75 Essex Street –

The two parcels of land that now are #75 and #79 Essex St. were once one lot of about one acre and owned by Daniel Cummings & Benjamin Ames. They sold the lot to Abraham Marland on May 4, 1814
For $250 which came with water rights on the Shawsheen River. Historical records state the Marland built his first mill on this site next to river. “Marland began to make woolen goods here in Andover and continued for four years in his little mill. This stood just beyond the stone bridge in Abbott Village, was 40’ long, 18’ wide and was 2 stories high. It was first used for making cotton yarn and not changed to woolen manufacture until 1812, when they also added satinet to the output. They made blankets for the Army during the War of 1812. He moved from the little structure after four years and built the stone building occupied by Mitchell’s Cooperative Store in 1853, the site of the Village Hall. He kept a store in front of this building where he sold flannels and Blankets.” It is interesting to note that the house is 36’ x 17’. Marland later purchased a larger parcel down river in 1828 from Peter Books and built a new mill complex on Stevens Street.

Abraham sold this parcel with buildings to Isaiah Merrill, a Cordwainer, for $1200 on Oct. 1, 1833. Isaiah took a mortgage from Marland for $1200 and a few months later on Dec. 16, 1833 a second mortgage of $1500 from the firm Stanley, Reed & Co. of Boston, Merchants. The second mortgage suggests expansion and perhaps construction of the dwelling house at 75 Essex. St. Merrill owned just two years then selling the parcel for $1800 to the firm on Oct. 29, 1835. The three business partners were Gilman Stanley, Josiah Reed and William H. Skinner. Isiah Merrill and wife Polly were living in Statford, NH in 1835 and Isiah gives his occupation as Trader.

Abraham Marland sold Merrill’s mortgage to Stanley, Reed & Co. on Oct. 2, 1836 for $1300. In June 1847 the Courts of Common Pleas in Concord, MA issued an Execution & Disposition of the assets of the former firm of Stanley, Reed & Co. William H. Skinner was now the only surviving partner and a judgment of $2466.50 against Skinner to be paid to Charles L. Hancock of Boston. The Abbott Village property and tenements was assessed for $1400 and $1375.50 now due to Hancock who now owned the property. Skinner purchased the property back for Hancock for $1000 on April 23, 1850 and then sold to Smith, Dove & Co., John & Peter Smith, John Dove on May 18, 1850.

Abbott Village was established in the early1800's with an adequate source of water to power the mills. Abel & Paschal Abbott moved their wool mill operation here from North Parish about 1813 and had a successful business until 1837 when the market turned. The mill buildings were sold to Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. in 1843. The flax to linen thread company was established in Frye Village (Shawsheen Village) in 1830 and relocated up river to this location.

Smith & Dove Co. recognized the need for operative housing and slowly acquired several homes in the immediate area. Every home on Baker Lane was once owned by Smith & Dove by 1918. The firm supplied their workers with a Village Hall (once on #79 Essex St.) for community gatherings and built “Hillside” (1912) at 15 Shawsheen Rd. for single women workers; provided childcare service, bowling alley, laundry and large dining room used for meetings and parities. Brechin Terrace was constructed in 1907. S & D Co. also bought the old Cricket Field for the company soccer, football and baseball teams and sponsored many field day outings for their employees.

In 1927 the Smith & Dove Co. was sold to the Ludlow Co. The housing real estate was placed in the Smith & Dove Tenements, Inc. that year, later renamed Andover Homes, Inc. The properties were then sold off into private hands. The company operations were moved to Ludlow, MA and the mill closed in 1928
The house was sold to Patrick & Mary Carney on May 9, 1927. Patrick was born in Ireland in 1890, son of Martin & Winifred Carney and came to the USA in 1896. Patrick married on June 26, 1912 to Mary Jane Roger’s b. 1894 in Paterson, NJ. The union produced 13 children; George, John P., Rita T., Eugene, Thomas J., Martin P., Elizabeth M., Daniel P., Jeremiah, James, Andrew G., Lawrence J. and Leo C. b. Oct. 15, 1932. Patrick is listed as a Teamster for Flax Mill in 1920, operative and laborer. Sadly Patrick died in 1936 and the Bank took position of the property in July 1938. Widow Mary Jane not only lost her home but the four youngest boys were placed in Foster Care in Hadley, MA.

The property was sold to Herbert W. & Bertha W. Folley on July 12, 1938. The Folley family owned the house for 56 years. Herbert W. Folley was born in 1912 in Boston, and married Bertha L. Kent. Herbert was a finisher in the Shawsheen Mill of the American Woolen Co. until it closed. He then worked as a shipper for Lawrence Auto Parts. Bertha worked for the Andover Townsman for 30 years in the Advertising and Real Estate department. Herbert & Bertha had four children; Barbara L, Carol Ann, Herbert K. and James R. W. Folley. Herbert died on May 15, 1981 and is interred at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Kenneth J. Wink purchased the house on Mar. 30, 1994 and held for three years then selling to Edwards Realty Trust, Cheryl R. & Bertram H. Edwards, Tr., on Oct. 6, 1997.