149 Shawsheen Rd – 89-27

Luke Cunningham purchased three separate parcels of land along Shawsheen Road. The first lot was 7 acres on the south side of the street from Wm. Justin Hill for $56 on Sept. 3, 1845. Luke then bought two parcels from Artemis Brown, a 2¾ acre lot on the south side of the road for $55 in April 1846 and the 1 acre lot on the north side for $25 on Dec. 22, 1847 where he built his home. The 1850 Valuation schedule of West Parish list Luke Cunningham: House & shed $530, 11 acres of land $150 = $680. Farm stock $25.

Luke Cunningham was born in Ireland about 1812. Luke is listed as Yeoman in the deeds. He married in Andover on Nov. 20, 1847 to Mary Lane b. 1815 in Ireland, dau. of Patrick & Mary Ellen (Fitzgerald) Lane.
The 1850 census lists both of Mary’s parents with them. Luke and Mary had four sons: John b. Nov. 1, 1848, David b. Dec. 2, 1849, Luke Jr. b. Oct. 27, 1852 and James b. Mar. 1857. The boys were all raised in this home. John married, Jane Gilroy, lived in Lowell and had five children. David married Kate McCarron in 1874, in the Marland Mill on Stevens St. and would late own the homestead. Luke Jr. remained at home, worked the farm and would be deeded the property for $1000 along with his brother James on May 12, 1881. His parents held life tenancy in the home rent free. Luke Sr. died on Mar. 5, 1883 and Luke Jr. died on July 2, 1884 age 31y 3m 5d. Their mother Mary died on Nov. 13, 1884.

Son David also lived with his parents and two brothers, first working in a cotton mill in Lowell in 1870. David married August 3, 1874 in Lowell to Catherine “Kate” F. McCarron b. March 1854 dau. of John & Catherine McCarron. They moved to Lawrence then home to Andover. David was an engineer for M. T. Stevens, at Marland Mill from 1879 to his retirement. David would buy the family home in 188 from his brother James, who moved to Lawrence, and lived out his years here. David loved carpentry, gardening and painting. He built his own rifle range in a meadow near his home. When he was 12 years old he tried to join the federal forces of the Civil War. He was told by the recruiting sergeant in Boston (as he took delight in relating years later) to “go home and eat another barrel of flour.”

David and Kate had 13 children of which eight survived to adulthood:
David b. 1875 Lawrence d. Jul. 11, 1899, Roselia “Nellie” b. Apr. 5, 1876, John Ambrose b. Jun. 17, 1879 – d. May 29, 1886, Mary b. July 31, 1882, James b. Aug. 10, 1883, twins John Joseph b. Sept. 5 1886 & Elizabeth b. Sept. 5 1886 –d. Sept. 14, 1886, Anna L. bpt. Oct. 1887, Francis Arthur b. June 17, 1890, Edward b. May 24, 1892 -d. July 3, 1892, Thomas Andrew b. Feb. 6, 1894, and Louisa b. Mar. 17, 1895.

David is also listed as a Fireman in census records. Kate died in 1933 and daughter Nellie and son Frank continued to live at home and were deeded the property on Dec. 4, 1936. Frank was a veteran of WWI served as a Private in 2nd Field Artillery, Battalion C, 8th Division in France. He was wounded and hospitalized. By WWII he was totally blind. On March 26, 1941 David Cunningham received a unique honor by the town selectmen. He was presented the Boston Post Cane as the oldest male resident in town. David died on Saturday September 5, 1943 at his home at 73 Shawsheen Rd at age 93, is interred at St. Augustine’s Cemetery. (Obit: AT – Sept. 9, 1943 p.1 & 12. “Towns Oldest Resident Dies”)

The Cunningham family owned 149 Shawsheen Road for 111 years. Frank Cunningham died on Dec. 31, 1957 and sister Nellie sold the following April 1958.