15 Argyle Street

Architectural Description: 

Colonial Revival - Dutch Colonial style

Historical Narrative: 

This home was built as part of the Shawsheen Village development 1918 – 1924 by William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Company. Wood hired about eight different architects to design the homes and structures for the village. Homes were sold or leased through the Homestead Association who had offices in the Post Office building on the corner of North Main & Poor Streets.

After the death of William M. Wood on Feb. 2, 1926 most of the residential and commercial buildings were then sold. Some were held by the Wood family in the "Arden Trust" and others with the American Woolen Company, which had been deeded the property in December 1920. The A.W.Co. Board of Directors authorized its President, Lionel J. Noah, to deliver all deeds, as deemed necessary to the Textile Realty for sale on Dec. 29, 1931.

The Textile Realty then transferred ownership to the Andover Shawsheen Realty Company on June 30, 1932, holding the mortgage on the properties. T. Edwin Andrew, treasurer, was authorized to sell or lease the properties. With the Great Depression sales were sluggish and many homes were rented until the economy rebounded.

One of the first occupants of record to lease the home in 1926 were C. Leroy & Ethel (Coolidge) Ambye. Leroy was the manager of the American Woolen CO. farms in West Andover, which included the Shawsheen Stock Farm on Argilla Rd, and the Wild Rose and Clover Farms on Lowell Street. William M. Wood had them built to supply a fresh supply of milk and dairy products for the residents of Shawsheen Village and the Shawsheen Dairy. In 1930 Arthur A. & Sadie Koerner are leasing the home.Arthur was an overseer for the A.W.Co. In 1934 they would purchase the home next door at #17 Argyle St.

This house was sold to Thomas B. & Lillian A. Barraclough on Oct. 28, 1952. Thomas was a Broker in Boston and had been renting the home in the 1940s.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Maps, 1852, 1872, 1888, 1906, 1926
Andover Street Directories
Mills, Mergers and Mansions, by Edward Roddy 1982
See Map plan #704 - American Woolen Company - Sept. 1927
#878 - June 1932 - Textile Realty Company lot # 44 - parcel 15th
See #7 Argyle St. for Town Farm history

Owners;
Samuel Abbot - 1804 - 90 acre farm
Inhabitants of Town of Andover - 1807 – 1921 – Town Farm
Varter & Havenes Dagdegian - July 11, 1921 - b. 443 p. 503
Town of Andover, Geo. C. H. Dufton - July 12, 1921 - b. 443 p. 505 - 13.66 A
Town of Andover, July 12, 1921 - Town Meeting Nov. 1, 1921 sell
American Woolen Co., Wm. M. Wood - July 11, 1921 - b. 443 p. 296 - 12.56 acres - lot 1
American Woolen Co.- Nov. 15, 1921 - b. 450 p. 342 - 10 acres- lot 2
Textile Realty Co., Lionel J. Noah, Pres. A.W.Co. - Dec. 30, 1931 - b. 563 p. 334
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - June. 30, 1932 - b. 565 p. 87 - 15th parcel
Felicia Scholik - Oct. 28, 1952 - b. 768 p. 473
Thomas B. & Lillian A. Barraclough - Oct. 28, 1952 - b. 783 p. 463
C. Lincoln Giles - March 17, 1960 - b. 911 p. 481
Robert F. & Marion K. Houle - APr. 18, 1960 - b. 913 p. 195
Peter G. & Joan V. Melchiono - Spet. 19, 1961 - b. 944 p. 263
James A. & Mary J. McEvoy - Dec. 4, 1961 - b. 949 p. 366
Leonard R. & Jean T. Carrick - June 18, 1968 - b. 1108 p. 152
Carrick Nominee Trust. - Nov. 7, 2007 - b. 10964 p. 339

Inventory Data:

StreetArgyle St
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Historic NameThomas & Lillian Barraclough House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1922 - 1923
SourceERDS, ENRDL, assessers' rec./style-njs
Architectural StyleColonial Revival
Foundationstone
Wall/Trimwood cedar shingle
Roofslate - gambrel
Major Alterationsreplacement windows
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.145 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel36-55
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975 - 1977, 7/8/2015

Map: