Themes: Architectural, community development

This home at the corner of Essex St. and Baker Lane is an early 19th century structure and may have been built as a two family. The area is known as Abbott Village for brothers Abel & Paschal Abbott who established a woolen mill on the banks of Shawsheen River about 1813.

This area however was mentioned as early as 1682. "Granted libertie to any man yt ye towne or committiee they shall chose to sett up a saw-mill, fulling-mill, and grist-mill upon Shawshin river near Roger's Brooke, to take up twenty acres of land adjoining to ye sd place, and to enjoye it ye same forever, with ye privileges of a townsman. Capt. Dudley Bradstreet, Left. Jno Osgood, Ensign Thomas Chandler, Dea. John ffrie, Sen., John Stevens are chosen a committee to act in this affair to make articles with such person or persons as they shall judge fitt."

Woolen mills began to take hold in New England after 1789 with the end of the Revolutionary War. The Abbott brothers had begun their business in the North Parish but sold the mill to Abraham Marland and moved to this village area. Marland had already establish his woolen mill in Abbott Village by 1810. Abel and Paschel Abbott built their new mill at the bottom of Red Spring Rd. on the river. The mill thrived from 1815 - 1843 when a down turn in the market force them to close. Their mills were purchased by Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. of Frye Village and gradually the linen company moved up river. Smith and Dove sold out in 1927 to the Ludlow Co. and the operations move out of Andover and Abbott Village in 1928.

Deeds at the Salem registry trace ownership back to Benjamin Ames and Daniel Cummings who sold 5 acres 18 rods of land for $436.72 to Stephen Abbot & Stephen Russell on June 9, 1814. The parcel included buildings and extended down to the river, but excluded a house "now owned and improved by David Holt during his natural life with the liberty to remove the same at his decease, unless sd. Abbot & Russell shall purchase at the appraisal..." Russell sold his half to Abbot in November 1818.

Stephen sold the property to Jonathan Merrill, a Blacksmith, for $1000 and held the mortgage deed. Merrill mortgaged the 6 acres for $1500 to Amos Choate of Salem, MA on on Dec. 17, 1824 and additional $500 on April 3, 1827. Amos held the deed until his death in 1845 and Thomas C. Foster & Jonathan Merrill then released the mortgage deed to his widow Mehitable Choate on Sept. 27, 1846. Choate sells to Samuel Gray on June 16, 1847 for $1710 which includes two houses. The dwellings appear to be 63-65 Essex St. and 1-3 Bakers Lane, a portion of the former six acres.
Gray sells the parcel with two houses on it to John Harding & Henry S. Green on June 21, 1847. Later the parcel was divided off and Harding held 1-3 Barker Lane and Green owned 63-65 Essex St. house which included the land now occupied by the store at 59 Essex. St.

Rev. Henry S. Greene was hired as the first minister of the newly established Ballardvale, Union Congregational Church. The Society was established in 1850 and the Church followed on Dec. 31, 1854. Rev. Greene was installed as minister on April 1, 1855 and died during his ministry on June 11, 1880. He and wife Mary Phillips (Abbott) Greene lived on Marland St. in Ballardvale, but had purchased this home and most likely used it as rental income. Mary P. A. Greene died Jan. 29, 1878. With the death of Rev. Greene the house was willed to Hannah A. Flint, wife of Nathaniel F., through the wills of both Henry and Mary Greene.

Hannah Flint held the property about 10 years, selling to the widow Mary (McCusker) Trulan on Dec. 15, 1891. Her husband William Trulan was a carpenter, worked for Hardy & Cole before his death in 1886. He was also a veteran of the Civil War. They had five children, William Francis, Mary E., John H., Annie M. and Sarah J. Trulan. The Trulan family had ben living on Baker's Lane.

Son William F. worked as an apprentice carpenter with his father then opened a variety store in the lower level of his parent's house about 1886. In 1891 the Trulans moved into house, and William moved his store into #63 and they lived in #65. On Sept. 18, 1898, Mary sold a portion of the property to William and he built his new store and residence next door at 59 Essex St. The building was once the Niotus clubhouse which sat on a sports field where Wholefoods Market is today. William purchased it at auction and had it moved to the site. Presumably his carpentry skills came in handy during reconstruction into a store and home. William married on Nov. 29, 1905, to Jessie G. Cuthill but sadly he died eight months later on Aug. 17, 1906, at age 44. His widow Jessie later remarried a man named Fred O. Brackett.

Mary's three daughters had also married: Mary to Franklin Valentine, Annie to Elmer Davis and Sarah J. to Frederick Sutcliffe. After Mary died on Aug. 14, 1911 son John H. Trulan inherited the house. John died June 10, 1931, and his sisters become sole surviving heirs as next of kin. Mary E. Valentine, Sarah M. Sutcliff & Annie P. Davis in 1931. Their father William Trulan is buried in the old family lot at South Church Cemetery. Their mother Mary (McCusker) Trulan is interred at St. Augustine's Cemetery and the remaining family members chose Spring Grove Cemetery as their final resting spot.

Edward & Margaret M. O'Hagan purchased the property on Oct. 27, 1934, and the family continues to hold the property 70 years later in 2014. The O'Hagan's lived next a few doors away on Baker Lane and rented the house. Two long term tenants sharing the two family home were the Alexander D.& Margaret Duke and Gilbert M. & Beatrice P. Gordon families. Alexander Duke was b. 1892 and worked for the Tyer Rubber. Co. In 1943 two sons were serving during WWII, David USA, and Harry USM. They had two daughters Christina M. and Catherine.
Gilbert M. Gordon was a mill worker in Lawrence in 1943. They had a son James A. who was in the US Air Force in 1962.

Edward O'Hagan died Nov. 8, 1964 and Margaret M. O'Hagan then sold the home to Peter & Josephine A. O'Hagan in Oct. 1974. Peter died Feb. 26, 1999. Josephine A. O'Hagan placed her property into the Nagaho Realty Trust July 2000.