Survey form revised by Barbara Thibault 1987 AHS

Original owner: John Marland
Themes: Architectural, Commerce, Community Development

This was the residence of John Marland, proprietor of Ballardvale Mills. He designed this country "mansion house" to his own liking and according to the taste of his time sparing no expense.

John Marland was born Dec. 19, 1802 in Beverly, MA, was the second son of Abraham & Mary (Sykes) Marland, owner of the Marland Mill on Stevens St. John married June 2,1829 in Framingham, MA to Lucretia Dorr of Boston b. Nov. 14, 1806 in Boston, dau. of John & Esther (Goldwaithe) Dorr. John & Lucretia had seven children; Lucretia Dorr b.5/1830. Frances Ann “Fanny’ b.2/13/1833 d. 3.17. 1836, John Thomas b. 10/8/1835, Mary Bertody b. 9/4/1841, Martha Punchard b. 2/21/1844, Andrew Stewart b. 12/3/1846 and William b. 12/19/1848.

John Marland had several business and real estate ventures including one of the principal owners of the Ballard Vale Company woolen mills and The Ballard Vale Machine Shop 1846. He built the mansion house at 228 Andover St. which was a 200 acre homestead estate. Large gardens stretched down Andover St. and a aquaduct provided water to the property from Porter Road. Unfortunately John’s financial dealings were over extended and he became insolvent in 1849 and his assets were sold. The 1850 Census still lists them in this home.

From 1851 to 1856 John and family lived in England, returning to Andover 1856, then back 1858-1861 to England. They lived in the town of Southport, Civil Parish of North Meols, Lancashire Co. John returned to Andover in 1861 and his family followed in 1862. They occupied the home at 25 High St. which his sister Martha (Marland) Punchard purchased on July 1, 1862 and held in trust for her brother John. John died on April 17, 1865. Widow Lucretia died on May 10, 1887 in Cleveland Ohio.

Josiah Putnam Bradlee was connected with Ballardvale Mills from its founding as a textile plant; associated first with John Marland as mill's treasurer, 1842. After 1866, Bradlee was sole proprietor and there "he made the finest flannels in the world." At Philadelphia Centennial, 1876 - Ballardvale products took prize for "perfection in fabric."

Capt. J.P.utnam Bradlee did much to develop Ballardvale. He built an amusement center, (Bradlee Hall) where concerts and other events were held. He opened his own personal library in 1878, to the employees and residents of Ballardvale as Vale's first public library.

When Capt. Bradlee died in February 1887 in Boston. He left over one million dollars, and estate, presumably including his country mansion, to N.J. Bradlee, his sister, but she died following year. Jones, Strong and Hodgkins took over as Trustees of the estate and Ballardvale Mills.

The Ballardvale district schoolhouse built in 1889 at #149 Andover St. was named in honor of J.P. Bradlee in 1897.

The house contains 20 rooms and was converted into apartments in the mid 1950s by C. Lincoln Giles local architect who later did the Old Andover Village (89 - 93 Main St.) and the Nathan Frye House at 166 North Main St. Giles also converted the former carriage to the east into house into a home. The Mansion now has 7 apartments, with 9 bedrooms and 7 baths.

1856 map: John Ellis lived in the Marland house in the Vale, later left for Boston (Charlotte Helen Abbott genealogy)
1866: Josiah Putnam Bradlee owned it but lived in Boston and often had employees or visitors staying in the Marland House.
1872: George and Elizabeth Riley and 5 children occupied house
1884: James Shaw, superintendent of the mill
1917-19: Mr. William H. Hodgkins Trustee of the Ballardvale Mills.

Deed states property was once numbered #392 Andover St. - many properties in Andover were renumbered in 1959.