18-20 Summer Street
Site of History 🛈The Site of History tag is given to properties that were lost before this building survey was undertaken.

Architectural Description: 

Style: Bracketed
Other features: large house and wing renovated as 2-family house; separate carriage house renovated to simple family house.

Historical Narrative: 

This property was once part of Nathaniel & Hannah Whittier's estate who lived at 10 Summer Street. This lot was sold to Richard M. Abbott, wife Sarah S.on Mar. 16, 1865 for $100 and contained two acres two rods of land. Richard M. Abbott had the house built.

Frederick Sutcliff purchased the property with buildings on June 13, 1893. An addition strip of land was added in October 1897 of about 11 feet along the property line. Frederick A. Sutcliff was born May 26, 1840 in Halifax, England, son of David & Lydia Sutcliff. He immigrated in 1880 to North America. Married Theresa Finnegan b. April 1848 in Prince Edward Island, daughter of Irish decent. Frederick & Theresa had six children, four whom survived.; Lydia Theresa b. July 1880 in PEI, Frederick A. jr. b. Mar. 1882 Andover, Walter J. , b. April 1884 and William b. Nov. 1886 in Andover.

Frederick was the boss dyer at the M.T. Stevens Co. on Stevens St, in Marland Village, Andover. Frederick died on June 11, 1902. His daughter Lydia married in Andover on April 13, 1903 to Ivan Dana "Henley" Murch b. Oct. 27, 1877 in Ellsworth, ME, son of John & Carrier (Remick) Murch. Lydia T. met Dana while working at the Tyer Rubber Co. With the death of Frederick Sutcliff his heirs, Lydia T., Frederick A., Walter J. & William J. Sutcliff each held 1/4 share in the estate. Walter P. Sutcliff was named guardian for Walter J. & William as they were minors at the time.

The estate was sold to the dauther Lydia T. Murch, wife of Ivan D. on Sept. 21, 1903. Murch was living in Everett, MA in 1903. Murch held the property for eight years, most likely rented the house, then selling to Eunice Stack, wife of John Stack on Sept. 7, 1911.

Eunice, Alice & Margaret Rita Stack, the daughters of John and Eunice Stack would later inherit the property. Known as the Stack sisters, all three graduates from Punchard High School; Eunice & Alice in 1917 and M. Rita in 1920. All three became elementary school teachers in Andover. Eunice the oldest began teaching in 1921, taught 6th grade at Stowe School retire in 1964-65. Alice began in 1923, taught 4th grade at John Dove, both graduated from Salem Normal School (Salem State). Margaret Rita married but later taught 2nd & 3rd grade at West Center School & 3rd grade at West Elementary. Rita graduated from Lowell Teachers College (Lowell State) and began teaching in 1949. Married teachers were not allowed to teach until WWII, when many male teachers went off to war. The law change about 1946.
The Stack family owned the property for 91 years before selling in 2002.

Historical significance:
1939 Andover Directory: Gordon Colquhoun on site #18 (Tenant of main house)

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA

Owners:
Nathaniel Whittier, white Hannah - 1865 land
Richard M. Abbott, wife Sarah S. - Mar. 16, 1865 - b. 686 leaf 88 - $100 two acres 2 rods
Frederick Sutcliff - June 13, 1893 - b. 126 p. 421 - with blds.
Frederick Sutcliff - Oct. 23, 1897 - b. 160 p. 443 - 2nd parcel strip
Frederick Sutcliff estate, heirs, Frederick A. Sutcliff, Walter J. & William J. Sutcliff
Lydia T. Murch, wife of Ivan D. - Sept. 21, 1903 - b. 206 p. 419 & 420 parcels 1 & 2
Eunice Stack, wife of John Stack - Sept. 7, 1911 - b. 309 p. 278
Eunice Stack estate, heir John Stack
Eunice G. Stack, Alice C. Stack and Margaret R. Stack - Feb. 19, 1938 - b. 614 p. 261
Eunice G. Stack estate, heirs; Alice C. Stack & Margaret R. (Stack) Cronin - Nov. 6, 1967
Alice C. Stack estate, heir Margaret R. (Stack) Cronin - July 5, 1971
Margaret R. (Stack) Cronin & Margaret Rita Cronin - Oct. 27, 1973 - b. 1230 p. 682
Margaret R. (Stack) Cronin estate, heir Margaret Rita Cronin, Extr. July 20, 1996
Vale Realty Trust, William P. Johnson Trustee - Mar. 28, 2002 - b. 6760 p. 324
Vale Realty Trust, William P. Johnson Trustee - Jan. 21, 2004 - b. 8523 p. 110 - master deeds 5 units

Inventory Data:

StreetSummer St
PlaceAndover Center District
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameAbbott - Sutcliff - Stack House
Present Use5 Unit Condominiums
Original Useresidence
Construction Dateca. 1850's
SourceECRDS, ENRDL, style-njs
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationstone/granite/concrete
Wall/Trimclapboards/wood
Roofasphalt - gable
Outbuildings / Secondary Structuresattached barn converted to apartment
Major Alterations2003; attached ell and barn razed, house lifted and moved a few feet from Whitter St. for conversion to 5 condominiums.
Conditionexcellent
Demolition Details2003 - 2004 ell and barn
Acreage0.916 acre: 39,890 sq. ft.: approx. frontage: Summer Street - 162', Whittier - 110'
Settingresidential
Map and parcel21-47
MHC NumberANV.552
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-1977, 5/22/2016

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