Themes: Architectural, community, industry.

Baker Lane developed as part of Abbott Village settlement for mill operatives. Formerly known as "Baker's Lane", the name comes from a Bakery once owned by Alfred Putnam near of behind this home. The house was most likely built as a tenement home for mill workers and their families.

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 North Parish about 1813 and had a successful business until about 1838 when the market turned. The mill buildings were sold to Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. in 1843. The flax to linen thread company was established in Frye Village in 1835 (Shawsheen Village) and relocated up river to this location.
Deeds at the Salem registry trace ownership back to Benjamin Ames and Daniel Cummings who sold 5 acres 18 rods of land for $436.72 to Stephen Abbot & Stephen Russell on June 9, 1814. The parcel included buildings and extended down to the river, but excluded a house "now owned and improved by David Holt during his natural life with the liberty to remove the same at his decease, unless sd. Abbot & Russell shall purchase at the appraisal..." Russell sold his half to Abbot in November 1818.

Stephen sold the property to Jonathan Merrill, a Blacksmith, for $1000 and held the mortgage deed. Merrill mortgaged the 6 acres for $1500 to Amos Choate of Salem, MA on on Dec. 17, 1824 and additional $500 on April 3, 1827. Amos held the deed until his death in 1845 and Thomas C. Foster & Jonathan Merrill then released the mortgage deed to his widow Mehitable Choate on Sept. 27, 1846. Choate sells to Samuel Gray on June 16, 1847 for $1710 which includes two houses. The dwellings appear to be 63-65 Essex St. and 1-3 Baker Lane, a portion of the six acres.

Gray sells the parcel with two houses on it to John Harding & Henry S. Green on June 21, 1847. Later the parcel was divided off and Harding held 1-3 Baker Lane and Green owned 63-65 Essex St. house which included the land now occupied by the store at 59 Essex. St.
The lot has a curious shape in that the front 20' of the lot on Baker Lane extends in front of the left half of the house next door at 63-65 Essex St. The deed has a written restriction; "never so occupy that portion of the land… described as lying westerly and in front of said Greene’s house and now enclosed by a fence, so as to obstruct the light or outlooks of said Greene's house."

The double house owned by John & Hannah A. Harding was income property. John was a merchant, lived at 33 High St. and had a store in the basement of the Baptist Church. Harding owned for 20 years selling to Elizabeth Brand on June 5, 1867 for $1250. Miss Brand is assessed for the property in the Andover 1870 Valuation. House $950 1/8 acre $50 = $1000.

John Lawson acquired the property in 1873 held ownership until his death in 1902. The 1885 Directory lists George D. Lawson, his son, a machinist living here. John's children were heirs of his estate. Sons, George D., John B., Edward R. and Walter S. and daughters Elizabeth B. Lawson and Jean B. Mansfield The Lawson family sold to William H. O'Leary on Sept. 26, 1902 for $1000. O'Leary held the property for four years then sold to Catherine L. Green wife of James Green. in April 1905. Catherine & James owned for 12 years before they sold to Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. in Dec. 1918.

Smith & Dove recognized the need for operative housing and slowly acquired several homes in the immediate area. They also built quality housing for their working force at 62-84 Essex St. and the double homes on Brechin Terrace. Every home on Baker Lane was once owned by Smith & Dove. The company reorganized in 1864 and again in 1912 bringing all their properties together into one deed.

The company supplied their workers with a Village Hall (#77 Essex St.) for community gatherings, and built “Hillside” on Shawsheen Rd. for single women workers; provided childcare service, bowling alley, laundry and large dining room used for meetings and parities. S & D Co. also bought the old Cricket Field for the company soccer, football and baseball teams and sponsored many field day outings for their employees.

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

The house and property was purchased by John J. Corey of Lawrence, from Andover Homes, Inc, Walter R. Amesbury, treas. on July 18, 1928. Corey took a mortgage with the Atlantic Cooperative Bank of Lawrence and unfortunately lost the house in foreclosure the following year on Mar. 22, 1929. The Bank held the property through the Depression and then sold to Edward & Margaret O'Hagan on Oct. 1934.

The O'Hagan family has continues to own the property 70 years later in 2014. Edward died on Nov. 8, 1984 and his wife Margaret sold to family Peter & Josephine O'Hagan in Oct. 1973. Peter died Feb. 26, 1999. Josephine O'Hagan got the house by will probate and place the property in the NAGAHO Realty Trust in July 2000.