56 Essex St. – parcel 55-2
Jeremiah Hurd House -

The entrance way to Dundee Park and parking lot extending to the brick building was once occupied by a house built for Jeremiah Hurd, a joiner and machine maker. Jeremiah purchased the lot for $200 on April 15, 1829 from the Widow Zeruiah Griffin who lived in the small Cape house at 62 Essex St. Jeremiah married on Nov. 8, 1822 in Andover to Martha Chandler and they joined South Church on July 3, 1824. Jeremiah purchased pew #17 on the floor of the church west of the front door against the wall for Nathan Abbot on March 9, 1826. Jeremiah took a mortgage in June 1829 from the Trustees of the ministerial Fund of South Parish of $1500 on his newly built home. Jeremiah & Martha lived here for three years then moved to the new City of Lowell. They sold the property to James Howarth 2nd on Mar. 8, 1832 for $1825.

James Howarth 2nd married on Dec. 2, 1821 to Hannah B. Foster, b. may 27, 1799 dau. of Peter & Lydia Foster. James was a cousin to James Howarth who owned the stone mill in Abbott Village. They lived here about three years then relocated to Louden, NH. James & Hannah had five children in Andover, Joseph L. b. Dec. 14, 1821 d. Aug. 2, 1823, Sarah Ann F. b. Oct. 1, 1823, Hannah b. Oct. 15, 1825, Joseph N. b. Jan. 2, 1829 – d. Oct. 15, 1830 and James W. b. Aug. 17, 1831. James sold the property to Solomon H. Higgins on July 21, 1835 for $1800.

Solomon Higgins was a painter, married Phebe H. Osgood of Dracut, MA intention noted on Feb. 18, 1926. They had three children; Mary A. b. Mar. 28, 1830, Ellen b. Sept. 19, 1831 and George b. Apr. 18, 1833. Solomon also purchased a second property on High Street for Thomas C. Foster. For $200. Solomon Higgins held for 16 months then selling to Isaac Carlton for $2165 on Nov. 14, 1836.

Isaac Carlton was born Apr. 28, 1783 son of Samuel & Sarah “Dorcus” (Wilson) Carleton. Isaac was a Hatter, by trade and married three times. First marriage was on March 5, 1820 to Martha Lovejoy, b. Oct. 19, 1797 dau. of Isaac & Ruth (Dane) Lovejoy. Isaac & Martha had two sons. Guy b. Jan. 8, 1822 – d. May 27, 1829 age 7. Son Guy b. April 2, 1830. Sadley Martha died on April 13, 1830 age 32years. Isaac marred 2nd wife Mary Ann Smith bpt. Aug. 9, 1801 dau. of Capt. George Smith of Salem. They had four children all died in infancy. Many Ann died on Aug. 13, 1838 age 26 years. Isaac married a third time to Mrs. Desire Richardson at the Episcopal Church on Oct. 5, 1841. The 1850 Valuation for Isaac list ½ acre, dwelling house & shed $1800. On the Andover map in 1852 Isaac Carlton is listed at this location. The 1850 US census lists Isaac Carlton b. in MA age 51, a Hatter, wife Desire b. 1810 in Maine, age 40, and three children; Charles W, 14, Edward E. 7 and Henry C. age 5. In Jan. 1844 Isaac & Desire take a $1200 mortgage loan with the Trustees of Phillips Academy. Desire died in Lawrence on May 1, 1860 age 53.

Alexander Smart was born in Scotland in 1805 and immigrated to America in 1841. He settled in Andover and became a Flax Dresser at Smith & Dove Co. Alexander married in Andover Jan. 19, 1847 to Catherine Petrie b. Apr. 6, 1810 in Montrose, Scotland, dau. of Joseph & Catherine (Napier) Petrie. They had one son Joseph Alexander b. May 11, 1848. Alexander died of consumption on Nov. 19, 1859 at age 54 and is interred at Christ Church Cemetery. Alex’s will in Feb. 1859 left $800 to his widow Catherine, $400 to his brother Hugh, $200 to his sister Ann and $1400 to his son Joseph along with the remainder of his estate. Joseph was still a minor at this time. With the death of his father in 1859 Joseph went to work at the Smith & Dove Manf. Co. to help support his family. He later apprenticed with Charles Mayer, the local harness maker. Joseph's ability with accounting got him employment at the Merrimack Mutual Fire Insurance Co. where he worked for 47 years and later elected President of the company.

It appears that Isaac Carlton rented the house to the Smart family as the 1860 census has Ann Smart age 50 b. in Scotland, a Spinner. Ellen Patrie age 17 b. Scotland also a Spinner and George Stewart b. Scotland age 35 Flax Dresser and his family, wife Sarah A. 31 b. England, John W. 12, Martha 10, and George B. age 2.

Catherine Petrie Smart purchased the mortgage from the Trustees of Phillips Academy on Dec. 12, 1863. She began running a boarding house. The 1870 Census lists eleven male boarders, mostly Flax dressers, one machinist, a carpenter and a servant girl Isabella Peebles, age 39 b. Scotland. Joseph A. Smart is now 22 years of age and a clerk at the Insurance Co. Joseph married in 1875 to Martha Stewart b. Sept. 11, 1849 in Andover, dau. of George & Sarah Ann (Bushfield) Stewart. They had one daughter Annie Stewart b. Dec. 20, 1878. Catherine died on Nov. 26, 1884 at theage of 70.
Joseph A. Smart, wife Martha, are listed here on the 1872 map of Andover. Joseph A. Smart was a prominent citizen and had a new home built at 119 Main Street in 1888. Joseph purchased the mortgage from his mother on June 26, 1878.
AA July 1883 – Jos. A. Smart is making an addition to the L of his house near the Depot, and raising the roof making it two stories. The Smart family owned the Essex St. property for about 26 years then selling to the Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co., Inc. July 19, 1889.

The home was a two family and then converted to three apartments and used as operative housing. The house is listed as 56 Essex St. on the 1900 Andover Valuation of assessed property under the Smith & Dove. Manuf. Co., value $2500 barn $100. Later directories list #52, #54 and #56 Essex St.

When the Smith & Dove Co. was purchased by the Ludlow Co. in 1927 all the land holdings were placed in the Smith & Dove Tenements, Inc. on Feb. 21, 1927. The name was changed to Andover Homes, Inc. Walter R. Amesbury, treas. on Dec. 31, 1927.

Virgil D. Harrington purchased the property and several others on June 7, 1932.
It was then transferred to the Indian Ridge Co., Inc., Virgil D. Harrington, treas. on Nov. 15, 1932.

Titus & Alice M. Corkum purchased this property on Nov. 29, 1932 and a second parcel at #79 Essex St. the former Abbott Village Hall site. The 1935 Directory list #52 james & Annie Fraser, John C.R., Laborer, & William Fraser Rug Wkr at TRCo. #54 Margaret Hughes, wid. Of Charles, Joseph P., Phillips W. and Charles & Hilda Hughes. #56 James & Agnes B. Waldie, Chauf. John W. TRCo., & Margaret H. maid. Corkum held for 8 years then selling to Nellie May Palmer on Dec. 27, 1940. Edward & Margaret M. O’Hagen purchased the house on Jan. 20, 1945 and then Emil R. & Dorothy F. Covey held the property on Dec. 20, 1948. Emil & Emily lived in the house at #54. Emil was a Mill operative in Lawrence.

The Inhabitants of the Town of Andover purchased the lot on Dec. 3, 1956 and the house was razed. The lot is now used as the main entrance to the former Smith & Dove Manufacturing mill complex now referred to as Dundee Park.