206 Andover Street

Architectural Description: 

Brick and wood structure, unusual triple window configuration on the gable ends, slate roof

Historical Narrative: 

Owners: Robert Benedict and Peter LeSaffe
Developer: Roy Umanzio

These wood and brick buildings represent the past and the present. Now distinguished by suite numbers, the R.W. Electronics, Mill Stream Carriage House, Inc. and the Ballardvale Company were once the wool dry houses of the historic Ballard Vale Company and the Ballard Vale Mills, dating from 1836, and later known as Storehouses A, B & C. The skylights are recent construction (1989) that successfully relates to the former use of the building.

The Franklin Darracott 1848 map of Ballard Vale Village and the properties of the Ballard Vale Machine Shop label this building as the Tenter House & Shed. A Tenter is "a framework upon which milled cloth is stretched for drying without shrinkage." A tenterhook is a hooked nail for securing cloth on a tenter hence the term "on tenterhooks", a state of uneasiness, suspense, or anxiety.

A map of the Ballard Vale Mills Co., surveyed March 21, 1912, labels this building as Building C. The structure was 200' long x 36' wide and was connected to the building at the east end of the property. The current drive between was a pass though at the second floor and roofs connected. The attic space was for wool storage. The second floor held three rooms, the east end stored wool, the long center room for drying wool, and the west end room for sorting. The main level contained weaving plain looms in the east end room, the pass through, then plain loom weaving and the west end room for finished goods.

The Ballard Vale Mills Company closed in 1926 and the property was then sold off. The main manufacturing complex was purchased by Northern Rubber Northern Rubber Company on Sept. 29, 1927. The Ballard Vale Mills Co. however held the mortgage deed which was sold on Apr. 12, 1932 to Susan A. Hodgkins, widow of William H. Hodgkins, former Trustee of the J. Putnam Bradlee estate and President of the Bradlee Mills. Susan A. Hodgkins would foreclose on the company on Mar. 25, 1933.
Upon Susan A. Hodgkins death in 1937, her children Helen A. Kendall and Willis B. Hodkins were heirs to the estate. Warren C. & Helen A. Kendall, and Charles Wood Bond, were trustees of the estate. Warren C. Kendall purchased Son Willis 1/4 share on July 29, 1937.

Warren C. & Helen A. Kendall took a mortgage loan on Aug. 24, 1938 with the First National Bank of Boston. The bank foreclosed on the loan on Aug. 17, 1943. Wool Warehouse, Inc., Geo. L. Anderson Treas. then purchased the property on May 29, 1944. The wooden mill #2 on the east side of the river was then sold to the Shawsheen Rubber Co.

C. Lincoln Giles, and architect and developer then purchased the mill buildings on the west side of the river along with 18.73 acres on Aug. 25, 1961. Giles embraced the idea of rehabbing old buildings and converting them for business, retail and residential use. Giles would sub-divide the property and sold off the buildings as separate properties.
Frederick D. & Flora D. Brainard purchased this building on March 17, 1964 and held it for 22 years.

John R. Berman trustee of the Olde Mill Trust purchased this property from Brainard on Dec. 22, 1986 and the east end building the following March form Lincoln Giles. Giles most likely separated the two ends of the building. Berman then created the Mill Stream Condominium creating four business units or Suites in the building. Roadrunner Realty Trust, with Robert R. Benedict and Peter L. LeSaffre trustees first purchased Suites #1 & #2 then followed with #3 & #4. For 26 years they held the property renting to various businesses. on May 6, 2014 the building was purchased by Stateside Realty Group.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
See also Form A - Area Survey - Ballardvale Mills
Lawrence Eagle Tribune: 10-13-44
Business History of Andover: Anniversary Souvenir No. of the Andover Townsman, May 20, 1896, p. 12-15
Molley, Peter; Lower Merrimack River Valley: Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites - sponsored by MVTM and Historic American Engineering Record (Washington National Park Service, 1976)
Map plan #719 - Wilson lot -
Map plan #1460 - May 29, 1944 - Kendall to Wool Warehouse, Inc. of Boston
Map plan #4556 - July 1962 - C. Lincoln Giles
Map plan #11035 - Jan. 20, 1988 - Mill Stream Condominiums
"Preservation Award 1994"

