75 Stevens Street

Architectural Description: 

Greek Revival, Italianate front porch

Historical Narrative: 

This property once belonged to Abraham Marland, founder of Marland Mills and after the area known as Marland Village was named. Marland built his homestead at 29-33 Shawsheen Road in 1811 and lived there until his death in 1849. His mill next to the river was first a cotton mill and then began wool cloth production. Marland acquired most of the land on both sides of Stevens St. formerly called Marland St. before 1904.

Abraham Marland sold a parcel of land to William Gledhill on June 24, 1845. William Gedhill was born on Aug. 11, 1812 in England, married on Oct. 3, 1842 in Andover, MA to Catherine Watterly Wilkins b.1818 in Maine. William became a naturalized citizen at Lowell in Oct. 1844. He worked as a finisher at Marland Mills. They had five children John Newill b. Aug. 11, 1843 in Norway, ME, Ann Amelia b. June 28, 1845, Rachel Emma bp. Apr. 10, 1846, Mary Marland b. July 24, 1847, Maria W. b. 1851, and George F. b. 1853. The 1850 Valuation schedule lists two houses for William Gledhill in West Parish valued at $800. The 1852 map of Andover also shows two houses on this site at Marland Village. As the map shows two separate houses we believe, at this time, they are #67 and #75 Stevens St. and the attached house #77 was a later addition or moved to the location and attached to #75. William sold his property to his brother Edward Gledhill on April 12, 1853.

Edward Gledhill b. 1823 in England, married Mary Myers on Jan. 1, 1846 at Christ Church in Andover. Edward was a cloth finisher in 1847 when their son William Francis Gledhill was born on on Aug. 20, 1847. They had four more children; Martha A. b. 1850, Sarah J. b. 1852, and Sydney E. b. 1857 and Frank L. b. 1859. In the 1860 Valuation Edward Gleadhill's two houses are assessed at $1000.
The children later inherit the property from their father in 1880. William F. buys the estate shares of his siblings for $525. The 1888 the Town Directory has William listed as a clerk at the Smith & Manning Store at 8-10 Essex Street. William Francis Gledhill owned the property for 17 years. He also purchased the pasture lot adjoining the house lot and the Peter Smith estate. It was owned by Margaret McCullom and she sold to William on Jan. 15, 1889. This property is most of Cassimere St. area. William later sold to Charles E. Torrey and wife Annie J. on July 6, 1897.

The 1901 and 1904 directories has Torrey, carpenter on 79 Marland St. {Stevens St.) In 1910 and 1920 the property house with barn and hen houses, Charles E. and Anne C. Torrey, employed Marland Mills. Torrey 2 houses and barn.
1906 house, barn and large lot.

Moses T Stevens of North Andover bought out the Marland Mills, continuing the cloth manufacturing in the village. The name later change to the J. P. Stevens & Co., Inc., which purchased this property from Torrey on Sept. 23, 1922.

The company also recognized the need for housing for operatives in the area. The company owned the apartment buildings on North Main Street and most of the land on both sides of Stevens St. The company sold off their residential units in 1953. Lots 4 - 5 and 6 were the former Torrey lots sold to J.P. Stevens. #67 lot six was sold off to John Elder.

Houses divided;
William M. & Helen S. White purchased the house at #75 Stevens St. on Mar. 11, 1953 and Albert G. & Gladys M. Thomson purchased the attached cottage at #77 on March 4, 1953. William and Helen had occupied the house in 1930. William was a washer at Marland Mills. They later sold the house to Hilding & Frances M. Swenson on Sept. 2, 1955. Hilding Swenson died on July 28, 1973 at age 60. The Swenson family occupied the house until 1985 and it remained vacant for a few years. Frances died in June 1995 at the age of 81. Both are interred at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Larry M. and Karen L. Lewis purchased the property in Dec. 1989. Larry is listed as a Professor and his wife Karen an Optometrist. Mary Reiss Bewig purchased in June 1997 and then the current owner Tara L. Masih on Apr. 30, 2007

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Advertiser AA
Historical Sketches of Andover, S. Bailey 1880
Andover Historical Society files.
Andover Valuation and directories
Owners;
Abraham Marland - 1811-1849
William Gledhill - June 24, 1845
Edward Gledhill - Apr. 12, 1853
Edward Gledhill estate, heirs, William F., Martha A., Sarah J. and Sydney E. Gledhill
William Francis Gledhill - May 24, 1880 - b. 60 p. 42
Charles E. Torrey, wife Annie J. - July 6, 1897 - b. 156 p. 390
J. P. Stevens & Co., Inc., Sept. 23, 1922 - b. 465 p. 406
Houses divided;
William M. & Helen S. White - Mar. 11, 1953 - b. 773 p. 481 (#75)
(Albert G. & Gladys M. Thomson - March 4, 1953 - b. 774 p. 16 buy #77)
Hilding & Frances M. Swenson - Sept. 2, 1955 - b. 819 p. 297
Gordon C. Lewis Jr.
Larry M. & Karen L. Lewis - Dec. 26, 1989 - b.
Mary Reiss Bewig - June 27, 1997 - b. 4788 p. 56
Tara L. Masih - Apr. 30, 2007 - b. 10734 p. 33

Inventory Data:

StreetStevens St
PlaceMarland Village
Historic DistrictAndover Village Industrial NRH District
Historic NameWilliam Gledhill House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Datecirca 1845-1850
SourceERDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleGreek Revival
Foundationstone
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood
Roofasphalt
Conditiongood
Acreage0.20716
Settingresidential
Map and parcel54-111
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-77, 7/2014

Map: