77 School Street

Historical Narrative: 

Mark Newman House - ell addition

The Deacon Mark H. Newman house (now 18 Ridge St.) once stood on the corner lot of Central & School Streets where the current Episcopal Church building is located. The house is a Federal period structure which had its center main entrance facing Central St. and two large wings off the rear of the house.

It is said Newman boarded boys from Phillips Academy here. Mark was married twice, first to Sarah Phillips and then to Abigail Dodge. Mark died on June 15, 1859. His daughters Margaret Newman and Hannah N. Fay sold the house and property to the Proprietors of Protestant Episcopal Church also known as Christ Church Parish on November 21, 1885 for $6000. The next month the Christ Church Parish put the Newman house up for auction provided it was moved off the site.

Dec. 11, 1885 Andover Advertiser (AA) p2 – The Henry [sic] Newman house, corner of School &Central Streets will be sold at public auction tomorrow afternoon at 3’ o’clock.
Dec. 18, 1885 AA p9 - The Mark Newman house was sold last Sat. to Mr. Dennis O’Brien. Mr. Dennis O’Brien has purchased two house lots on School Street, near the B & M Station of Messrs. Abbott & Jenkins, he intends moving his Mark Newman house to that place.

George L. Abbott and William S. Jenkins were Andover business partners in the building firm Abbott & Jenkins building contractors located on Essex St. in the former Andover – Wilmington Railroad buildings. The two carpenters purchased the land of 4 1/4 acres at the lower end of Brook and School Streets in 1877 and created Ridge Street about mid 1882. The Birdseye view map of Andover in 1882 does not show Ridge St. The first house lot sold in August 1882 at #8-10 Ridge St.

Dennis O’Brien did move the house and the two back addition ells down to this location. The main house was placed on a high, ground floor cellar foundation and the two wings were placed on the lot to the east and north of the house creating four separate buildings for tenement housing. The houses at #14–#16 and #18 Ridge St. and #77 School St. comprise the original parts of Newman house. O’Brien converted all the structures into income rental apartments with the plan to rent to workers at the mills of the Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. and the Tyer Rubber Co. nearby.

When O’Brien died his estate was auctioned off and the properties purchased by John J. Sweeney on May 26, 1900 for $2670. Sweeney held until his death in 1929. The Sweeny heirs sold to Patrick Daly in January 1929 and the Daly family held the property for 28 years. It sold to Westport Realty Trust in Jan. 1957. Westport Realty Trustees were; Guy B Howe and Amita M. & Charles P. Howe of Andover. The property was surveyed in August 1959 and a map Plan #4034 divided up the lot and houses into four separate lots including #75 School St.

The properties changed hands several times in the years that followed and were finally sold off separately in the 1970’s. Rosalie V. E. Dodd purchased this property on July 29, 1977 rec. Sept. 7, 1977. Roselie, known as Lee Dodd, owned her Real estate firm in Andover and was a successful and well respected business woman. This house was income for her. Lee placed the deed into the Dodd Realty Trust on Mar. 23, 1993. She owned for 25 years then selling to Chad M Pimentel & Jeana L. Flahive on July 9, 2002.

55-32 B 0.111 acres

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Advertiser December 1885
Ancestry.com

Owners:
Isaac Howarth - land
John Dove – July 13, 1852 – b. 464 leaf 159 Salem deeds - land
Isaac E. Giddings – Jan 1, 1874 – b. 25 p. 168 – land. Lawrence, deeds
Isaac Giddins estate, heir sister Hannah E. Giddins by will
George L. Abbott & William S. Jenkins – Aug. 4, 1877 – b. 47 p. 245 land
Dennis O’Brian - - Dec. 17, 1885 – b. 84 p. 342 – parcel of land for Newman house
John J. Sweeney, wife Susan A. – May 26, 1900 – b. 177 p. 298 - $2670 at auction
Katherine P. Sweeney – Sept. 11, 1911 – b. 310 p. 45
John J. Sweeney – Feb. 6, 1925 – b. 509 p. 219 – 2nd parcel
John J. Sweeney Estate, Catherine Sweeney Extrx. – Feb. 20, 1929 Probate
Patrick Daly – Jan. 1, 1929 – b. 545 p. 134
Patrick Daly estate – d. May 31, 1943
Patrick Daly estate, John R. Daly Trustee - Apr. 9, 1947 - Probate
Westport Realty Trust, Guy B. & Anita Howe Jr., Marion Young, tr – Jan. 27, 1957 - b. 887 p. 484-5
Suburban Household Enterprises, Inc. John R. Daly Trust – Apr. 4, 1960 – b. 912 p. 416
Ernest & Elvira C. Kaufman – Dec. 1, 1964 – b. 1023 p. 459
Empire Realty Trust, Sebastian & Anna Corzo & Ernest & Elvira Kaufman – Dec. 1, 1964 – b. 1023 p. 459
Empire Realty Trust, Sebastian & Anna Corzo – Feb. 21, 1966 – b. 1055 p. 20
Paul V. & Antonia Meli – Nov. 1, 1967 – b. 1094 p. 166 - 167
Meli Realty Trust – Paul & Antonia Meli, Trs. – Aug. 11, 1972 - b. 1199 p. 529 all 4 parcels
Torrisi & DiFiore Inc. Raymond E. DeFiore pres. – Aug. 11, 1972 – b. 1199 p. 529, parcels 12-13-14-15
Torrisi & DiFiore Inc. Raymond E. DeFiore pres. – May 28, 1974 – b. 1241 p. 486 – 489
Rosalie V. E. Dodd – July 29, 1977 rec. Sept. 7, - b. 1318 p. 512
Dodd Realty Trust, Rosalie Dodd – Mar. 23, 1993 – b. 3753 p. 64
Chad M Pimentel & Jeana L. Flahive –July 9, 2002 – b. 6937 p. 43
Mark T & Elizabeth B. Dufton – Jan. 31, 2009 – b. 11053 p. 105
Elizabeth B. Dufton Revocable Trust – Apr. 8, 2009 – b. 11541 p. 212
Richard & Debra J. Tonks – Aug. 27, 2010 – b. 12166 p. 311
Sean M. & Katherine Page – May 23, 2014 – b. 13859 p. 14

Inventory Data:

StreetSchool St
PlaceAndover Center District
Historic DistrictAndover Historic Building Survey
Historic NameMark Newman house ell
Present Useresidence - 2 family
Original Useresidence ell addition
Construction Date1810 - 1820
SourceECRDS, ENRDL, style-njs
Architectural StyleFederal
Foundationstone/granite/brick
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood/vinyl clad
Roofasphalt - gable
Major Alterationswindow replacements, vinyl siding
Conditiongood
Moved?Yes
Move Details1885 - 1886
Acreage0.111 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel55-32 C
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredOct. 7, 2018

Images: 

Map: