8 Dumbarton Street

Architectural Description: 

NRDIS NRDIS
Colonial Revival

Historical Narrative: 

Shawsheen Village was named after the Native American name for the river Shawshin, which means Great Spring. Prior to Shawsheen Village this area was known as Frye Village. All the streets in the new Village were named for Castles & Cathedrals in Great Britain Dumbarton Street takes its name from Dumbarton Castle which has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dunbarton, and sits on known as Dumbarton Rock which is 240 feet high. It overlooks the river Clyde.

The house is in the Shawsheen Village National Register Historic District, surveyed in 1977 and created in 1979. It was designated a National Register Historic District in 1980 by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This home was built as part of the Shawsheen Village development from 1918-1924 by William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Company. Wood hired about eight different architects to design the homes and structures for the village. Homes were leased through the Homestead Association who had offices in the Post Office building on the corner of North Main & Poor Streets, later moved into the Administration Building.

Each home incorporates a different look, style and design modifications, most noticeable with the front door entrances. Decorative details on the corner boards and a variety of ornamental trellises, window boxes all added the “icing on the cake, of the original designs. Most of the homes now sport a variety of different colors, no longer all white with green shutters as dictated in the original deeds. Many of the
original screen porches have been enclosed for an additional room.

After the death of William M. Wood on Feb. 2, 1926 most of the residential and commercial buildings were then sold. Some were held by the Wood family in the "Arden Trust" and others with the American Woolen Company, which had been deeded the property in December 1920. The A.W.Co. Board of Directors authorized its President, Lionel J. Noah, to deliver all deeds, as deemed necessary to the Textile Realty Co. for sale on Dec. 29, 1931.

The Textile Realty then transferred ownership to the Andover Shawsheen Realty Company on June 30, 1932, holding the mortgage on the properties. T. Edwin Andrew, treasurer, was authorized to sell or lease the properties. With the Great Depression sales were sluggish and many homes were rented until the economy rebounded.

One of the first occupants of record to lease the home in 1923 were

This house was sold to William F. & Marguerite Botsch on Dec. 2, 1942. William & Marguerite are living at 3 Stirling St. in 1943. William is a foreman at Bolta Rubber Company in Lawrence. MA. A son Francis is serving in the US Army and a daughter Margurite A. is a student. Bernard H. & Lesta F. Capen are leasing the home at 8 Dumbarton. Bernard is a chemical engineer at Tyer Rubber Co. in Andover.

William F. Botch died on Feb. 2, 1951 and widow Marguerite Botsch later sold to Robert M. & Barbara W. Henderson on Mar. 31, 1954.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Maps, 1852, 1872, 1888, 1906, 1926
Andover Street Directories
Andover Townsman
Mills, Mergers and Mansions, by Edward Roddy 1982
See Map plan #704 - American Woolen Company - Sept. 1927
#877 - June 1932 - Textile Realty Company lot #
#975 - Oct. 29, 1921 - Dufton to AWCo.
#708 - Nov. 1927 - AWCo.
Land Court Map #1726-E - Lot #8

Owners;
Thomas T. Clark, wife Louisa – 1920 – land 4.3 acres
American Woolen Company, Wm. M. Wood Pres. Oct. 2, 1920 – Certificate #992
Textile Realty Co., Lionel J. Noah, Pres. A.W.Co. - Dec. 30, 1931 Ctf - #1925
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - June. 30, 1932 Ctf. #1932
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co - Oct. 30, 1937 - b. 611 p. 177 – 16th parcel
William F. & Marguerite Botsch - Dec. 2, 1942 - Ctf. #2946
William F. Botch estate, Marguerite Botsch heir -Feb. 2, 1951 - b. 669 p. 436
Robert M. & Barbara W. Henderson - Mar. 31, 1954 - Ctf. #4043
Geoffrey S. & Judith C. Davis - Apr. 15, 1968 - Ctf. #6184
Geoffrey S. Davis - Aug. 5, 1981 - Ctf. 8787 - quit claim
Valley Co-op Bank, Andover Savings Bank - July 30, 1981 - mtgs. Doc. #32777, #33930
Joseph R. Zagarella - Nov. 30, 1983 - b. 1756 p.244 - at auction
Charissa M. Rigano & Alan S. Kao - Sept. 22, 2000 - Ctf. #13532
Eric P. & Rachel Dinges - Nov. 30, 2009 - Ctf. 16201

Inventory Data:

StreetDumbarton St
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Historic NameWilliam F. & Marguritte Botsch House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence - mill housing
Construction Date1921 - 1922
SourceERDS, ENRDL, assessers' rec./style-njs
Architectural StyleColonial Revival
Architect/BuilderChester A. Patten
Foundationstone
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood
Roofhip - slate
Major AlterationsReplacement windows
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.334 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel18-30
MHC NumberANV.1271
Recorded byStack/Mofford, Alicia Paget, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Historical Society - Andover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975 - 1977, 7/21/93, 8/25/2015

Images: 

Map: