1 – 3 - 5 - 7 Elm Street – “Elm Block” - Built 1904

The apartment and retail block was built in late 1904 by John H. Flint and his wife Frances. The Flints lived directly across the street at 8 Elm Street in a large Italianate mansion which was razed in 1964 for the Standard International Building. John and Frances were prominent citizens in town. They owned several properties including the Musgrove building and most buildings along Post Office Ave. John H. Flint was once the President of the Tyer Rubber Co. and the Andover Savings Bank. Frances was the daughter of Henry G. Tyer the founder of the Tyer Rubber Co. This lot was once part of the former Elm House Hotel property acquired by the Flints in the summer of 1892. The hotel was razed in 1894 for the construction of the Musgrove Building.

The Elm Block construction began in August of 1904. Aug. 26, 1904 Andover Townsman – Hardy & Cole have been awarded the contract to build a block for John H. Flint on the lot owned by him on the east side of the Musgrove building on Elm Street. The building will be of three stories. The lower one will consist of two stores and the second and third floors will be made into tenements. Work has already been started on the building. October 21, 1904 AT – W. H. Welch & Co. have received the contract to do the plumbing in the new building being erected by John H. Flint on Elm St.

Tax records in 1910 assess the building at $6000 with 14490 square feet of land valued at $2150. Frances Flint is named as the owner of the property.

When constructed the “Elm Block” was sheathed with natural cedar shingles, had double hung windows with divided lights of six over two. The bay windows had painted shutters and trim. With canvas awnings on the retail store windows the building mirrored many seaside resort hotels built in the popular Shingle Style of the period. The center entrance scroll pediment is original but the main entrance originally had double doors leading to the four apartments on the upper floors. The store front entrances both flanked the apartment doors creating a symmetrical front facade. Number 7 was returned to its original look after the "Wonderland Theater" closed in 1913. Number 1 was later remodeled by the Yunggebauer family and the entrance moved to the center of the storefront.

William H. Welch was one of Andover’s frequently used plumbing contractors by residents, schools and businesses in the area. His business was located at 11 Barnard Street but Welch would become the first tenant in the Elm Block at #1 Elm Street. March 3, 1905 pg.1 AT – William H. Welch & Co. have hired the store on the south side of Flint’s new block on Elm street and will move their plumbing, gas, and steam-fitting establishment there. Mr. Welch is to have numerous improvements and alterations made before moving, and has planed to occupy it about April first.
March 31, 1905 pg. 1 AT – William H. Welch is now occupying his new store in Elm Block. Besides the stock that Mr. Welch has always carried he will have also a full line of stoves and ranges.

June 30, 1905 AT pg.1 – J. William Dean has moved his store on Main Street to the Elm Block on Elm Street. Hardy and Cole have been engaged to enlarge the old store and make many alterations and repairs. Dean became the first occupant of #7, although temporally, until moving back to his renovated store at 44 Main Street in mid September.

Jan. 12, 1906 AT pg. 1 - A. P. Levin has hired a store in the Elm Block where he will conduct a sale of clothing and ladies and men’s furnishings. Mr. Levin also placed an ad in the paper with the announcement “Remember the Sale – Beginning Saturday and Continuing for 60 Days.” Levin was also only a short term tenant.

March 2, 1906 AT – The store in Elm Block now occupied by A. P. Levin as a sales room will be occupied in a few weeks by three ladies from Boston who will open Millinery parlors. March 23, 1906 – The opening of the Elite Millinery parlors in Elm Block will occur on next Thursday, March 29, and all the ladies of Andover are invited to inspect the fine stock of Spring goods. The proprietors of the store are the Misses M. V. Kiley and A. G. Taylor, who have been in the employ of Houghton & Dutton, Boston for a number of years. The “Elite Millinery” would also become a short term tenant in this store as the ladies moved their new business to 2 Barnard Street on November 19, 1906.

Andover’s first movie theater the “Wonderland” opened here at #7 in February 1909.

January 22, 1909 AT pg. 5- The Moving Picture Show – And so Andover is to have a moving picture show, all its own, no need to go to Lawrence. Just step up to the Elm Block and encourage home industries….” Feb. 26, 1909 pg. 5 first advertisement appears - “Wonderland Electric Theatre” Moving Pictures and Illustrated Songs Enjoyment for old and young Also realistic and instructive Open Every Afternoon and Evening (except Sunday) Elm Block – Andover, Mass.
March 5, 1909 advert. Wonderland – Something new in every change, taken from real live. Pictures change Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – New Songs on Mondays and Thursdays.
June 18, 1909 avert – Wonderland – Elm Block – The Coolest Place In Town on a Hot Day – Picture change Monday Wednesday and Friday – Admission 10 cents – Children and Ladies 5 cents – Matinee Wed. & Sat. 2 PM.
August 20, 1909 pg. 1 AT Owing to the large crowds which have attended the Wonderland moving pictures, the management is having an extension built on the Elm Block so that there will soon be an additional seating capacity of about one hundred.

Sept. 10, 1909 – Bror Blouquist, an Andover Boy is at present doing a part of the singing at the local moving picture show.
Sept. 24, 1909 AT – The complete changes made at the Wonderland picture show recently will probably make the entertainment place more attractive than ever. The hall and front have been repainted and a new singer and piano played [sic] secured. In the singer in particular, Mr. Pluff, the manager has secured a fine man who gave such good satisfaction at his last position that he was retained for two years and nine months. He is absent at the present owing to the death of a child, and Mr. Moscow of Boston is ably filling he vacancy until Monday. A special police officer has been placed at the show and in the future rowdy-ism of any kind will not be tolerated.

September 1, 1911 AT - Considerable excitement prevailed at the Wonderland theatre for a few minutes on Saturday evening when one of the electric fans got out of order. Until quiet was restored and the trouble was adjusted several people thought the theatre was on fire.
Nov. 10, 1911 AT - On Tuesday night, Nov. 21, at 9 o'clock, Mr Barton will give away at Wonderland theatre, to some of the patrons, a big, fat, juciy 20-pound Vermont turkey. To find out how to secure this bird, attend the theatre next week.

March 14, 1913 AT - Wonderland Theatre ad announced that the theatre would be closing “next week, holy week” and would reopen on Monday, March 24. A short news snippet on that date also mentioned this, but added that a new picture “would be shown tonight and Saturday” (March 14 and 15) The news item states that the Wonderland would reopen with “continuous shows of the best in the picture line, all licensed films.” [G.R.]

It now appears that the Wonderland closed on March 15, 1913 and did not reopen. The new and larger Colonial Theater on Essex Street opened in January of 1913.

August 22, 1913 AT - The Fire Department was called on Saturday morning to extinguish a blaze at the rear of what was formerly the Wonderland Theatre. The trouble evidently started in some boxes piled up near the building, which has been occupied for several weeks by A.P. Levin who has been carrying on a fire sale there. The flames ignited the clapboards and nearby woodwork but were fortunately discovered in time so that more serious damage was averted. The loss was very slight.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) opened at #7 after the theater closed and is listed here from 1918 – 1937. In 1927 Herbert Darby is listed as the manager. Another A&P opened on Main St. at #89 in 1918, moved to the Merchant Building #64 Main Street in July 1927, then leased the Myerscough & Buchan Building #90 Main from 1947 – 1963 before closing. The Elm Block A&P closed prior to WWII and the store is listed as vacant 1943-1945.

The Town & Country Shop opened in 1946 and Atlas Paint & Supply, a hardware store followed here by 1949 – to the early 1970’s. The Bath House 1970’s, Andover Jacks & Jeans 1977, Andover Yarn & Crafts 1980, an exercise salon California Concepts opened in mid 1987. Uptown Kids, children’s clothing store by 1992. Indra Hair Salon, co-owned by Jose Batistine & April Graddeo, opened 2004 moved to the Barnard Block at #8 Main St. in Feb. 2010. Salon 7 opened in July 2010.

Marie A. and Gustav Yunggebauer purchased the “Elm Block” property which included an empty lot to the east on June 30, 1920 from Frances A. Flint, widow of John H. Flint. The Yunggebauer family owned a provisions store located at 10 North Main Street in the Daly Block. They relocated to #1 Elm Street in 1920. The Yunggebauer store was called the “Andover Cash Market” when it first opened, pictured above with the awnings. Later it known as just the “Andover Market”. In 1923 Gustav & Marie are listed as the proprietors and Fred Yunggebauer as a clerk. The Andover Market remained in business from 1920-1960’s. In 1922 G. A. Yunggebauer built a new business block just east of the Elm Block on his empty lot. This is the Andover Spa building today.

In 1918 Mr. Everett M. Lundgren, funeral director and embalmer is listed at, 1 Elm Street. Welch Plumbing had moved to 5 Post Office Ave. into the former Post Office space in he Musgrove Building. Lundgren continued at this address even after the Andover Cash Market occupied this space. The undertaker’s address in #1r, in rear, which may have been in the former “Wonderland” extension on the back of the block. Lundgren would later establish his funeral home business across the street in his residence at 18 Elm Street by 1937.
June 26, 1936 – Ad for Lundgren’s Funeral Home – 1840 – 1936 – 26 years of personal service. 24 Elm St. former owners – Herman & Joseph Abbott, James Crabtree, Charles Parker, F. H. Messer, and Everett Lundgren

The Valentine’s Flower shop, “flowers from the heart”, relocated here from #27 Main Street in 1972 – late 1990s followed by the Holland Flower Shop until 2001. Raini Nails then opened in July 2001 owned by Huong Thi Phan & Minh Thanh Huynh.

In 2014 the exterior of the building was covered in vinyl siding and all the windows replaced.