Farms

Developers eyed the extensive farmland in West Andover after World War II. Once Routes 495 and 93 were built, the area became a prime target for industry. One by one farmers sold their land and businesses moved in and residential dwellings were constructed.

In 1920 the population of Andover was 8,268. There were 206 farms. 
In 1950 the population of Andover was 12,437. There were 92 farms.
In 2005 the population of Andover was 31,247. There were 5 farms.

See

• "Andover's Last Farms," Andover Townsman, August 4, 2005, pages 4 and 5.
• "No frills: Growing up on West Andover farms," Andover Townsman, December 21, 2006, page 30.

Bailey Farm

The Bailey Farm on Laurel Lane was bought by Roger Lewis in 1939. In 1968 it was sold to Arkright-Boston, who leased the property to Hewlitt Packard. The farm specialized in strawberries.

See

• Andover Century of Change by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 66, page 67 and page 229. by Eleanor Motley Richardson

Barker's Farm

Barker's Farm, located on the shore of Lake Cochichawick in what is now North Andover, was registered in 1643 by Richard Barker. This, the first parcel of registered land in Andover, encompased 310 acres. The farm still is in operation today.

See

• Founding Farms: Portraits of Five Massachusetts Family Farms., photographs by Stan Sherer, profiles by Michael E. C. Gery, 338.16 She

Bolton's Clover Farm

Bolton's clover farm, was located on Lowell Street. It was part of the original Woods farm that was sold after William Wood's death. Clover, grown on a large portion of the farm, was used for feed for the farm's cattle.

See

• Andover, What It Was, What It Is. : 300th Anniversary, May 30 - June 2, 1946, Section 8 - Andover's Industries and Business Houses (974.45 And)

Cavallaro Poultry Farm

Five poultry farms existed in "South Andover" in the 1930s and 1940s. The Cavallaro Poultry Farm was at 498 South Main Street. They sold eggs and broilers, raising about 5,000 chickens at a time. The farm closed in 1955.

See

• "Five poultry farms once had their roosts in "South" Andover," Andover Townsman, January 4, 2007.

Dargoonian Farm

Dargoonian Farm was founded in the 1920s by Ben and Red Dargoonian who handed the farm down to Tom. The farm has 14 greenhouses. Ten thousand pots of poinsettias are grown for the Christmas season.

See

• "What's red and green and sold all over?," Andover Townsman, December 7, 2006.
• "Down on the farm: Students get lesson in agriculture," Andover Townsman, May 22, 2008, page 6.
• "Sole survivor: Andover's last farm carries on family tradition," Andover Townsman, July 18, 2013, p.1.

Funari Farm

A granite marker, dedicated to the founders, appears on the Furnari Farm site. It was a 50 acre farm on the banks of the Merrimack River. Part of the old farm now belongs to Avis.

See

• Funaris Honor Forebears Who Made Them a Home. (photo of family and plaque) Eagle Tribune, July 11, 2003.

Hood Farm

Hood Farm stood on River Road, stretching hundreds of acres from north Tewksbury to West Andover. It included Jersey stock and Berkshire swine. In 1922, Hood Farm closed due to Charles Hood's failing health. The Friars of St. Francis purchased the farmhouse.

See

• "Past and Present: Hood Farm and the St. Francis Seraphic Seminary," (photo) Andover Townsman, May 15, 2003.
• "Hood memories," Andover Townsman, June 19, 2003.
• "Hood Farm's prized cattle once grazed on Franciscan friars' land,"Andover Townsman, December 18, 2014, p. 12.
  

..."Hood Farm's prized cattle once grazed on Franciscan friars' land,".... click to enlarge

Lewis Farm

Roger Lewis, owner of the Lewis Farm on Lowell Street, helped to pass legislation stop development of farmland. The Agricultural Restriction Law provided funds for farmers to enable them to continue farming their land and resist the high sums offered by developers. Mr. Lewis did sell some of his land to developers and then bought a farm in South Deerfield where the cost of land was cheaper than in Andover.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 66 to page 67.
• Photos of the Lewis Farm
• "Past and Present: The Lewis Farm and the Andover Animal Hospital," Andover Townsman, May 29, 2003.

