North Andover Historical Society
Spring Newsletter 2019
Our Mission: Seek, Save and Share North Andover history!
Tales from the Archive: Wilson’s Corner The busy intersection in North Andover where Route 114 crosses Route 125 and Andover Street is known to most for the location of Merrimack College, or perhaps Bertucci’s restaurant (the former Thompson’s restaurant). The building in the center background of this photo is home today to the Circle Insurance Firm (471 Andover Street). The building on the right is long gone — this was the ancestral farm of the Wilson family. Joseph Wilson (16431718) was in town by 1670 when he married Mary Lovejoy. Mary died 10 days after giving birth to a son, so Joseph remarried 10 months later in 1678 to Sarah Lord. Approximately 20 years later Sarah, and their daughter Sarah Jr. ,would be swept up in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Both women confessed to accusations although neither were brought to trial. Not long after this episode, at a Town Meeting in 1701 it was voted that a school house be erected at the “parting of the ways” by Joseph Wilson’s farm. This was in response to a state law which required every town of 100 families or more to have a school. This intersection has been a cross roads since the 17th century. The Wilson property passed down through son John, to grandson John, to his son Joshua, a deacon in the North Parish Church. In addition to the farm, Joshua had property in Wilton NH; it appears to have been a quarry, as his probate lists him as a “gravel farmer”. By 1850 the property had been in Wilson hands for nearly 200 years. Joshua’s son Isaac was a very wealthy man, the town Land Valuation for that year notes his dwelling house was worth $2000, and he held 278 acres valued over $8000, with stocks and loan interests of $3000—a modern equivalent of a millionaire. Isaac had two sons, his youngest son Henry died of consumption in 1863, which meant the farm went in its entirety to eldest son Abiel Wilson (1828—1899). Along with the farm, Abiel inherited a reputation of having large sums of money stashed in his house. A local newspaper report from 1881 described a man plagued by frequent break-ins, culminating with a fatal home invasion. Two Phillips Academy students, 21 year old twins, were shot at when they roused Wilson in the early morning hours. Luther Foster escaped, but his brother Arthur was killed. A sensational trial followed, and the homestead drew “large crowds” of curiosity seekers for months afterwards. Abiel was a bachelor, and upon his death he became the last Wilson to own the farm. It passed hands for several decades and in the later 20th century the farmhouse was finally pulled down and the remaining land attached was developed into commercial property. [Continued on page 3]
The North Andover Historical Society Established 1913
Headquarters: 153 Academy Road North Andover , MA 01845 Contact us: Phone: (978) 686-4035 director.nahistory@gmail.com archives.nahistory@gmail.com collections.nahistory@gmail.com textilearts.nahistory@gmail.com
Visit us: northandoverhistoricalsociety.org
Staff Executive Director: Carol Majahad Curator of Research and Archive Materials: Inga Larson Collections Manager: Jan Williams Textile Arts: Kathy Hibour
Board of Directors Officers President: Stan Limpert Vice President: Joe LaGrasse Secretary: Christian McVey Treasurer: Kathy Stevens
Directors Chris Allen Marion Donahue Susan Haltmaier Diane Huster Kara Kaufman Mark Svendsen Ashley Vaillancourt James Worden