65 Red Spring Road

Architectural Description: 

Queen Anne

Historical Narrative: 

National Register of Historic Places certificate on file.

This property was once part of the large 75 acre farm holdings of Abel & Paschal Abbott who lived in 53 and 51 Red Spring Rd. houses respectively. The Abbott brothers established the Woolen Mill at the bottom of the hill in 1813 and continued in business until the market took a down turn in 1838. The mill property was then sold t Smith and Dove Manufacturing Co. in 1843 and their operation moved up from Frye Village

Several owners held the two properties but eventually Peter D. Smith purchased a 73 acre parcel when bought the Abbott house at 51 Red Spring Rd. ( known as Mineral St. until 1904)

Peter D. Smith and wife Abby J., parceled off a few house lots along the lane and at the corner of Red Spring Rd.on Aug. 20, 1895. William Angus purchased the corner lot at #65 and Thomas David bought the adjoining lot at #61.

April 17, 1896 Andover Townsman, p1 Asa O. Sewell, contractor & builder contracted to build two new houses on Mineral Street, one for Thomas David and one for William Angus. The houses will be built after the contractors special plans for modern dwelling houses. These houses include all the latest and best fittings, and the contractor delivers them complete ready for occupancy.
p4 advertisement- Asa O. Sewell 34 High Street 34 High Street – drawing of house – [The design is the house at 65 Red Spring Road]

p.5 Abbott Village. David Leslie has followed in the footsteps of several of his neighbors and purchased a house lot of Peter D. Smith on the new street, cut through the Chandler land. [5 Moraine St.]

June 12, 1896 AT p5 Abbott Village – W. H. Welch is doing the plumbing in Thomas David’s new house, while James Anderson is to do the painting.

Oct. 9, 1896 AT Abbott Village – William Angus is occupying his fine new house just erected on the corner of Mineral and the new street.

William Angus was born in Arbroath, Scotland in 1849, son of John & Ellan (Grant) Angus. William married Nov. 22, 1873 in Woburn, MA to Isabella "Bella" Cathie, b. 1851 in England, dau. of John & Mary m. (Stewart) Cathie. They met in Braintree, MA and came to Andover after their marriage, William took a job at Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. as a hackler, or flax dresser. He later was promoted to overseer of the hackler machine department, which he held for over thirty years before retiring. William was quiet, well read and took a keen interest in current events here and abroad.
William & Bella had seven children; Ellen G. b. 1874, John Cathie b. 1876, Bella Louisa b. 1878, Frederick Stewart b. 1880, Wallace Henry b. 1884, William b. 1885, Frances "Fannie" May b. 1889 . Many of their children would work at Smith & Dove. Bella died in late May 1902 and was interred on the 24th at Spring Grove Cemetery. William later remarried but his second wife died just a few months prior to William. He died on Mar. 5, 1917 at 68, while shoveling snow off his front walk.

His heirs sold the house to John C. Auchterlonie on July 7, 1917. They were also a Scottish family from County Angus. John C. was born in Forfarshire, Scotland mar. 27, 1887 son of Alexander S. & Elizabeth (Cargill) Auchterlonie. He married in 1909 to Isabella Doig, b. Jan. 9, 1889 in Dundee, Scotland. John & Isabella had five children; John b. 1915, Charlotte b. 1916, Thomas, b. 1920, Norman H. b. 1923, and Isabel b. 1928.

The Auchterlonies converted their house into a two family. Their daughter Charlotte married William Leahy and lived upstairs with her family and her parents had the first floor. The house was placed in both Isabella & John's names on Sept.1951. John died in July 1958 and was interred at Spring Grove Cemetery on the 17th. Isabella would spend another 22 years in her home before she passed on Nov. 26, 1980.

William F. & Charlotte (Auchterlonie) Leahy had purchased the house from her mother a few months before her death in Jan. 1980. Charlotte and Bill had two sons, and they home continues to remain in the Leahy family.

Bibliography/References: 

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

Owners;
Peter D. Smith - land
William Angus - Aug. 20, 1895 - b. 142 p. 327
William Angus estate - March 5, 1917 died
Fannie M. Angus, daughter, by will, Probate 1917
John C. Auchterlonie - July 7, 1917 - b. 378 p. 214
Isabella D. & John C. Auchterlonie - Sept. 7, 1951 - b. 754 p. 117
William F. & Charlotte (Auchterlonie) Leahy - Jan. 10, 1980 - b. 1415 p. 128
Norman E. Leahy - Feb. 28, 1985 - b. 1934 p. 120

Inventory Data:

StreetRed Spring Rd
PlaceAbbott Village
Historic DistrictAndover Village Industrial NRH District
Historic NameWilliam Angus - John Auchterlonie House
Present Useresidence - two family
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1896
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleQueen Anne
Architect/BuilderAsa O. Sewell, contractor
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/Trimclapboards/vinyl covered
Roofasphalt
Conditiongood
Acreage0.138 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel72-33
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-77, 5/2014

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