65 Park Street

Architectural Description: 

Gable end to street, Queen Anne style

Historical Narrative: 

First residence on the street within and on the fringe of a general business district.

Andover Advertiser April 11, 1884 - "Frank A. Dinsmore is about to build a cottage house on Park Street. Contractor A.C. Richardson."

The land was once owned by Hannah W. Foster, wife of Joseph W. Foster and sold to Thomas Howell on May 19, 1883. The parcel was one acre and 5906 sq. ft. of land and included a portion of the property at 63 Park Street.

The lot was purchased by Frank A. Dinsmore on July 18, 1883 and Dinsmore had this home built by Ammon C Richardson in 1884. Frank Dinsmore was born in July 1862 in Whiting, Maine, son of Alexander & Lucy Dinsmore. He was the youngest of six children. His sister Lucy C. Dinsmore married Nehemiah W. Smith and settled in Andover. Frank followed and was living with them at age 16 during the 1880 federal census.

Frank became a cabinet maker and then transitioned into furniture upholstering, building a shop in the lot next door at 63 Park St. Frank may have learned his trade from Thomas Howell who owned an upholstering shop on Park Street. Frank married on May 24, 1888 in Boston to Bessie A. Loud age 22 b. New Castle, NH, daughter of John & Flora Loud.

June 2, 1887 AA - F.A. Dinsmore Furniture repair – Shop next east to Bakery, Park Street.
Nov. 2, 1888 p. 1 AT – F. A. Dinsmore has improved his facilities on Park St. for carrying out his line of business by erecting a roof over his platform, so that carpets in process of cleaning can secure from exposure to weather. He has also convenient rooms for storing the carpets and for making over mattresses.

Nov. 6, 1891 AT p1 – F. A. Dinsmore is about to have a new building erected on Park Street. John McCarthy is putting in the foundation, and Brainard Cummings will do the wood work. It will be a two story building, the lower part to be used for Mr. D’s business and the upper for a tenement.

Dec. 11, 1891 AT p1 – Dinsmore building – basement for workroom, first floor store, with second hand furniture, Second floor dwellings, attic excellent for furniture storage. A elevator will connect the several floors.

April 8, 1892 AT Mr. Pitman and family have moved from the Thwing house on Summer Street to F. A. Dinsmore’s house on Park Street.
August 12, 1892 AT The Andover Custom Laundry will soon be located in new quarters. Mr. Hodges having hired the new building on Park Street owned by F. A. Dinsmore. [Dinsmore owns a new and used furniture store] The building now used as the laundry will be moved to Park Street, the land having been staked out for it this side of the Snow barn.

Auction business will be good tomorrow afternoon. Besides the Waterman auction, there will also be another at F.A. Dinsmore’s on Park Street, when all his new and second-hand furniture will be sold, as the building has been let and must be cleared out at once. Mr. Dinsmore will continue at attend to furniture repairing, carpet cleansing, etc.

Sept. 9, 1892 AT - S. L. Hodges of Andover Custom Laundry, has moved his business to the building owned and recently vacated by F. A. Dinsmore on Park St.

July 7, 1893 AT - Frank H. Dinsmore – purchased of S. L. Hodges the Andover Custom Laundry on Park Street. Mr. Dinsmore has arranged with T. Murphy, the baker, to have orders left at his store on Main St. It will be known here after as the Andover Steam Laundry. (condensed art.)

Aug. 23, 1895 AT- Pitman & Richardson have purchased from F. A. Dinsmore the two story building and steam carpet beating plant on Park St

The 1896 Sanborn map of Park Street has Pitman’s Carpet Beating establishment to the rear of his property at 63 – 65 Park Street. The front building at #63 is a two and half story building listed as Furniture upholstering Bus. and attached to the rear is a one story wagon shed and beyond are one story carpet beating shop, a 1 ½ story naphtha cleaning shop at 63 ½ with and attached rear platform and a to the east a shed.
#65 is the free standing cottage house.

July 16, 1897 AT - The carpet cleaning plant in the rear of contractor Pitman’s house on Park Street has been torn down and a large shop is in process of construction on the site.

Frank Dinsmore sold the cottage house to Lorin A. Dinsmore on Nov. 23, 1893. Lorin may have been Loring Dinsmore, Frank's older brother. Lorin then sells the house to George H. Poore on Sept. 11, 1895. Poor then sells the cottage to Patrick J. Hannon on Dec. 2, 1895.

Patrick Hannon is a successful men's clothing merchant with a store on Main St. and he built his home on Florence St. Hannon used the cottage as income property.

Hannon then sells the property on Sept. 2,1903 to Theodore & Elizabeth Muise. The Muise family owned the property for 80 years. The Muise heirs sold in May 1992 to David M. & Eileen Cantone.

David Cantone is known by many residents in town, as he is the Police Department's Parking Control Officer. David & Eileen lived here for ten years before selling in June 2002.

The current owners are Nancy L. Carver and John C. Barry.

The home is now used as professional offices with J. Christopher Haircutters, Inc. on the main level in 2011.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Advertiser, April 11, 1884 p. 2, col.9
Andover Townsman

Owners;
Hannah W. Foster, hus. Joseph W. Foster - land
Thomas Howell, wife Rhoda - May 19, 1883 - b. 72 p. 28 – 1 acre & 5906 sq. ft.
Frank A. Dinsmore, wife Bessie - July 18, 1883 b. 72 p. 199 – lot of land
Lorin A. Dinsmore - Nov. 23, 1893 - b. 128 p. 299
George H. Poor - Sept. 11, 1895 - b. 142 p. 120
Patrick J. Hannon - Dec. 2, 1895 - b. 144 p. 70
Theodore & Elizabeth Muise - Sept. 2, 1903 - b. 206 p. 471
Theodore Muise estate, Elizabeth & heirs - Feb. 28, 1923 - b. 474 p. 526
Elizabeth Muise estate, probate # 158389
Muise heirs, Genevieve, Lewis, George, Roy Muise & Edna Wheeler
Eva T. Muise, life estate
Dorothy M. Volker, Myron H. Muise, Beverly A. Petrow, Ronald A. Muise, and Genevieve Pellitier - Jan. 6, 1989 - b. 2878 p. 137 see b. 3248 p. 302
David M. & Eileen Cantone - May 14, 1992 - b. 3465 p. 23-25
Nancy L. Carver & John C. Barry - June 24, 2002 - b. 6900 p. 132

Inventory Data:

StreetPark St
PlaceAndover Center
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameDinsmore House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1884
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleQueen Anne
Architect/BuilderA.C. Richardson (contractor)
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/Trimclapboards/vinyl covered
Roofasphalt - gable
Major Alterationsrehabilitated 1993
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.100 acre
Settingresidential/commerical
Map and parcel39-99
Recorded byDavid Cantone, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered5/26/93, updated Jan. 2015

Images: 

Map: