27 - 29 Pearson Street
Site of History 🛈The Site of History tag is given to properties that were lost before this building survey was undertaken.

Historical Narrative: 

This property, now parking for the Andover Public Safety Center was once owned by the Augustinian Society of Lawrence and was used as a home for the Priests. The 1872 map of Andover Center list Rev. Ambrose Mullen [A. Mullen] at this site. Two dwellings appear on the parcel. The St. Augustine's Church across the street on Essex St. was not built until 1879 when they purchased the William Corse house at 45 Essex St.

Rev. Michael F. Gallagher, O.S.A. became the first pastor of St. Augustine's when it was located on Central St. "On his untimely death in 1869, he was succeeded by Rev. Ambrose A. Mullen, O.S.A." Father Mullen was a former president of Villanova College, came with "experience and wisdom" vastly developing the parish.

July 9, 1875 Andover Advertiser (AA) - "William Corse has sold his land and buildings on Essex Street to Father A. A. Mullen." James Howarth executed the deed transfer from Corse to Father Mullen on July 12, 1875. As the property contained the William Corse home, the deed stipulated that Corse had use of the east side tenement rent free for the remainder of the year and a Mr. Osborn, renting the west side tenement, could continue to rent for the same period of time. William Corse was an Andover merchant who had a shoe store in the basement of the Baptist Church later moving to other locations.

Ambrose A. Mullen was born in April 1827 in Brooklyn, NY, his parents were from Ireland. He had an older brother Edward, who also became a Priest and served in Rome, and a sister Lizzie C. Mullen who live in Brooklyn, NY. Ambrose was also the pastor of St. Mary's Church in Lawrence. Sadly Father Mullen died on July 7, 1876 of a lung hemorrhage. He was 49 years old. Rev. Mullen is interred at St. Mary's Immaculate Concepcion Cemetery in Lawrence.

St. Augustine's church was relocated to 43 Essex St. in 1879 to a more central location for the parishioners. Maurice Murphy, O.S.A. continued Rev. Mullen's work and "set about building a permanent church, a wooden structure on the site of the present rectory."

June 27, 1879 AA – Father Murphy was seen one morning this week, pick in hand, working with the laborers on the foundation of his new church on Essex Street. The work of putting in the foundation of the new Catholic Church on Essex Street is progressing rapidly. The structure will be of wood, 60 x 80 feet, seats for six hundred persons. The expense will be about $10,000 and the building it is expected will be completed by Christmas.
The Andover Advertiser (AA) - Dec. 3, 1880 - St. Augustine’s new church to open.

The large Gothic Revival building took three more years to complete and services were conducted in the basement while the upper church was finished. It was dedicated on Sept. 2, 1883.

This property was then purchased from the Augustinian Society by Jeremiah "Jerry" Driscoll and Mary Driscoll on October 6, 1880. Jerry Driscoll was born in Ireland, a laborer, married to Julia Donovan and they had a son John J. Driscoll b. May 11, 1870 in Andover.

Son John J. Driscoll inherits the house, as he takes a mortgage on the property with the Andover Savings Bank on July 27, 1895. Sadly John died the following year on Dec. 8, 1896 age 26 yer 7 mo. of Tuberculosis. Ellen A. Collins got the title from the Driscoll estate and held the property until her death on Oct. 7, 1941.

The property was then devised through Probate court #201014 to Rosamond A. Murry in 1941 - 1942. She held the property for five years then sold to Ernest A. Appleyard of Lawrence, MA on August 22, 1946.

Ernest then placed the property in his name and Robert G. Appleyard in Dec. 1947. Appleyard held ownership for eight years then selling to Thomas G. & Mary L. Jasperson of Roxbury, MA on Nov. 21, 1955. The Jaspersons owned for 39 years. Mary Jasperson then sold to the Town of Andover on Sept. 21, 1994 for $185,000.

The town razed the house and uses the property as rear access route and parking for the Public Safety Center on the corner of North Main and Lewis Streets.

Bibliography/References: 

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

Owners;
Rev. Ambrose A. Mullen
Augustinian Society of Lawrence, John P. Gilmore Pres.
Jeremiah Driscoll and Mary Driscoll - Oct. 6, 1888 - b. 61 p. 341
John J. Driscoll - July 27, 1895 - b. 141 p. 12 mtg to Andover Sav. BK.
John J. Driscoll estate, Probate #80199 - John died Dec. 8, 1896
Ellen A. Collins, title via Dricsoll estate - 1896 - 97
Ellen A. Collins estate, Probate #201014 - Ellen died Oct. 7, 1941
Rosamond A. Murray - devised title from Collins estate - 1941 - 42
Ernest A. Appleyard - Aug. 22, 1946 - b. 688 p. 186
Ernest A. Appleyard & Robert G. Appleyard - Dec. 20, 1947 - b. 706 p. 196
Thomas G. & Mary L. Jasperson - Nov. 21, 1955 - b. 824 p. 302
Mary L. Jasperson, tile by probate
Town of Andover - Sept. 21, 1994 - b. 4130 p. 140

Inventory Data:

StreetPearson St
PlaceAndover Center District
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NamePriest House - Jeremiah Driscoll house
Present UseMunicipal parking lot - Saftey Center
Original Useresidence - 2 family
Construction Datecirca 1860
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationstone/granite/brick
Wall/Trimclapboards/wood
Roofasphalt - gable
ConditionRazed
Demolition Details1994 - 1995
Acreage0.23278 acre
Settingresidential/commerical
Map and parcel38-6
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredJan. 9, 2015, 5/1/2017

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