Owners:
Timothy Ballard - 1797
Timothy Ballard estate, Judge Rogers extr. died Feb. 29, 1828 Probate
Ezra Abbot & William Rogers -
Daniel Poor, Jr. & Abel Blanchard - July 10, 1834 - b. 277 leaf 199
Daniel Poor, Jr., Abel Blanchard, John Marland, Abraham J. Gould, Mark Newman -July 13, 1834 - b. 281 leaf 251
Poor, Blanchard, Gould, Newman, Marland - Sept. 23, 1835 - b. 286 leaf 157 - Feb. 25, 1836
Ballard Vale Company - Aug. 19, 1836 - b. 292 leaf 109-111
Josiah Putnam Bradlee - 1866 - b.
J. Putnam Bradlee estate, William H. Hodgkins,Trustee - Feb. 2, 1887
Ballard Vale Mills Co. - Feb. 6, 1905 - b. 218 p. 238 - parcel 1
Northern Rubber Company - Sept. 29, 1927 - b. 537 p. 522
Ballard Vale Mills Co. - Sept. 29, 1927 - b. 537 p. 522 - mtg. deed
Susan A. Hodgkins, to Harry E. Perkins, POA - Apr. 12, 1932 - b. 569 p. 545
Susan A. Hodgkins, widow of William H., - Apr. 12, 1932 - b. 569 p. 546 - assignee of mtg.
Susan A. Hodgkins, widow of William H. - Mar. 25, 1933 - foreclosed - Northern Rubber Co.
Susan A. Hodgkins estate, July 15, 1937 - Probate #206675
Warren C. Kendall, Helen A. Kendall, Charles Wood Bond, Trs.- July 29, 1937 - b. 609 p. 481 - Probate
Warren C. Kendall - July 29, 1937 - b. 609 p. 483 - 1/4 share of Willis B. Hodgkins
Warren C. & Helen A. Kendall - Aug. 24, 1938 - b. 617 p. 480 - mtg. First National Bk.
First National Bank of Boston - Aug. 17, 1943 - b 659 p. 119 - poss. mtg deed
Wool Warehouse, Inc., Geo. L. Anderson Treas. - May 29, 1944 - b. 664 p. 180 assignee
C. Lincoln Giles - Aug. 25, 1961 - b. 943 p. 43 - 18.73 acres w/blds
Frederick D. & Flora D. Brainard - Mar. 17, 1964 - b. 1005 p. 369
Flora D. Brainard - Dec. 4, 1985 - b. 2083 p. 188 - parcel I
John R. Berman, Olde Mill Realty Trust - Dec. 22, 1986 - b. 2386 p. 263 - parcel I
John R. Berman, Olde Mill Realty Trust - Mar. 13, 1987 - b. 2451 p. 129 - parcel II
Mill Stream Condominium, John R. Berman, Trustee - Feb. 23, 1988 - b. 2682 p. 306 master deed
Roadrunner Realty Trust, Rbt. R. Benedict, Peter L. LeSaffre, - Mar. 2, 1988 - b. 2685 p. 101 & 107 Suites 1& 2
Roadrunner Realty Trust, Rbt. R. Benedict, Peter L. LeSaffre - Sept. 8, 1988 - b. 2803 p. 164 & 170 - Suites 4 & 3
Stateside Realty Group, LLC - May 6, 2014 - b. 13843 p. 194 - Suites 1, 2, 3, & 4

Inventory Data:

StreetAndover St
PlaceBallardvale
Historic DistrictBallardvale Local Historic District
Historic DistrictBallardvale National Register District
Historic NameBallardvale Mills Wool Dry Houses
Present UseElectronics Co. (1989)
Original UseWool dry houses of Ballardvale Mills
Construction Date1836 - 1840
SourceECRDS, ENRDL, style-njs
Architectural StyleGreek Revival
Foundationstone/granite/brick
Wall/Trimwood and brick
Roofslate - gable
Major AlterationsRehabilitated 1986-87
Conditionexcellent
Acreageless than one acre
Settingbusiness/commercial
Map and parcel138-23D
Recorded byC. Murphy, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Historical Society, Andover Preservation Commission
Date entered1989, 1/10/2017

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