Livingston's Apple Farm

Livingston's Apple Farm was located on both sides of Lowell Street beyond Haggetts Pond. In addition to apples the farm produced vegetables, including corn, carrots and peas and other fruits, including pears and peaches.

See

• "Sharing Fond Memories of Working on Livingston's AppleFarm, 1951", Townsman, March 19, 2009. This article can be found in the Andover file under farms.

Loosigian Farm

The Loosigian Farm, located on Lowell Street, has been a working farm since 1910.

...Peter Loosigian at Strawberry Hill Farm.... click to enlarge

See

• "Loosigian: 81 Years and Counting," Andover Townsman, April 4, 2002, page 1.
• "84 and going strong," Andover Townsman, August 4, 2005, page 5.
• "Farm Bounty Recovering from Wet Spring," Andover Townsman, July 20, 2006.
• "Granddaughter Recalls Strong-Willed "Andover Annie","(photo) Andover Townsman, September 22, 2011, p.10.
• "Peter Ohan Loosigian: A Remembrance," Andover Townsman, January 31, 2013, p. 10.

Maddox Farm

The Maddox Farm, located on the Merrimack River, once encompased a huge tract of land but as of October 1999 the Maddox family had sold all but two small parcels. In the early 1950's they sold to the Loosigian family (see entry above). The Loosigians operated the farm as Pleasantview Farms until 1976, when it was sold for industrial development.

See

• "Family Farm was where HP, Pictel and Cabletron are Today", Breaktime, October 1999.
• "Past and Present," Andover Townsman, June 10, 2004.

Nabydoski Farm

The Nabydoski Farm, encompassing 40 acres, closed in 2005. The town maintained that because the garbage on the farm attracted seagulls, it was responsible for the high coliform count in the Pinnacle Brook and thus posed a health risk.

After a long battle with the town, Mr Nabydoski sold to developer William Johnson in October of 2004, but held the actual sale for more than a year as Mr. Nabydoski negotiated to continue living on the property after the sale was completed.

See

• "Neighbors Say Farm Really Stinks," Andover Townsman, May 8, 2003, page 7.
• "At farm, birds seen as health issue," Andover Townsman, March 18, 2004, page 4.
• "Andover board warns farm of shutdown if birds remain," Eagle Tribune, April 1, 2004.
• "Farm faces fines after changes," Eagle Tribune, July 19, 2004.
• "Developer makes deal for farmer's property," Eagle Tribune, September 10, 2004.
• "Board votes to close Nabydoski farm," Eagle Tribune, December 14, 2004, page 11.
• "Farm shut, lawsuit expected," Andover Townsman, December 16, 2004, page 4.
• "Farmer Agrees to Move the Rest of His Livestock,", Boston Sunday Globe, January 9, 2005.
• "Farmer Wonders What He'll Do Now," Eagle Tribune, January 25, 2005, pages 1 and 8.
• "With cows gone, gulls leave farm," Eagle Tribune, March 7, 2005.
• "Forced-out farmer tried to keep home," Eagle Tribune, June 30, 2005.
• "Ex-farmer: End $1,000-a-day fine," Andover Townsman, August 11, 2005.
• "$1,000 a day fines continue," Andover Townsman, August 18, 2005.
• "Nabydoski's fines continue to soar," Eagle Tribune, September 22, 2005.
• "Gulls return - to everywhere but former Nabydoski farm," Andover Townsman, November 24, 2005.
• "Farmer loses appeal; $460,000 fine upheld," Eagle Tribune, December 21, 2005.
• "Court lets farmer's fines pile," Andover Townsman, December 22, 2005.
• "Nabydoski's Fines Continue to Soar," Eagle Tribune, September, 22, 2005.

