24 York Street

Architectural Description: 

Colonial Revival - Bungalow style

Historical Narrative: 

Shawsheen Village was named after the Native American name for the river Shawshin, which means Great Spring. Prior to Shawsheen Village this area was known as Frye Village. All the streets in the Village were named for Castles & Cathedrals in Great Britain.

York Street takes its name from York Minster Cathedral , seat of the Archbishop of York, second highest office in the Church of England. The Gothic Church is one of the largest in Northern Europe. There is also a York Castle, in York, England. A Norman castle built by William I

The north end of York St. was once part of the Walter Kaye property, and Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. The Kaye home was moved to 26 Haverhill St. for construction of York St. Some homes nearer the entrance of Brickstone were first built in error on the entrance way to Wood’s Shawsheen Mills. Wood, away on tour in Europe, upon his return, saw the homes and said, “removed those home immediately” and so they were relocated to York St.

Andover Townsman (AT) - May 12, 1922 - The houses on York street extension are all completed, sewers have been put in and at the present time the street and sidewalks are being finished.

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 leased or sold through the Homestead Association who had offices in the Post Office building on the corner of North Main & Poor Streets.

A walk down York Street will find a mix of the old and new as Wood moved a few older homes in Frye Village to sites on York St. and Balmoral St. Each home incorporates a different look, style and design modifications, most noticeable with the front door entrances. Decorative details on the corner boards and a variety of ornamental trellises add to the “icing on the cake, of the maintained original designs. Most of the homes now sport a variety of different colors no longer all white with green shutters as dictated in the original deeds.

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 1923 were Rene & Una M. Richards. Rene was a Civil engineer for the American Woolen Co. they are also list in 1928.

This house was sold to Alfred & Nora R. Pidgeon on Dec. 11, 1939. In 1943 Alfred is in sales in Lawrence. Nora is a buyer for A. B. Sutherland Co. in Lawrence, a popular department store on Essex St. A son John A. was in the Merchant Marines.

Peter S. & Marguerite A. Trachym purchased the home on Sept. 30, 1958.

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
#880 - June 1932 - Textile Realty Company lot #18

Owners;
Fannie S. Smith
Walter A. Kaye - July 7, 1907 - b. 250 p. 315
Henry P. Binney, Trustee of A. W. Co. - Mar. 25, 1916 - b. 362 p. 171
American Woolen Company, Wm. M. Wood Pres. - Dec. 30, 1920
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 - 32th parcel
Alfred & Nora R. Pidgeon - Dec. 11, 1939 - b. 627 p. 249
Peter S. & Marguerite A. Trachym - Sept. 30, 1958 - b. 880 p. 336
Janice L. (Dalton) Fernalid - b. 1185 p. 461
John A. & Nancy Swift - June 25, 1976 - b. 1285 p. 42
Joseph Savy & L. Robin DiBitetto - June 29, 1979 - b. 1374 p. 709
Joseph Savy & L. Robin Eichler- Savy - June 18, 1982 - b. 1588 p. 36
Joseph A. Harrington - June 15, 1982 - b. 1888 p. 25
Joseph A. Harrington - Aug. 29, 1985 - b. 2033 p. 122 - mtg.
Robert E. Curren Sheriff Deed - May 15, 1987
Fleet National Bank - July 7, 1987 - b. 2588 p. 241
Joseph A. Harrington - Dec. 27, 2002 - b. 7395 p. 259

Inventory Data:

StreetYork St
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Historic NameAlfred & Nora Pidgeon House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1921 - 1922
SourceERDS, ENRDL, assessers' rec./style-njs
Architectural StyleColonial Revival
Architect/BuilderPatten - Architect
Foundationstone
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood
Roofgable - asphalt
Major Alterationsenclosed front porch, slate roof replaced with asphalt,
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.163 acre
Settingresidential/commerical
Map and parcel35-12
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975 - 1977, 7/21/2015

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