Shedd-Preston House (Friendship Manor)
This is one of the homes located in the National Register of Historic Places, New Ipswich Center Village Historic District. Center village is bounded roughly by Turnpike Road, Porter Hill Road, Main Street, Route 123A, Preston Hill Road, Manley Road and King Road.
This is the description of the #83 property in the National Register:
This house was built, probably about 1835, by Charles Shedd, who was Preceptor of New Ipswich Academy from 1835 until 1841. The Academy was then housed next door to the south at #84. Under his leadership the Academy's first dormitory, Students Hall, now disappeared, was built just north of this house. The next owner was Charles Keyes Bullard (1801-1860), who owned it by 1850. It then passed to his sister, Clarissa Granger (1802-1879), and then to her daughter, Martha, and her husband, William A. Preston (1834-1902). Preston was also Perceptor of the Academy, from 1874 until his death, for 28 years. In 1853 the Academy had moved to its new location (#31) on Appleton Common and been renamed Appleton Academy to honor the generous contributions of Samuel Appleton. William's son, John (1860-1930) inherited the house and lived in it until his death. During the 1940's the house became a home for wayward boys, known as "Hillsboro Haven". It then became a nursing home for a short time before being converted in the 1950's into a retirement home known as "Friendship Manor".
I'm curious about the history of it as a home for "wayward boys". A friend mention that that abuse took place. A Google search revealed nothing. If any reader has information, please add a comment.
Only a Picture Stops Time (This Blog)
Readers of my previous posts may notice that this a different publishing platform than my Final Chapter Substack page. Although Substack is easy to use it lacks some of the tagging and archiving features that are useful when cataloging these old photos.
Thanks for reading.
Bill Thoms Jr here. My father purchased Friendship Manor in the early '60s and I became his helper, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, handing trash, moving furniture, carrying breakfast rays to residents, etc. I have many memories of Friendship Manor employees and residents. I have been in every room and space multiple times, including an attic space accessible only by a ceiling hatch where I found a wooden billy club hanging from a rafter. This made me wonder what went on there when it was a home for troubled boys. Friendship Manor became a springboard for my father's successful career move into nursing home management. Dorothea Preston met her husband, John, when she moved to New Ipswich to work with children at Friendship Manor. An earlier connection to its next door New Ipswich Academy was attendance there by a 3gr-grandfather, Colonel Ivers Phillips, born in Ashburnham in 1805 . Undoubtedly he boarded nearby while a student. If the Historical Society has records for the Academy I'd welcome learning the dates of his attendance.
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