18-20 Central Street

Architectural Description: 

The McArdle Building is a contemporary office building inspired from the International style.
The low profile one story structure, flat roof line, sheathed in brick square patterns on facade walls and large glass windows created a very modern building in 1957, in contrast to the traditional structures in the immediate neighborhood at that time.

Historical Narrative: 

The McArdle building was built in 1957 by John J. McArdle, Jr. and wife Nancy Burns McArdle. The building was designed to be a low profile professional office building that embraces the modern International style of the period, comprised of two buildings, 18 Central Street and 20 Central Street joined by a common open breezeway. One building, 18 Central Street, was used by the McArdle family for their medical office space. The second building, 20 Central Street, was rented to Jacque Pierre Salon of Beauty, and later to a temporary staffing company. In 1985, the property was rented to Bank of Boston, which connected the two buildings and expanded the breezeway. Danvers Savings Bank rented the property from 2001 to 2012 and the Reading Co-Operative Bank now occupies the space. The property remains in the McArdle Family Trust.

This location is the historic site of the former Jonathan Swift house, also known as the Thomas Holt house and later the Henry Newman house. The home was a classic New England Cape "Cod" style home nearly identical to the Rose Cottage on the corner of Chestnut and Central Streets, then the next door neighbor at the time they were built. The structure in the rear yard of the property, in the period photograph, is reported by Josiah Quincy in 1853, to be one of Andover's first Post Office buildings that once stood on the corner of Main & Chestnut Streets in the 1780's. It was later moved to the rear of the Newman lot and used as a carpenter's shop. It also served as a shoemakers shop and painter shop.

The property became the home of Thomas Clark in 1853. Clark took a mortgage from Newman to purchase the property and it was later assigned to the Andover Savings Bank in 1855. Clark could not keep up with the payments and the bank took possession of the property in September 1858. The bank held the property for eight years and then sold it Almena Swift wife of Jonathan Swift in May 1876. The Swifts lived across the street at 23 Central St. at the corner of Brook St. then to 53 Main St. where the TD Bank is located today.

The house was rented out by the Swift family. After the death of Almena her estate was inherited by her two daughters, Elizabeth Florence Swift and Kate Adams Swift. The sisters lived together and never married. With their deaths their estates were then sold off on Oct. 18, 1914.

William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Company purchased the property in October 1914 and in February 1921 placed the property in the Arden Trust. An article in the Andover Townsman March 22, 1912? "Old House Gone" The Mark Newman house on Central street is being demolished by workmen. This is said to be one of the oldest houses in town, nearing two hundred and fifty years. The old boards and inside frame are in wonderful state of preservation, and the nails are had made and very free of rust. The old oven used so many years ago is an object of interest. Its modern history is also interesting, as in this house the Free Church was organized in 1845. The property belongs to William M. Wood, president of the American Woolen Co."

Wood later sold the lot to William J. Burns, a merchant with property on Main Street in Nov. 1924. It would be inherited by his brother David S. Burns and wife Florence S. Burns.

Florence Burns sold the land to her daughter, Nancy Burns McArdle, and Nancy's husband, John J. McArdle, Jr., MD, in 1955.

See #16 Central Street for complete history on the historic house.

See map 4231 - Feb. 1961 - Land taking by Town for Rogers Brook project
Right of Way for Merrimack Valley National Bank - Feb. 26, 1965 - b. 1028 p. 490

