History:

Hannah Merrill and William Boynton 

     Hannah Merrill, the widow of Alfred Foster, is the first known occupant of this house. Mr. Foster served as the Bedford Town Clerk from 1818 through his death in 1827. There is no known documentation of his residing on this site, so it is believed the house was constructed for his widow after his death. Foster’s lot was located at Bedford Center approximately 300 feet southeast of Town Hall and had a central location within the developing town landscape. Ms. Merrill remarried in 1837, and sold the property to William Boynton.

 

Joseph Marshall

     After William Boynton, Joseph Marshall, a shoemaker, owned the land. The house’s location in the Bedford Center may have been advantageous for Mr. Marshall's shoemaking business; however, it is unknown as to whether or not Mr. Marshall was operating his shop from the property.

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David Cheney, Dr. William Wilkins, and Gardner Nevins

     After Mr. Marshall, it is believed David Cheney lived in the house before eventually selling the property to Dr. William Wilkins. Gardner Nevins bought the property from Dr. Wilkins before selling it to David Swett.

 

     During the mid-19th century, a two-story, two-bay ell was added to the house; the exact date and ownership during that addition is unknown.

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David and Margaret Swett
     David Swett acquired the property in 1892.  His occupation is listed as “farmer” on the 1900 population schedule for the Town of Bedford. Shortly after his death in 1901, Swett’s widow, Margaret, sold the property to John and Mandana Roby.

 

John and Mandana Roby

     John Roby, a Civil War veteran, was already in his sixties when he and his wife Mandana moved into the house.  He lived in the house until his death in 1906 and his widow remained in the house until her death in 1924.

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Mary Gove

     In 1925, Mary A. Gove acquired the property, followed by Perham Parker.

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Perham Parker and Rhoda De Nicola; Eugene and Anna Van Loan

     The property was transferred to Parker’s daughter, Rhoda DeNicola in 1937. It is believed that Rhoda demolished the original barn that was attached to the house, but the details of these renovations are undocumented. In 1946, DeNicola sold the house to Eugene Jr. and Anna Van Loan.

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     Around this time, the suburbanization of Bedford began to be reflected in the surrounding landscape. The most significant impact on the setting of this property was the construction of the NH Route 101 bypass in the early 1950s along the southeast edge of the lot. Further evidence of the shift from small farming to suburbanization comes with the changes made to the property during the mid-20th century. In addition to DeNicola’s removal of the barn, the Van Loan's built and installed an in-ground pool in the rear of the house. A local history of Bedford also credits them with making some sort of renovation to the yard (around 1960).

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Gary Perkins and Ryk Bullock

     The Van Loan's sold the property to Gary M. Perkins around 1970, who then sold to the current owner, Ryk R. Bullock in 1976.

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     Bullock transferred the property to his Meetinghouse Road Limited Liability Corporation in 1999. Sometime between 1976 and 1998, a 19th-century barn was moved to the site and connected to the original house, completing the building configuration as it is seen today.

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