Noke Farm

Noke Farm was the summer home of Charles W. Ward of of Brookine in the early 1900's. It was situated on what is now Holt's Hill, the highest peak in Essex County. Nicholas Holt, an ancestor of Ward and one of the first settlers in Andover, was the original owner of the land.

See

• Charles W. Ward Reservation
• The First Three Generations of Holts in America, by the Historical Committee of the Holt Association in America, Andover Room R 929.2 Holt p. 153.

Rennie Farm

The Rennie Farm was located at 61 Argilla Road. One of their major crops were strawberries.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 66.

Richardson Farm

The seventy acre Richardson Farm, located on Elm Street, was sold for the establishment of Merrimack College in 1947.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 175.
• "Past and Present: Richardson Farm and Merrimack College," Andover Townsman, May 29, 2008.

Sarkisian Farm

When Ovogen Sarkisian immigrated from Armenia in 1932 he settled on farmland on Chandler Road in West Andover. When his son Sarkis took over the running of the farm in 1960 he began a retail greenhouse on the property. In 1994, he added a driving range and then an ice cream stand. It no longer functions as a farm.

See

• " Couple has the Drive to Run Sarkisian Farms," Andover Townsman, August 23, 2007.

Shattuck Farm

The Shattuck Farm, previosly owned and operated by the Abbot family and built in 1718, was an operating farm for 250 years. It encompassed seven distinct Native American sites at what is now 125 River Road. Before it became part of the Andover Industrial Park, an archaeological dig was commissioned. Two reports were published, "An Archaeological Survey and the Documentary History of the Shattuck Farm, Andover, Massachusetts," 1981 and "The Camp in the Bend of the River," by Barbara E. Luedtke.

A restaurant in the main house had served baked beans cooked in an old brick oven and an ice cream stand and country store operated on the site.

The Stattuck farm buildings were moved from the original farm site on River Road to a 12 acre piece of land on High Plain Road owned by Terrence and Patricia Sullivan. The buildings had been sold to Digital Coporation for an industrial park.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 37.

• "The Ghosts and Voices of Shattuck Farm," Today, June 18, 1975, page 10.
• "8,000 Years of Man's Past Sought at Shattuck Farms", Andover Townsman, November 11, 1977.
• "Old barn dismantled board by board," Eagle Tribune, October 9, 1980.
• "Shattuck Properties Survive Their Two-Day Journey," Andover Townsman, October 21, 1981, pages 6 and 8.
• "Shattuck Farm: From Native Americans to ice cream," Andover Townsman, November 13, 2008.
• The archaeological studies are held in the Andover Room.

Sylvan Hollow Farm

The Sylvan Hollow farm, a poultry farm, was located on Boutwell Road.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 66.

Turner Farm

The Turner Farm best known for its apple cider and pumpkins for Halloween, was located on South Main Street. See

• Andover: 1946 - 1971 (Andover Room 974.45 And) page 5.

Wild Rose Farm

The Wild Rose Farm, owned by Sid White, was located on Lowell Street. In 1960 Mr. White moved his herd to Argilla Road in 1960 and built a dairy bar on Andover Street. After the Dairy Bar was sold, Village Deli and other businesses occupied the structure.

See

• Andover a Century of Change:1896 - 1996 by Eleanor Motley Richardson, (974.45 Ric), page 26.
• "Past and Present: Sid White's Dair Bar and the Village Deli," Andover Townsman, September 29, 2005.
• "Daughter: Scooping ice cream for Sid White's dairy," Andover Townsman, May 10, 2007, page 36.

--Eleanor 16:02, September 6, 2006 (EDT)
--Leslie 10:33, August 17, 2012 (EDT)
--Leslie 15:05, August 24, 2012 (EDT)
--Kim 18:31, November 28, 2012 (EST)

back to Main Page