2 Dundee Park

Architectural Description: 

Typical Industrial building for manufacturing, large windows for natural light - north - south orientation.

Historical Narrative: 

This building was built in stages by the Smith & Dove Manufacturing Company (1835-1927) and referred to as Mill #5 the Finishing & Shipping MIll. The front 1/3rd trapezoidal portion was completed in 1905. The rear 2/3rds was added in 1907 and a third floor was later constructed over the original portion before WWI. The odd shape of the building was designed to conform to the lot line and to allow a spur track from the Boston & Main Railroad to be brought in to load and unload raw and finished materials in their new warehouse to the north.
Andover Townsman - April 26, 1907 - "To Enlarge Plant"
Smith & Dove Mfg. Co. To Build Addition to Shipping Building Near Boston & Maine Tracks.
.... The Smith and Dove factory will increase their product about 25%.
These changes will mean a great deal to Andover in the employment of additional help.
The addition which is contemplated at Smith & Dove's is to consist of a two-story brick building, 327 feet long and 62 feet wide, and will be connected with present shipping building near the Boston & Maine R. R. tracks. The addition will run toward the Howarth property.
G. H. Cutting & Co. of Worcester, have been given the contract, and work will begin on the new structure next week. It is expected that the building will be finished in about four months.
The addition will be used a a Tow Mill, and all the tow machinery, together with two new systems of tow preparing and additional spinning, will be installed in this building. This will allow of a rearrangement of the flax machinery in the present mills and the addition of two new systems of flax preparing with the necessary hackling, spinning and twisting.
It will probably be the first of next year before all of the new machinery can be put in place.
The company also contemplate building a number of tenement houses for their help."

Abbott Village was established early in the 1800's with the more than adequate source of water to power the mills. Abel & Paschal Abbott moved their wool mill operation here from the North Parish about 1815. Abiel Russell was their first foreman and Daniel Saunders leased a portion from 1817-1825. James Howarth established a wool mill 1824-1847, building the stone mill on the east side of the river. This building is sited on the former Howarth 10 acre homestead lot. The Abbot brothers had a successful business until about 1838 when the market took a down turn. Creditors sold the Abbott Mill buildings to Smith & Dove Co. in 1843. Howarth Mill was acquired in 1847.

Smith & Dove Co. produced linen thread and was established in Frye Village (Shawsheen Village) in 1835. The company founders John Smith, Peter Smith and John Dove were all Scottish immigrants from Brechin in County Angus. The company continued operations in both Frye and Abbott Villages gradually relocating all production up river to this location. In 1865 they became the Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co., Inc. producing linen thread for shoe laces, carpets and sail cloth. Later operations included broad cloth. Smith & Dove claimed to be the first linen production manufacturer in the United States.

The company continued to expand operations through the years and by 1894 had completely abandoned the former plants in Frye Village. A new Main Mill plant opened in 1894 in Abbott Village and improvements continued well into the first decade of the 20th century.

The Smith and Dove families were active in community affairs, contributors to educational institutions and helped establish Memorial Hall Library. They were all abolitionists, with John Smith and John Dove charter members of the Free Christian Church, which John Smith established. It would be the second generation of the Smith & Dove families that expanded the Abbott Village mill buildings to meet the needs of the 20th century. Worker housing, a village hall, recreational facilities and a pension fund were all established to help their operatives.

In 1927 the Smith & Dove Co. was sold to the Trustees of the Ludlow Manufacturing Associates of Ludlow, MA makers of hemp cording. The housing real estate was placed in the Smith & Dove Tenements, Inc. that year, changing the name to Andover Homes, Inc. that then sold off the housing stock to private hands. The company operations were moved to Ludlow, MA and the mill closed in 1928.

The Indian Ridge Co.,Inc. acquired the mill properties and some of the housing stock. Through the company treasurer Virgil D. Harrington the mill buildings were then parceled off sold to private investors.

M. T. Stevens & Sons Co., Inc. purchased this building and the 1 Dundee Park building on Nov. 8, 1937. The Stevens Co. was established in North Andover and acquired the Marland Mills Co. on Stevens St. (now Atria Place senior living apts.) in 1879. This property was used by the Stevens Co. for wool storage. The access to the railroad line for shipping and receiving goods for their Andover operation made this a desirable site.

The Stevens Co. named the building the Dundee Warehouse thus coining the name that most residents associate with the former Smith & Dove Co. complex today. Both Smith and Dove were from Brechin, Scotland but many operatives hailed from Dundee in the same county. In September 1946 the company consolidated and the name became J. P. Stevens & Sons Co. With the closing of the Marland Mill operation in 1970 the properties were sold off.

CRG, Inc. of Andover purchased the 10.7 acre property on June 15, 1971. C.R.G. Inc, was owned by business partners Paul W. Crowin and Augustine "Gus" Sheehy.
In September 1973 the Dundee Trust was created with Augustine Sheehy, Peter J. Brennan and the Arlington Trust Co. as trustees. Gus Sheehy then sole owner on Aug. 7, 1974.

The property was then sold to Jordan J. Burgess on Nov. 23, 1982. It was during his ownership that the property was developed into the "Dundee Office Park" we know today. The former warehouse buildings were completely redesigned and the exteriors restored. Mill #5 became Dundee Park II and III. Exposed brick, wood beams, sky lights, new windows and mechanical upgrades and original oak stairways all completed with historic renovation in mind. The buildings were marketed as a unique professional office park for research & development, electronics or light assembly.
The building were ready for leasing in the fall of 1984. With the downturn in the economy the leasing did not meet the necessary occupancy rate and the banks foreclosed. The Lawrence Savings Bank and Essex Holdings Inc. took possession of the property on Aug. 19, 1985.

Dundee Office Park Joint Venture purchased the buildings on June 25, 1993 and is now held in ownership under the name Dundee Office Park LLC on Aug. 1, 1996.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. 75th Anniversary 1910
Andover"s Industrial Souvenir 1896 - A History of local businesses

1 Dundee Park – (55-4) – 10.7 acres –
See map plans - #1070 Nov. 8, 1937 and #8054 Dec. 1978

#1. - blt. 1875 - 1880 - One Dundee Park
#2. - blt. 1905 - Two Dundee Park - Mill #5
#3. - blt. 1976 - Warehouse
#4. - blt. 1979 – Health Club

Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. 1843 – 1927
Smith & Dove Tenements, Inc. – Feb. 21, 1927 – b. 529 p. 583
Ludow Manufacturing Associates, Trustees, Robert Amory – June 15, 1928 – b. 542 p. 376
Indian Ridge Co. Inc. – Virgil D. Harrington, Treas. – Nov. 14, 1932 – b. 567 p. 267
M. T. Stevens & Sons Co., Inc. – Nov. 8, 1937 – 611 p. 450
J. P. Stevens & Sons Co., Inc. – Sept. 3, 1946 - b. 690 p.1 amended deed
CRG, Inc. – June 15, 1971 – b. 1173 p. 2
C.R.G. Inc, Paul W. Crowin & Augustine Sheehy – May 4, 1972 – b. 1192 p. 367
Dundee Trust, Augustine Sheehy, Peter J. Brennan and Arlington Trust Co., trustees – Sept. 21, 1973 p. 1228 p. 440 and p. 494
Augustine P. Sheehy – Aug. 7, 1974 – b. 1246 p. 726
Jordan J. Burgess – Nov. 23, 1982 – b. 1622 p. 75
Lawrence Savings Bank – Essex Holdings Inc. – Aug. 19, 1985 – 2026 p. 39 foreclosure
Dundee Office Park Joint Venture – June 25, 1993 – b. 3768 p. 251
Dundee Office Park LLC – Aug. 1, 1996 – b. 4561 p. 266

Inventory Data:

StreetDundee Park
PlaceAbbott Village - Dundee Park
Historic DistrictAndover Village Industrial NRH District
Historic NameShipping & Tow Mill - Smith & Dove Manf. Co.
Present UseMulti Businesses
Original UseSmith & Dove Manf. Co.
Construction Date1905
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationstone/granite/brick
Wall/Trimbrick/granite lintels
Roofasphalt/gravel- flat
Outbuildings / Secondary Structuresthree secondary buildings built 1875 - storage for Raw & Manufactured Stock #9 - #10- #11 - #12 - #13 - #14 1976 - Concrete block 1979 - Health Club
Major AlterationsInterior renovations and exterior restoration 1984
Conditionexcellent
Acreage10.7 acres
SettingIndustrial/commercial
Map and parcel55-3
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredDec. 26, 2014

Images: 

Map: