2 Balmoral St

Historical Narrative: 

Sept. 2, 1921 AT - The bowling green has seen considerable usage the past few weeks.

Sept. 9, 1921 p. 6 - AT - Abbott Village– Several of the men of Abbott Village have been playing the “bowls” at Shawsheen Bowling Green. They learned the game in their native land and are appreciating the chance to again roll the green.

Shawsheen Village - Welcome Home – Afternoon of Sports Planned as Part of Celebration Welcoming Return of Wm. Wood to Shawsheen. Bowling green, Tennis, soccer, Diner at the Manor.
The first official opening of the Bowling Green was on Saturday September 10th 1921. The Shawsheen Bowling Green Club will play against a team from Boston Bowling Club. List of team members.

Sept. 16, 1921 – Shawsheen Village p. 8 – Photo of Mr. Wood – Welcome Home – 1st Train to stop at the Village Station last Saturday[Sept. 10th] – As Mr. Wood stepped from the train amid welcoming cheers of the old and young of the Village, he was greeted by a committee of prominent men who led him across the tracks to his waiting limousine, while the American Woolen Company Brass Band struck up an appropriate air. Fully thirty cars dropped into a parade behind the band and Mr. Wood’s car and proceeded to the bowling green where Mr. Wood was scheduled to bowl the first ball of the match between the Boston Bowling Club and Shawsheen Village….won the bowling 55-53, lost soccer 2-1.

In the evening from 7:30 to 11:00 the new cement dance floor received its initial use, the American Woolen Company band furnishing the music for the dancers. (Balmoral Spa - open air dance floor)

June 9, 1922 – AT - Shawsheen Villager p.8 – The latest attraction in the Village is boating and already many have enjoyed this sport. There are three boats for use, The Shawsheen, the Sagamore and the Algonquin. The boats are rented through the Balmoral Spa.
A nine hole putting course has been laid out in the enclosure of the bowling green and clock golf arranges for on one of the links. The privilege of play is open to the public and reservations may be made through Henry Simmers, manager of the Balmoral Spa. The excellent turf of the bowling green provides perfect conditions for the games.

June 23, 1922 – AT - Shawsheen Villager p.8 - The lights that have been installed on the bowling green are a welcome addition since they enable bowling and golf after dark.
Aug. 29, 1924 – New Flag Poles at Shawsheen
Two flag pole have recently been erected at Shawsheen Village, one on the green in the rear of the Boy’s Club and the other on the athletic field.
The poles are masts from a six-masted schooner which was wrecked on the shoals of Vinyard Sound on the Cape last winter. The schooner was the second last of the six-masters to sail the high seas. Recently the last also wrecked, taking from marine shipping all of the six-masters
The schooners, it is understood, were operated by Palmer company and were used in the shipping of coal. The two masts now here were bought for William M. Wood by a sea captain.

April 2, 1926 – New Landmark Gone – The new landmark in Shawsheen Village, the massive flag-pole on the bowling green in front of the Administration Building has gone. Erected two years ago, it stood out prominently on the green. The pole, in two sections, was brought from Cuttyhunk by the late William M. Wood and was taken from a wrecked schooner.
A gang of riggers this week lowered the top mast and then sawed the lower mast off a foot from the ground, leaving 12 feet more below the surface. The sections were loaded on trucks and shipped to the golf course off Canterbury Street where the flag-pole will adorn the grounds of the Country Club.

Aug. 17, 1928 - AT - Bowlers Win - Shawsheen Bowling Green Club.
The bowling green was in active use until the American Woolen Co. moved their headquarters back to Boston. With no funds to maintain the green the sport faded in Andover. The opening of the Andover Country Club golf links in April 1926 may have also attributed to the decline of the sport.

AT - Sept. 13, 1935 – Bowling Revived – Bowling on the green, advocated a couple of weeks ago in this column, is definitely being revived here. A few days ago a few former members of the Shawsheen bowling club went up to George Rennie’s farm in West Andover, [61 Argilla Rd] and lost a close decision to a group of West Andoverites, 15 to 13
Rennie has an excellent green up there, all the contestants report, and if a private individual can afford to develop such a green, the town should be able to at the park.

The site was purchased by the town in 1978 from the Brother of Sacred Heart. The open green area became a popular soccer field for children's league practice and neighborhood park. The stone Boys Clubhouse building on the northeast corner of the lot was used as a polling place, held bowling equipment and later a meeting place for the Andover Militia Co. during the Bicentennial in 1976.

Bibliography/References: 

Northern Essex Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Townsman - page 8 Shawsheen Village

Owners:
Town of Andover - May 16, 1978 - b. 1338 p. 422
Order of the Brothers of Sacred Heart of NE - Dec. 27, 1945 - b.680 p. 307
Shawsheen Realty Company - Nov. 29, 1943 - b. 661 p. 142
Textile Realty Company - Oct. 1, 1937 - b. 611 p. 142
Textile Realty Company - Dec. 30, 1931 - b. 563 p. 387-389
American Woolen Company - Nov. 13, 1926 - b. 527 p. 165

Inventory Data:

StreetBalmoral St
PlaceShawsheen Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Historic NameBowling Green
Present UsePark and soccer field
Original UseBowling Green & Boys Club House
Construction Date1921
SourceERDS, NERDL, style,
Architectural StyleColonial Revival
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/Trimstone
Roofslate/gable
Major AlterationsBowling Green abandoned and court green filling in for play field 1940's
Conditiongood
Settingresidential/commercial
Map and parcel36-91 A
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-77, 1/25/2020

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