14 North Main Street – Mobil Oil Service Station
Built 1980

The current Mobil service station (1993) at 14 Main Street was built in 1980 by Cyr Oil Corp. of Swampscott, MA. The service pumps and attendant building, used for the purpose of distributing gasoline opened first. The service station building was unoccupied in the beginning and then rented by Settles Glass Co. who remained at this location for ten years before relocating to 15 Elm Street, to the former Elm Street Service Station on February 4, 1993.

To accommodate the new station the 1893 “Daly Block”, an apartment building at 4-10 North Main, and a 1930’s service station were demolished. The lot was then divided for two service areas. The lot required new retaining walls to be built on the west side before the construction of the new three bay Colonial style service station could begin. With gable roof surmounted with a copula it mirrored the brick materials of the town library and the former Friendly’s Ice Cream restaurant on the opposite corner to the north. The first tenants were Texaco gasoline and Settles Glass (1983). Mobil Oil purchased the property in 1993. The full service station opened in 1993.

The original Art-Deco five sided station was built on the southwest back corner of the lot at #16 North Main Street. It had one service bay on the west side of the building which door faced Pearson Street. A diagonal corner office facade fronted three service pumps on North Main Street. The building was painted white with two wide green horizontal stripes, the colors of Cities Service oil. The back of the building, south side, abutted the former Daly Block apartment building which was razed in December of 1972.
The first oil and gasoline brand in the deco station was Cities Service. A 1930 Sanborn map of this lot shows a former smaller rectangular wooden building on the same location and may have been used as the first station at this address in the 1920’s.

In 1932 the “Leary Brothers”, John H. & Arthur J. Leary were the proprietors. They were followed by O. Wilton Tompkins by 1943. Fraser’s Service Station in 1945 with Stewart Fraser Jr. proprietor. On April 20, 1951 AT pg. 5 advertisement announcing a gala station opening of Caldwell’s Service. John M. Caldwell proprietor was giving away orchids which were flown in direct from Hawaii.

By 1962 the station was called Village “Annex” Service Station and was now Texaco. Cities Service had been bought out and the name changed to Citgo in 1964. During November 1964 the station was giving away ten turkeys for Thanksgiving. All that was required was to register your name for the drawing on Monday the 22nd. The station also gave S&H Green Stamps with each purchase of gasoline. In 1962 they were giving Plaid Stamps.

Andover Townsman January 31, 1963 from an advertisement night photo below.

Historical site information.

This lot of land once belonged to Honorable Amos Abbott and had a dwelling house and barn upon the site. It was completely destroyed by a fire on Sunday May 29, 1870.
June 3, 1870 AA. - A very extensive and destructive conflagration occurred in our village, on Sunday morning. The fire was first discovered just before 2 o’clock, in a barn on Main Street, owned by the heirs of the late Hon. Amos Abbott, and the flame soon communicated to an old house on the same premises, occupied by Michael McLaughlin, as a tenement, and by Charles Mayer, for a harness shop. Both buildings were entirely consumed, together with a cow and two swine, belonging to Mr. McLaughlin. His furniture and the stock and tools of Mr. Mayer, were saved.
The paint shop next south of the above , owned by Eben P. Higgins, was soon enveloped with flames and destroyed with some stock and tools , a wagon left to be painted by George H. Chandler, a sleigh owned by John Findley, three pung sleighs and a lot of oats stored by Holt & Higgins.

On September 26, 1870 Alfred A. Abbott of Peabody, MA and Albert Abbott of Andover, executors of Amos Abbott’s estate sold the corner lot at North Main and Pearson Streets to John Abbott and Moses Foster for $1304.30. A second parcel of land was purchased in June 27, 1877 from John W. Faulkner. In April 1891 Olivia W. Mansfield, widow of Ezra A. Mansfield purchased the share of the property from Moses Foster for $1500. John Abbott had died and his nephew Ezra Mansfield had inherited a share of Abbott’s estate. A portion of the property was leased to Campion Thwing at the time of sale with his lease expiring on November 9, 1891.
We have not been unable to find a Campion Thwing listed in the Andover Directories of this period but the deed implies that some structure may have been built or moved onto the open lot.

The following year Mrs. Mansfield sells the property to Patrick J. & Hannah E. Daly on June 28, 1892. August 5, 1892 AT – "It begins to look as if P. Daly of Ballardvale, who recently purchased the piece of land below Memorial Hall, intends to build. Wilson has moved the fish market to a position close to the blacksmith shop, and it is understood that J. H. Campion will have the building occupied by the Andover Laundry, moved to Park Street, near his stable. Wilson construction company was a building moving company."

The “Daly Block” was built next door to the south and Patrick opened a grocery business in #4 - 10 of the store fronts. In 1897 Daly advertises Boots, Shoes & Rubbers and in 1901 at #2-4-6 he has groceries. The building was three stories high with four apartments occupying the top floors and two stores at street level.

The Sanborn maps, at the Andover Historical Society, of the main business area of Andover center published in 1896, 1901 and 1930 show two additional buildings on the corner lot where the service station has been built. At #18 North Main St. is a small one story wooden cobbler shop and #20 is a blacksmith building, also wood construction and 1 ½ stories in height. There may have been three on the site before Daly built but an Andover map of 1884 has an empty lot north of Memorial Hall Library.

Andover Directories; 1891 Dennis Sweeney, blacksmith Main corner of Pearson St. house off Salem St. Holt District.
1897-98 Flax Himan 18 Main – North, Shoemaker – house do.
1901 Michael Filman 18 No. Main St. boot & shoe maker
1904 – Michael Filman & Mrs. Fannie Filman
1908 - Mike Francis, shoes and boots, 18 North Main Street

June 3, 1870 AA - A complete account of the fire on North Main Street & Essex St. Abbott Furniture & several others –

Sept. 24, 1869 AA – Samuel K. Johnson of the Andover & Boston Express, has purchased of the heirs of the late Hon. Amos Abbott, the estate on Main Street, now occupied by Dr. J. H. Blake, Improvements are to be made to the building.

Feb. 15, 1924 AT pg. 5 - New Hardware store opens. S. D. Rutstein in Daley’s block 10 North Main Street – Andover Supply Co.

Detail of aerial photo of Andover center business circa 1960 with Daly Block and Service Station on the right.

A photo in the Lawrence Evening Tribune Nov. 6, 1942 shows the Cities Service Station.