98 Chestnut St

Architectural Description: 

Queen Ann style,
Asymmetrical facade, detailed front porch with unique rounded sitting area

Historical Narrative: 

This land was once a portion of the Gilbert Barnard estate who built his home on Main Street, #84 in 1856. Sadly Gilbert Barnard died at age 39 yrs 10m on June 5, 1858. His estate was sold by Nathaniel Swift and this land was purchased by Nathan F. Abbott on Oct. 1, 1858.

Nathan F. Abbott had two parcels of land on Chestnut St. one was 9 acres 57 rods and the other 6 acres 67 rods. Nathan died in 1879 and his wife Margaret E. Abbott sells the estate and three additional parcels off via Caleb Saunders, assignee of the Abbott estate.

This section of Chestnut St. was referenced as East Chestnut as the original Chestnut St. was only the section from Central to Main Street. Prior to naming the road it is referred to as the "way from Nathaniel Whittier's house to Israel Berry's.

Richard M. Abbott acquires the property in March 1886 and house lots are created and sold off. Richard Abbott was living in Vineland, NJ at the time of the land development.

Charles E. Donovan purchased this lot #10 for $425 on Nov. 27, 1891. Donovan built the house in 1892. He purchased the adjoining lot from Henry F. Pasho in Aug. 24, 1895 with the condition that Pasho reserved his right to all crops he had planted on the land.

Charles E. Donovan was born in Andover on June 1, 1857 son of Daniel & Mary (Sweeney) Donovan. Charles was a master house painter. He married on July 1, 1890 at St. Augustine's Church to Sarah Jane Black, b. 1858 in Lowell, MA, dau. of Hugh & Mary (Fitzgerald) Black. They had three children; Josephine Ryan b. April 1891, George W. b. April 1894 and Marguerite M. b. Jan. 1897.

Charles Donovan transferred the deed to his wife Sarah J. Donovan, via Edith Poor, on Aug. 12, 1903. The Donovan family held the property for 58 years. Charles died on Jan. 25, 1920 and Sarah in 1936. Her estate went to her children. Daughter Marguerite M. West had the property and through her probate, brother George W. Donovan, and sister Josephine R. O'Riordan and her children; Jane P. (West) Burke, Myles J. West, Robert West and Charles W. West are heirs. The property is then sold to her son Charles W. West on July 30, 1949.
Charles & Sarah are interred at St. Augustine's Cemetery with son George and his wife Emma.

West held the property for two years then selling to Elmer T & Eileen Churchill in Dec. 1951. Churchill he;d ownership four years then selling to Thomas P. & Esther M. Leary in May 1955. Seven additional owners have held the property from 1967 - 2015.

Walter James & Elizabeth Whinn purchased the house in 1978 and held the property for 16 years. Jim & Betty lived across the street at 89 Chestnut St. They bought the house as income property, but did extensive work to update the house. They sold the property in 1994 to James R. Ash & Erin M. McDonough on Nov. 28, 1994.

Australians, Roscoe W. & Teena R. Taylor purchased the house in Oct. 2003 and sold nine years later, returning to Sidney, in New South Wales.
Brian R. & Caitlin P. Castagna bought the property in Mar. 2011.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registy Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Ancestry.com - Donovan family

Owners,
Gilbert Barnard - 1856 - 1858 - land
Gilbert Barnard estate, Nathaniel Swift extr., June 5, 1858 - land
Nathan F. Abbott - Oct. 1, 1858 - land
Margaret E. Abbott - July 2, 1879 - b. 57 p. 46 - land
Richard M. Abbott - Mar. 27, 1886 - b. 85 p. 194 - land
Charles E. Donovan - Nov. 27, 1891 - b. 116 p. 171 lot #10
Edith Poor - Aug. 12, 1903 - b. 205 p. 576
Sarah J. Donovan, wife of Charles - Aug. 12, 1903 - b. 205 p. 577
Sarah J. Donovan estate, - probate #185373
Marguerite M. West, heir
Marguerite M. West estate, probate #212595
George W. Donovan & Jane P. (West) Burke - heirs
Charles W. West -July 30, 1949 - b. 726 p. 225
Elmer T. & Eileen M. Churchill - Dec. 12, 1951 - b. 758 p. 164
Thomas P. & Esther M. Leary - May 10, 1955 - b. 813 p. 60
Theodore C. & Irene M. Burtt - Oct. 30, 1967 - b. 1094 p. 57
Francis J. & Nancy D. McBride - Sept. 10, 1971 - b. 1179 p. 85
Gregory P. & Leslie B. Gurry - Apr. 29, 1976 - b. 1280 p. 609
Walter Jim & Elizabeth R. Whinn - Apr. 25, 1978 - b. 1336 p. 647
James R. Ash & Erin M. McDonough - Nov. 28, 1994 - b. 4176 p. 125
Roscoe W. & Teena R. Taylor - Oct. 27, 2003 - b. 8356 p. 24
Brian R. & Caitlin P. Castagna - Mar. 22, 2011 - b. 12440 p. 204

Inventory Data:

StreetChestnut St
PlaceAndover Center District
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameCharles & Sarah Donovan house
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1892
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleQueen Anne
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/Trimclapboards/vinyl covered
Roofasphalt
Outbuildings / Secondary StructuresOne stall garage circa 1920
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.246 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel22-3
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-77, 1/15/2015

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