4 Fleming Ave

Historical Narrative: 

This property once belonged to Araumah Bell who purchased 11 acres land from the Mooar estate heirs on Feb. 21, 1822. Bell paid $143.90 for the pasture land. At this time the Boston & Maine Railroad had not yet been built. The rail line opened in 1848. Bell sold a 1 1/2 acre lot to James Robinson on June 9, 1847. No mention of buildings in the deed. James Robinson was a Flax Dresser at the Smith & Dove Mill in Frye Village. It appears that Robinson built the house. The Andover Valuation Schedule in 1850 list James Robinson, South Parish - 1 1/2 acre land and house $850.

Alice Robinson later sells the property for $1250. to William Lawson, a machinist, wife Margaret, on March 21, 1856. The deed states "with dwelling house, barn, shoe makers shop and other buildings thereon" On the 1856 map of Andover, there are two houses marked near this location, the first structure is owned by William Lawson (4 Fleming Ave.) and just east of him is John Robinson #56 Haverhill St., later known as the Cohen House. Lawson owned the property for 12 years then selling to Warren Davis, wife Mary A. on Dec. 17, 1868 for $1300. Davis died and his wife Mary A. Davis inherits the property.

Amos Southwick, wife Nancie purchased the property for $1140 on May 13, 1877. Sadly Southwick is bankrupt and the courts declare insolvency on April 29, 1878. The property was then sold at auction on July 24, 1878, John Barrett, Yeoman, the highest bid at $1260. The deed was recorded on Aug. 12, 1878. John Barrett later purchased the Cohen estate on November 17, 1891 at public auction. Barrett paid $550 for the two acres of land and house. On the 1888 map lists J. Barrett as the owner of the property adjoining Cohen’s at #54. John Barrett, a farmer, rented the former Cohen house until 1900.

John Barrett estate, Trustee Jane Barrett on Sept. 3, 1901. Jane sold the property to Edward Fleming on June 27, 1908.. The estate consisted of two parcels of land on Haverhill St. adjoining the Boston & Maine Railroad and along what was then to become Hillside Avenue, now Fleming Ave. Originally Hillside Ave. went straight up the hill next to the east side of the store on Haverhill St. and was probably the driveway to John Barrett's house and Alexander Cohen’s home. The Fleming house was once numbered #54 Haverhill St. and later renumbered to #1 Fleming then #4 Fleming Ave. It was Edward T. Fleming that developed Hillside Ave. into house lots in 1923.

Edward Fleming was born in Ireland in 1862 and married Elizabeth. They had six boys: James J. b.1889, John J. b. 1890, Edward H. b. 1892, William A. b. 1895, Patrick T. b. 1900 and Michael b. 1902. Son James age 17 immigrated to the US in 1903 with his uncle Edward Fleming and went to Lawrence, MA where Edwards' broth John had settled. On Nov. 30, 1905 the S.S. Saxonia arrived in Boston from Liverpool with Edward Fleming and his family. Three year later Edward purchased property in Andover. He listed his occupation a farmer.

In the 1920 Andover Valuation schedule lists Fleming’s property; house $1000, barn $300, 2 acres #54 Haverhill St. $600 and 4.91 acres behind #54 Haverhill St. at $200. There is no listing of the store building, however a year later in the Andover Townsman p8, Aug. 19, 1921 – Shawsheen Villager is the following news item; Burglars Enter Lunch Room – Burglars entered the lunch room of Edward T. Fleming of Haverhill Street shortly after midnight Thursday morning and made away with a considerable amount of food. The thieves gained entrance by tearing away the screening in several windows in Mr. Fleming’s lunch room, which is just across the tracks from the railroad station and while the matter has been reported to the police and they are working on the case, no clue has yet been unearthed as to their identity. The thieves got no money, but the owner reports the loss of 12 pounds of stewed beef, 5 dozen eggs, 4-5 loaves of bread, two pies, a carton of cigarettes and some cigars.

Fleming’s lunch room may have been located in the current location of 6-8 Fleming Ave. Edward Fleming certainly seized the opportunity to serve lunches to the crews of contractors employed by the American Woolen Co. in the construction the Shawsheen mill buildings in 1921. With the building of Shawsheen Village also came the opportunity to develop his property for potential sale and or rental income for mill operatives. Edward Fleming later built the small variety store. In 1929 the store was about half its length closer to the street to its current location. (see Map #737)

The town directories have Fleming living at 11 Hillside in 1930, and #3 in 1935. Sons Edward and wife Mary at 5 Hillside, John J. & Teresa at 15 Hillside.

Fleming owned the this property until 1950 when he deeds all his remaining holdings to John J. Fleming. The house lot was then sold to Arthur J. & Doris Charest on May 22, 1950. Charest owned for four years then sold to Edward F. & Madelyn W. Andrew on Oct. 7, 1954. Andrew family were the owners of record until 2009.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Townsman

Owners
Araumah Bell - Feb. 21, 1822 - b. 265 leaf 303 - 11 acres land
James Robinson - June 9, 1847 - b. 384 leaf 108 - 1 1/2 acre lot
William Lawson - March 21, 1856 - b. 528 leaf 51
Warren Davis, wife Mary A. - Dec. 17, 1868 - b. 762 leaf 133
Warren Davis estate, wife Mary A. heir -
Amos Southwick, wife Nancie - May 13, 1877 - b. 46 p. 452
Amos Southwick, wife Nancie - April 29, 1878 - bankrupt
John Barrett - Aug. 12, 1878 - b. 52 p. 175 - at auction
John Barrett - Nov. 17, 1891 - b. 116 p. 366 - Cohen house & 2a lot
John Barrett - July 3, 1900 - b. 178 p. 230 – 232 two parcels
John Barrett estate, Jane Barrett, trustee - Sept. 3, 1901
Edward Flemming - June 27, 1908 - b. 262 p. 346
John J. Flemming - Mar. 11, 1950 - b. 733 p. 395
Arthur J. & Doris Charest - May 22, 1950 - b. 736 p. 308
Edward F. & Madelyn W. Andrew - Oct. 7, 1954 - b. 800 p. 237
Edward F. & Madelyn W. Andrew - Mar. 29, 1991 - b. 3234 p. 211 Homestead
Edward Andrew, Thomas Andrew, Arthur Andrew - Mar. 7, 1997 - b. 11570 p. 349
Edward Andrew estate - Apr. 19, 2009
Thomas Andrew, Arthur Andrew, heirs - 2009
William H. Lumbard & Nicholas Hantzis - June 5, 2009 - b. 11626 p. 269
Joseph A. Gorrasi - May 26, 2010 - b. 12045 p. 327

Inventory Data:

StreetFleming Av
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictShawsheen Village NRH District
Historic NameJames Robinson - John Barrett House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1847 - 1849
SourceECRDS, ENRDL, style-njs
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationstone/granite
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood/vinyl siding
Roofasphalt - gable
Major AlterationsVinyl siding, replacement windows
Conditiongood
Acreage0.1537 acre
Settingresidential/business
Map and parcel18-4
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-1977, 3/3/2016

Map: