69 Lovejoy Road – Demery – Murach House 1932

This house is unique as it is one of only nine homes in Andover constructed of stone and continues in use as a residence. Our inventory of stone buildings in town now contains 25 structures including three bridges, three churches, a mill, a few auxiliary buildings and the “Turtle Mound”. Six structures have been lost to fire or demolition.

We believe this home was constructed by John J. Damery of Lawrence, MA, a stone mason. John J. was born in Ireland in 1878 son of John & Catherine (Levis) Damery. John immigrated in 1897 and settled in Lawrence. John married on Apr. 4, 1899 in Lawrence to Honora “Nora” Danahy b. 1878 in Ireland dau. of Timothy and Margaret (Keefe) Danahy. They had six children; Elizabeth b. 1902 – d. Oct. 20, 1907 of spina bifida, Kathleen b. 1903, John Joseph b. Aug. 15, 1904, Margaret b. 1905, William b. May 1906 – d. Nov. 28, 1906 pneumonia, and Thomas b. 1911.

Stone masons were in demand as every structure with a basement foundation was built of stone prior to concrete block or poured foundations. John’s occupation lists stone mason building and house in the federal census records. John purchased the 36 acres parcel of land in Andover on July 28, 1926 from the Phillips Corporation of Portland, ME. The deed refers to this parcel as the “Rife Range Lot”. Earlier deeds state the Bush pasture, Farm and Chute lot” and all refer to water rights and use.

John Damery and family lived in Lawrence and never resided in this home. We believe he began construction of the house, perhaps for his family, and died in 1932 before its completion. This was the first home built on Lovejoy Rd. in the 20th century and one of only five until the late 1950s. His widow Nora sold the property to Ludwika Murach, wife of Joseph on Aug. 24, 1932. The Murach family were living in Lawrence on April 1, 1933 but moved to Andover shortly thereafter suggesting that the home needed more work.

Joseph Murach was born on June 25, 1888 in Poland, annex by Russia. Son of Julian & Rosalia (Grala) Murach, Joseph was listed as a mill operative, living at 171 Valley St. Lawrence when he married on July 4, 1908 to Ludwika Korc. Ludwika, aka Louise, also a mill operative, was born in Poland Feb. 25, 1895 dau. of Joseph & Agnes (Szczerba) Korc. She immigrated in 1905. They lived next door to Joseph at 172 Valley St. Joseph would become a meat packer and salesman. Joseph and Ludwika had three children Mathew A. b. 1913, Edward Francis b. 1918 and Mary b. 1920. Joseph and Ludwike lived in the home ten years then moved back to Lawrence. Joseph died on Jan. 18, 1847. The Murach family owned the Royal Packing Co. and Ropaco Inc. in Lawrence. All the family were involved with the business.

Nicholas & Florence Paolino purchased the home on June 17, 1944 with its 35.43 acres. Nicholas Paolino was born on Aug. 16, 1897 in Lawrence, MA son of Gabriel & Dominica (Colapitra) Paolino. Nick was a wool sorter, his father a wool washer and carder, Nicholas purchased a home on Topping Rd. in Shawsheen Heights in 1937 and his father lived with him after his mother died in 1936. Nicholas married Florence D. b. 1905 in Ware, MA and they had one son Raymond b. 1929. In 1956 the Paolinos sold off a house lot at 75 Lovejoy Rd to the Powers family. On October 19, 1959 the Paolinos sold off 33.5 acres of their parcel to Richard Simmons, Wesley E. Brown, Donald Anderson and George E. Hayes. This sale would include a barn on the property and would become the main entranceway to the new Indian Ridge Country Club now Iroquois Ave. Much of the parking lot and clubhouse were built on this parcel.

Nicholas Paolino died on Sept. 28, 1961 and Florence sold the house to Carl R. & June M. Fitzgerald on Sept. 13, 1963. The Fitzgeralds remain owners of record in 2018 now 55 years.

Land history
The deeds take the property back to Nehemiah Abbott and his son Nehemiah Jr. who sold to Benjamin Browne of Salem, MA in 1793. Four separate parcels on the road from Andover to Billerica included the 3 acre house and buildings lot, a 100 acres, 61 acres and 7 acres. Browne sold to Daniel Chute of Reading in 1799 who later sold off parcels to William Foster. All the deeds include water use rights to a natural spring at the head of a pasture with a gutter to a trough for cattle.

Foster owned extensive holdings in Andover and upon his death was divided up between his heirs. Two children Sarah and Frances, both minors at that time were deeded the Bush, farm and Chute lots. In July 1907 their parcels totaling 36 acres were sold to Charles A. Jameson who owned a farm at 97 Argilla Rd.

Jameson then sold to William M. Wood president of the American Woolen Co. William M. Wood would acquire many farms in West Parish that extend out beyond Haggetts Pond. The farms would service Shawsheen Village later built 1918-1924. Wood placed most of his property into the Arden Trust in 1921 for his children. This parcel #13 in the deed is referred to as the “Rifle Range Lot”. The first Skeet Shooting range was constructed on the Davies property at 79 Dascomb Rd. in 1912. Wood had a range on his Arden estate and it is possible that this site was later used as a practice site and the name was attached when placed in the trust. With the death of Mr. Wood in Feb. 1926 the trust holdings were placed into the Phillips Corporation to liquidate the estate.