New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
Chas. Tucker's residence c.1900
Behind the Door: 14 Shedd Road
by Mary Atai (December 2023)
David remarried Martha Ann Dean. They had a child named Harriet Ann Todd, who grew up to become Bob Todd's great-aunt Hattie, whom he was fond of. David died in 1897. His occupation is listed as "farmer" and his cause of death is listed as "exhaustion." Enough said.
About 1864 Joseph Shaw Tucker and his five children moved from Goffstown to New Boston and bought this property. Although Joseph was a farmer, there is documentation that in 1869 he was paid $2.00 by the town each time he "blasted stone" for the building of a local road. He granted right of way to the town across his land in 1877. By 1893, when Joseph died, he owned 88 acres. His son, Charles W. Tucker, who never married, continued to live in the house until his death in 1918. Charles also owned what has become known as Tucker Mill, which he bought from the heirs of George Hadley around 1883, when it was worth $100. When Charles died, the mill was bought back by the Hadleys.
Fred Hodge bought this property in 1920 from Charles Tucker's siblings. It was then 86 acres, worth $1500. Hodge is a name well recognized in the town, as Fred would go on to become town clerk in 1942 and stay in the position for 19 years, after which time his wife, Mabel, continued in the position for another 16 years.
Then, in 1928, Fred Hodge sold to Albert Shedd. Albert had been born in New Boston. After teaching agriculture at Bussy Institute at Harvard, he moved back. He was an orchardist and planted many apple and cherry trees on the property. He was selectman for 17 years and represented New Boston in the state legislature for six two-year terms.
Albert sold the property in 1952 to Mary and Edmund Schwabe They never lived there full time. Even now some remember going there to pick apples in the 1950s.
The Jencks family no longer lived there by 2002, when Kary married Noel Sagna. However, the new owners, Jed Callen and Carol Hess, let Kary have the wedding there. The beautiful ceremony included a horse-drawn buggy. Kary is currently a selectman.
Bob Jencks at the reins; Devon beside him
Then, in 2021 Ted and Michele Cutler moved to town. They are comfortable with rural life, having previously lived on a dirt road in Colorado for seven years. They have two rescue horses on the twelve acres. Already they have made a lot of improvements, including a beautiful kitchen remodel, done in greens and browns, bringing the colors of the outside in. Repurposing part of the old, damaged counters made from cherry wood grown on the property, they created a stunning smaller counter for their elaborate coffee bar. Reinforcing the saying that nothing is ever easy, when they updated the walls, they encountered first shiplap, then a layer of tile, and under that horsehair plaster, and then wood.
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