remembered to this day by many who listened to it from his lips.” Jeremiah was a government pensioner from 1831-1842.

Jeremiah married Dec. 30, 1788 in Bedford, MA to Sarah Convers b. 1767. Jeremiah purchased the farm of Jacob Holt on South Main St. (Essex Turnpike in 1806) for 300 pounds. It contained 60 acres on the west side of the road, a dwelling house and barn and a two acre lot across the street. The farm extended down to Rattlesnake Rd. to the south and the Cogswell farm to the north.

Jerimiah and Sarah joined the South Church on June 24, 1798. They had eleven children: Sarah b. Nov. 1, 1789, Elizabeth b. Aug. 29, 1791, William b. Mar. 19, 1793, Mary Convers b. Feb. 17, 1795, Clarissa b. Apr. 11, 1797, Jeremiah b. Oct. 24, 1799, Aphia b. Feb. 24, 1801, Joseph Convers b. Apr. 1, 1803, Hannah Burnham b. May 17, 1805, Joshua b. Mar. 27, 1807 and Lozina b. Jan. 27, 1813. By 1819 Jeremiah was “non-compos mentis”, not of sound mind, and David Gray and Steven Abbott were appointed Guardians of his estate in June 1819. Portions of the farm were sold off. Son Jeremiah Jr. would acquire the homestead farm in 1831 the year his father became a pensioner. Jeremiah Sr. died on July 15, 1842 age 80. His widow Sarah removed to the Baptist Church in 1828. She died Mar. 3, 1849 age 81y 10m. They are interred in South Parish Cemetery.

Jerimiah Goldsmith Jr. b. Oct. 24, 1799 married Nov. 7, 1831 to Elizabeth Gleason of Billerica b. 1805 dau. of William & Sarah Gleason. Jeremiah purchased 56 acres of land from Stephen Abbott on March 9, 1832 for $1850. The property was on the west side of South Main Street. They had six children. William Gleason b. Nov. 18, 1832 -d. Oct. 7, 1910, Elizabeth b. Dec. 23, 1834 - d. Oct. 12, 1854, Weymouth (Braintree), MA Typhoid fever age 19y 9m, Jeremiah b. Mar. 27, 1837 - d. Aug. 20, 1871 in FL, Josiah b. Oct. 8, 1939 - d. May 24, 1883, 43y 7m 16d of Acute Laryngitis, Albert b. June 11, 1842 - d. Feb. 7, 1918 in ME, Civil War Vet, MA 1st HA m. Mary E. White, Joshua b. Apr. 3, 1845 - d. Dec. 29, 1851 - 6y 8m Scarlet fever

Jerimiah Goldsmith Jr. was one of the founders of and investors in the Andover Baptist Church in 1832. He held the deeds to 40 pews, a portion of the basement stores. He also held a pew and horse shed in the South Church Meeting house.

The 1850 Valuation lists Jeremiah’s extensive property of 324½ acres of land in 8 parcels. Dwelling house $1500, barn $500, store under B. Church $900, Old place Dwelling house $400, barn $100, 28 acre adjoining buildings $840 and Old house $200. Total $9850. Farm Stock $322, Money $2000, 2 Andover Bank shares $180. The 1860 Valuation has risen to $10,415. His brother Joseph C. is assessed for 3 acres and a dwelling house $564. (14 Ballardvale Rd.)
The 1850 Census lists all the Goldsmith family and Michael Dowdy age 25 b. Ireland a laborer. The 1860 Valuation 345 acres and an increase value to $10,415. Jeremiah died on Jan. 28, 1864 at age 66y 8m and is interred at South Church Cemetery.
The State Census of 1865 list son William G. age 39 Teacher, wife Joanna B. age 19, his mother Elizabeth 58, and brothers Josiah 25, laborer, Jeremiah 28 and Albert 22 Soldiers. Olive Heath 17 a Domestic and James Carrier 32, b. Scotland Laborer.

Jeremiah’s estate gave the homestead, barn and 56 aces adjoining to his widow Elizabeth. Son Jeremiah III died on Aug. 10, 1871 in Gainesville, FL and Josiah died May 24, 1883 age 43y 7m of acute laryngitis, The Goldsmith property remained with the family until 1910. The farm was rented.

The remainder of the estate was partitioned off to his sons. William G. would inherit the homestead land on South Main St. His mother Elizabeth is assessed in 1870 for the homestead House $1500, barn $600 and 56 acres of land $1800. Elizabeth died on Sept. 12, 1895 at the home of son William on Elm St.

Oldest child William Gleason Goldsmith married Joanna B. Holt b. Sept. 19, 1845. They had three children: Clara G. b. Feb. 16, 1866 - d. Mar. 4, 1873, Clarence b. May 29, 1874 and Bessie Punchard b. Nov. 11, 1882. William graduated from Harvard, became Principal of Punchard Free School, (Andover's high school), from 1858-1870 and 1871-1883. William taught briefly at Phillips Academy and served as interim head master. He was first President of the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS).

William bought the former Valpey home at 60 Elm St and 34,280 sq. foot parcel for $4500 on March 23, 1874. His family was raised there but he retained the family homestead. His daughter, Bessie Punchard Goldsmith was a competent local historian, a teacher, charter member of the November Club and the Andover Garden Club and served on the Andover Police Force. William G. Goldsmith died on Oct. 7, 1910 and his wife Joanna B. on Feb. 1, 1922.

Of his siblings, Jeremiah and Albert enlisted in the Army during the Civil War. Jerrey was Private in MA Co. B. 11th Infantry mustered out in Washington, DC in June 1865. Josiah & Albert went to Phillips Academy and enrolled in the English Department. Sister Elizabeth attended Newbury Seminary & Female Collegiate Institute in Vermont but died of Typhoid Fever at age 19y 9m on Oct. 12, 1854.

The Goldsmith Homestead was leased out after the Jeremiah and Joshua died and Albert had moved to Maine.

AA Jan. 22, 1886 – p. 3 col 1 – Monday morning the residents in this part of town, were very much surprised to learn that and exceptionally large fire had taken place Sunday evening about 11 o’clock in Scotland District. Inquiry developed the fact that the house owned by the heirs of the late Jerimiah Goldsmith and occupied by Mr. Fred O. Parker had burned to the ground. The fire originated in the barn, and had made considerable headway before the occupants of the house were aware of it. Mrs. Parker fortunately awakened, and noticed the red glow on her curtain went immediately to the window to find the barn an embodiment of flame and smoke. She called her husband and spread the alarm through the house in season to give all ample time to make good their escape, which they did uninjured. The loss includes a house, barn, adjoining shed, two horses, seven cows, carriages, farm wagons, and all necessary tools which are included in a farm stock. The insurance on the personal property we have been unable to find out, the amount of loss in also in darkness. The loss of the house, barn and sheds is about $3800. Insurance $2000. Mrs. Parker speaks of the kindness received from her neighbors, and is at present in the house of Mrs. Stephen D. Abbot, with her family. This is unquestionably another case of incendiarism. As to whom the perpetrators are we have no idea, but we certainly hope that if the Police do not take the matter in hands the insurance agents will. A young man employed on the farm is sure tramps being in the barn on last Sunday evening. Now if this is the work of tramps (which we doubt) we know of no way in which this thing can be found, but if it’s the cowardly work of a citizen of this town, no pains should be spared to ferret it.

A new home was erected on the site of the former Goldsmith Homestead, most likely by William G. Goldsmith as he had built a few houses on Maple Ave. on land of his home at 60 Elm St. Elizabeth died on Sept. 12, 1895 at the home of her son William a month shy of her 90th birthday.

William Goldsmith sold the homestead property just prior of his death to Fred H. Smith, wife Blanche on June 28, 1910. Smith held for ten years then sold on Oct. 5, 1920 to developers S. Leland Montague of Cambridge and Frank M. Morton of Newton. They created the Alderbrook Farm Inter City Trust on Sept. 1, 1919. Alderbrook Road was constructed and house lots sold off.

Sarah R. Carman, wife of Nathan purchased lot #1 with the home on Sept. 30, 1921. Carmen sold to Mabel I. Foss, wife of Albert E. Foss on June 2, 1923. Albert E. Foss was born on Aug. 28, 1880 in North Andover, son of Eugene P. & Ella F. (Tucker) Foss. Albert first worked as a milkman and later became an auto mechanic. Albert worked for Mearscough & Buchan at 90 Main St. then later had his own shop Academy Garage at 30-32 Park St. in 1928. Albert married on Sept. 10, 1902 in Lawrence, MA to Aura A. Joy b. in North Hatley, Canada, dau. of William A. & Hattie E. (Hartwell) Joy. They had one son Lauren Albert Foss born Jan. 24, 1906 in North Andover. Albert remarried to Mabel Irene Bennett b. Nov. 10, 1889 in Bridgeport, CT, dau of Walter & Daisy O. (Steele) Bennett. Foss owned for 44 years.