#13 Center St. today was formerly #11 Centre St. in earlier directories. Re-numbering and corrections were done in Andover in 1959. Centre St. on earlier maps and deeds was also referred to at times as Central St. in Ballardvale.

The Ballardvale Machine Shop Corp., John Marland, President, purchased much of the property in the center of Ballardvale in 1847. The land was then sub-divided the into house and store lots and began selling off parcels in 1848. John Marland and John Howe Jr. owned the parcel along Centre St. (now Center St.) and began auctioning off their 35 lots on July 28. 1847. The auctioneers were Loring, Abbott and Porter of Boston.

The Ballardvale Machine shop would begin selling off their holdings in 1848 and Samuel Abbott and William Abbott followed suit with their property on Oak and Tewksbury Streets. The greater portion of the village center was developed at this period of time.

Lots #11 and #12 on the Marland & Howe 1847 map, was sold to Hiram O. Tuttle on July 28, 1847 at auction, #11 for $65.67 containing 5254 sq. ft. and lot #12 of 4752 sq. ft. for $59.40. The two combined equaled 10,016 sq. feet which show up in later deeds. The deeds are interesting and confusing in that Tuttle appears to have sold off a portion of lot #12 containing 2016 sq. ft. to Thomas Finn after the auction. The deeds state, "not embraced and included" in the purchase of lot 12. This portion is now #9 Center St.

Tuttle sold lot #11 to Erastus Gile, a brick and mason, who was the mason on the old Town House in Andover Center. Gile purchased the lot for $100 on Feb. 3, 1848, recorded on Sept. 24, 1849. On May 23, 1848 Gile sells the lot to William H. Putnam, of Boston, a Trader. William H. was the son of Israel Putnam of Andover. It appears that Putnam built the house at 13 Center St. The 1850 Valuation Schedule of Andover assessed Wm. Putnam: Dwelling house & shop $1100, House on Maine [sic] st. $1000., House on Oak St. $100, Ice house $150. The Estate of Israel W. Putnam included a Dwelling house & Store at $1200. Deeds reference mortgages of Israel & William H. Putnam. Erastus also becomes executor of Israel's estate.

William Putnam would later assign the mortgage to Daniel P. Abbott. A default in 1865 would force Abbot to take possession of property. Roger Davey, wife Annie of Andover purchased the property on April 7, 1868 for $800. Roger later moved to Boston and sold to Peter Davey of Lawrence, on May 7, 1870.