32 Riverina Road

Architectural Description: 

Post WWII ranch style home. While the home is not in the Colonial Revival style of the other houses on the street it is a nice example of an early 1950's style home with casement windows, bay window, vertical wood banding to add interest to the facade and a modern take on a gable dormer on the roofilne

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. Riverina Rd however is the exception.
Riverina takes its name from the Australian rich lands where the finest wools in the world are grown and is the name of a large territory in Australia.

It is interesting to note that George M. Wallace, who lived in Aberfoyle, was the private secretary, close friend and confidant of William M. Wood. Wallace was the agent for the Riverina Mills, in Medford, MA from 1918-1926. It was Wallace’s suggestion to Wm. Wood that the waste wool of the company’s mills could be reclaimed for the manufacturing of carpets. The Riverina Mill was extremely successful under his direction.

The entrance to Riverina Rd from Haverhill St. was once the site of the Smith & Dove Mill, the first mill in the country built for the production of linen threads from flax in 1836.

This home was not 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. Clifford Allbright was the designer of every home built on Riverina St. during this period number #30 the last on the street by Allbright. 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.

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, window boxes all added the “icing on the cake, of the 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 Co. 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.

Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. acquired the Ink Lot parcel in Oct. 30, 1937 the 2nd parcel in the deed. This house lot was carved out of a three acre parcel of the former Donald Ink factory property on North Main Street. In May 1951 lot J. and I were sub-divided off and sold. Annita Marino purchased lot J on June 15, 1951. It is said the home was built in 1955. (Assessors records). The Property was then placed into both her and husband Joseph Marino
on Nov. 25, 1961. Annita was b. 1895 and Joseph b. 1895 was a tailor.

At some point the home was made into a two family house as the 1961 directory lists two families living at 32 Riverina Rd. Joseph & Annita Marino and Alfred M. Brunell b.1914 an Electrical Engineer and his wife Viola A. b, 1911.
Annita Marino estate was administered by Father Francis J. Marino, Executor. Probated in 1997 and the property was sold to Theresa M. Quinn on June 6, 1997.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Maps, 1852, 1872, 1888, 1906, 1926
Andover Street Directories
Andover Townsman
Mills, Mergers and Mansions, by Edward Roddy 1982
See Map plan #704 - American Woolen Company - Sept. 1927
#880 - June 1932 - Textile Realty Company lot 3.04 acres - Ink Shop Parcel
Map #2391 - May 1951 - Lot J

Owners;
John Smith & Peter Smith – Dec. 29, 1841 –b. 335 leaf 99
Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. – July 1, 1864 - b. 677 leaf 259 Salem deed
Robert Braisford, General Degreasing Co. – July 21, 1902 – b. 197 p. 32
Beacon Trust Company. – Dec. 23, 1904 – b. 217 p. 80
Daniel C. Smith –Mar. 28, 1909 – b. 258 p. 446
Arlington National Bank – June 11, 1909 – b. 274 p. 565
James E. McGovern – July 17, 1909 – b. 275 p. 400 – mgt sale
Henry P. Binney, Trustee of A. W. Co. – Aug. 14, 1909 - b. 277 p. 310
American Woolen Company, Wm. M. Wood Pres. - Dec. 30, 1920 -435 p. 215 parcel 1
Textile Realty Co., Lionel J. Noah, Pres. A.W.Co. - Dec. 30, 1931 - b. 563 p. 351
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - Oct. 30, 1937 - b. 611 p. 177 - 2nd parcel
Annita Marino - June 15, 1951 - b. 752 p. 18
Joseph & Annita Marino - Nov. 25, 1961 - b. 949 p. 82
Annita Marino estate, Father Francis J. Marino, Extr - probate
Theresa M. Quinn - June 6, 1997 - b. 4776 p. 56
Aberdeen Condominium Realty Trust, Theresa M. Marrr Tr. - Oct. 24, 2000 - b. 5900 p. 156
Theresa M. Quinn - Marr - Aug. 21, 2001 - b. 6294 p. 343
Mark D. Cover & Tanny L. Landry - Feb. 28, 2002 - b. 6697 p. 302
Mark D. & Tanny L. (Landry) - Cover - Apr. 17, 2003 - b. 7722 p. 232
Jamie Velez and Karime Soto & David Blanco - Dec. 22, 2006 - b. 10557 p. 18

Map #2391 - lot J - 16,970 sq. feet
Textile Realty Co. - Ink Shop lot - 3.88 acres
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co - Oct. 30, 1937 - b. 611 p. 177 - parcel 2

Inventory Data:

StreetRiverina Rd
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Present Useresidence - 2 family
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1955
SourceERDS, ENRDL, assessers' rec./style-njs
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationconcrete
Wall/Trimshingle/wood
Roofgable - asphalt
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.358 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel52-18
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredJuly 25, 2015

Map: