Avon Street was laid out by Nathan F. Abbott and a plan of house lots was drawn up by A. B. Wiggins on Nov. 7, 1891. George F. Swift purchased several lots on the new street then sold this lot #9 at the corner of Avon & Chestnut Streets to Mary F. O'Connell, wife of Arthur F. O'Connell on May 6, 1895. Arthur O'Connell was a carpenter and house builder. The lot with the home was sold the following year on Aug. 20, 1896 to Isabella W. May. The dimensions of the lot were 70’ on Chestnut, 166’ on Avon, 71’ on the north by Abbott’s land and 158’ on the west by Donovan equaling 11,170 sq. feet. In the 1899 Directory Mrs. May is listed as “off” Chestnut St.

Dec. 16, 1898 AT – Mrs. May is building a house on Chestnut Street. Nutting, the Lawrence Contractor, is the builder. (#90 now #102)

The 1900 Census Isabella W. May, Widow, with sons David, Gordon and Albert are at 88 East Chestnut St. Also at #88 rear is son George age 24, and wife Agnes A.

Isabella Williams (Sturrock) May was born Aug. 1850 in Montrose, Scotland, daughter of James & Betsey Sturrock. Known as Bella, she immigrated in 1870 to Andover. She married on April 5, 1872 to Andrew May b. Aug. 12, 1859 in Juniper Green, Edinburgshire, Scotland, son of David & Catherine (Mill) May. Andrew was a teamster for Smith & Dove Co. and lived on North Main St. in Frye Village. They had six sons; twins James Sturrock & David Milne May, b. Feb. 25, 1873, John Grieve Guthrie b. June 9, 1874, George Middleton b. Oct18, 1875, Albert William b. Nov. 29, 1879 and Gordon Faulkner b. July 2, 1883.
Andrew died on May 25, 1888 at age 37y and is interred in West Parish Cemetery.
The twins James 16, was a house painter and David a clerk at T. J. Farmer’s fish market, later the B& RR. John 15, was a farm laborer for the Gould family, George and Gordon later worked at Tyer Rubber Co. and Albert would become a druggist.

The 1904 Directory has Mrs. May at 323 North Main St. in Frye Village.

The 1906 Atlas: Mrs. Isabella W. May, who also owned #17 Avon & #90 Chestnut St. (now #102) Mrs. May owned the property for eleven years, first living at #17 Avon described as “off Chestnut St.” By 1900 it appears she has moved into 102 Chestnut with son George and his wfe Agnes living in the rear house. Isabella subdivided the lots and sold #102 Chestnut St. to Patrick J. Barrett on Sept. 21, 1907 and #17 Avon to Charles E. Donovan on Sept. 27, 1907.

Patrick James Barrett was born in Andover. AVR list birth as June 15, 1873 but his WWI card states Sept. 17, 1873. Patrick was the son of William & Mary (Mahoney) Barrett. Patrick married on April 10, 1901 in Andover, to Catherine Agnes Rooney, b. Jan. 20, 1878 in Latylan, Monaghan, Ireland, dau. of Michael & Alice (McEuneny) Rooney. Patrick was a Life Insurance Agent for John Hancock Insurance Co. in Boston. Patrick & Catherine had eight children: William b. Jan. 18, 1902 d. Jan. 19, 1910 at 8 years , Alice Catherine b. Sept. 22, 1903 d. Jan. 23, 1996, Catherine Mary b. July 19, 1906–d. Mar. 1986, Marguerite Louise b. Dec. 12, 1907-d. May 1976, Frederick Augustine b. May 20, 1910–d. Jan. 9, 1998 VT, Elizabeth Agnes b. Oct. 1, 1912–d. Jan. 19, 2001, Patricia Bernadine b. Feb. 11, 1918–d. June 4, 2011 and Joseph Francis b. June 18, 1920-d. Jan. 29, 2001.

The Barrett family owned the home for 69 years. Only the two surviving sons married. Frederick A. was a meat cutter and married Aug. 11, 1943 in Burlington, VT to Helen Anne Ludwig. Fred was a meat cutter at J. B. Greeley’s market on Essex St. Fred served in the US Army in WWII as 1st Sergeant in the South Pacific. The later moved to VT where Fred was Chief of Security at UVM. Fred and Helen had three children; Mary K., William D. and James.
His brother Joseph F. worked for the American Woolen Co. as a checker prior to WWII. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1942, was in the Pacific and fought at Guadal Canal. Joseph was also a salesman at Scott Jewelry Store in Lawrence and then worked for C. J. McCarthy Insurance Co. Joseph married Constance “Connie” I. Lynch and they had two children; John Joseph and Patricia Barrett. Their daughter also became a teacher in Andover and later Principal of Sanborn School.

The five daughters never married and shared the home with their parents. Alice and Marguerite both worked for Merrimack Mutual Fire Insurance Co. in Andover, Alice, a cashier and Margie as a tabulator operator. Elizabeth was a Registered Nurse, graduate of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital of Nursing in 1934. Patricia was a teller at the Andover National Bank. Catherine Barrett was an elementary school teacher in Andover, Principal of John Dove School and Central Elementary School (now Doherty Middle School). All the daughters and son Joseph were graduates of Punchard High School.

Their mother Catherine died on October 4, 1947 and Patrick died in July 26, 1951. They are interred at St. Augustine’s Cemetery.

Alice C. and Catherine M. Barrett sold the family home on June 2, 1976 to Thomas P. & Mary A. McGivern. The town directories list Thomas b. 1942 as an Investigator and Mary b. 1941 as a Secretary. The McGiverns owned for 38 years then sold in 2014 to Christopher M. & Karen Simmonds.