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA

Owners
Jonathan Swift - 1790s
Jonathan Swift estate, died Mar. 4, 1808 - heir widow Silence Swift
Nathaniel Swift – May 3, 1815 – b. 207 leaf 25 - $500
Thomas Holt, wife Ruth – June 2, 1815 – b. 207 leaf 26 - $1100
Thomas Holt to Henry Skinner & Francis Kidder – June 7, 1826 – b. 241 leaf 289 - $200 mtg.
Thomas Holt to John S. Wilson – Nov. 20, 1826 – b. 243 leaf 284 – $500 mtg.
Wilson to Joseph Faulkner – Dec. 10, 1827 – b. 247 leaf 211
Jos. Faulkner to Warren Richardson – Aug. 12, 1828 – b. 249 leaf 281 – ½ undivided Tan yard.
Valpey, Abbot & Co. Nov. 20, 1826 – foreclose (Samuel Valpey, Joseph Richardson, Richard Merrill & Daniel Abbot (all Butchers, co-partners)
Andover Mechanic Association against John S. Wilson – Sept. 1829 - $190.59 claim
Benjamin Abbot Jr. – Nov. 23, 1829 – b. 256 leaf 205 – at auction $150
Solomon H. Higgins & Thomas Clark – (Painters) Nov. 5, 1830 – b. 256 leaf 205
Eben P. Higgins – Feb. 16, 1835 – b. 282 leaf 132 - $500
Solomon H. Higgins – Nov. 20, 1827 – b. 347 leaf 291
Henry J. Newman & Edward A. Newman – Aug. 6, 1853 – b. 481 leaf 149 - $1500
H. J. & E. A. Newman – to Higgins & Thomas Clark - Aug. 6, 1853 – b. 481 leaf 150 - $1500 mtg.
Newman to Thomas Clark - July 23, 1855 - b. 516 leaf 150 - mtg. assigned to Andover Savings Bank
H. J. & E. A. Newman – to Stephen Wilkins - Feb. 2, 1857 – b. 549 leaf 207 $300 mtg.
H. J. & E. A. Newman – to Henry F. Barnard – Jan. 26, 1858 – b. 564 leaf 254 - $500 mtg.
H. J. & E. A. Newman insolvency, Geo. W. Benson assignee = May 6, 1858 – b. 569 leaf 189
Andover Savings Bank - Sept. 4, 1858 - b. 576 leaf. 102 possession
Almena Swift, wid. of Jonathan - Mar. 1, 1876 - b. 40 p. 194 Lawrence deeds
Almena Swift estate, died Jan 20, 1895 -
Heirs; Elizabeth F. Swift & Kate A. Swift, daughters – Jan. 1895
William M. Wood - Oct. 18, 1914 - b. 357 p. 231
Arden Trust, William M. Wood - Feb. 9, 1921 b. 447 p. 330 see also pages 306, 316 and 342
William J. Burns - Nov. 22, 1924 - b. 506 p. 191
William J. Burns, Estate, heir David S, Burns – d, June 15, 1939
David S. Burns, brother heir, 1939 -1952
David S. Burns estate, Florence S. Burns – d. Aug. 22, 1952
Florence S. Burns Trust - 1952
John J. & Nancy Burns McArdle Jr. - May 9, 1955 - b. 813 p. 40
McArdle Family Trust, John J. & Nancy B. McArdle Jr, Trs - Oct. 22, 1971 - b. 1182 p. 43
McArdle Family Trust, John J. & Nancy B. McArdle Jr, Trs - Dec. 23, 1977 - b. 1328 p. 415
McArdle Family Trust, John J. & Nancy B. McArdle Jr, Trs - Nov. 19, 1991 - b. 3364 p. 141
Nancy Burns McArdle Estate - Aug. 2, 2011 -b. 12693 p. 230
John J. McArdle III - Aug. 2, 2011 - b. 12693 p. 227 Executor's deed
McArdle Family Trust - John J. McArdle III & Theodore Valpey Jr., Trustees - Aug. 2, 2011 - 12693 p. 241 & 251 quit claims
McArdle Family Trust, John J. McArdle trustee - Sept. 17, 2012

Inventory Data:

StreetCentral St
PlaceAndover Center
Historic DistrictCentral Street NRH District
Historic NameMcArdle Building
Present UseBank
Original UseProfessional offices
Construction Date1957
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleInternational
Foundationconcrete
Wall/Trimbrick
Roofasphalt - flat
Conditiongood
Settingcommercial business district
Map and parcel55-82
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredMarch 23, 2014

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