Celebrate 300 Years of North Andover History on Saturday

The North Andover Historical Society will be celebrating the 300th birthday of the Parson Barnard House this coming Saturday, Sept. 5th. In honor of this momentous event, the Society will have both an open house and a party too. The party will be held at the house at 179 Osgood Street from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Attendees will be able to tour the house from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at no charge. The party will start at 1:00 p.m., and include live colonial era music at 3 pm and birthday cupcakes between 4 - 5 pm. Costumed interpreters will also explain the history of the house and its residents over time.

The Parson Barnard House is a historic late First Period house. The 2½ story wood frame house was built in 1715 by Parson Thomas Barnard after his previous house burned down. The house is one of the most important First Period houses in New England, due its unique, transitional features and excellent state of preservation. For many years it was believed to be the home of colonial governor Simon Bradstreet and his wife Anne. The house was purchased in 1950 by the North Andover Historical Society, and is open for tours seasonally. The property also includes a late 18th-century carriage house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and included in the North Andover Center Historic District in 1979.

The North Andover Historical Society, located in the Old Center, is a privately supported, educational non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the town’s history. In addition to the Parson Barnard House, the Society maintains other historic properties, including 1789 Johnson Cottage at 153 Academy Road, and the Hay Scales building on the old common. The Society has collections of early New England furniture, pewter, tools, household items and local artifacts and maintains a Library and Archive which houses personal, town, and church records documenting the community since 1646. .