Themes: Architectural; Community development

Howell Drive was developed by Fred E Cheever in 1956 when he connected Allen Court to Elm Street and the new Fosters Circle. The Allen Court name changed to Howell Drive in 1958, named for Mrs. Mary J. Howell who owned the property and homes on the court.

This property was once part of a larger parcel connected with the Gamaliel & Margaret M. Gleason home at 28 Summer St. and the Driscoll place at 34 Summer St.. Margaret M. Gleason was deeded the property through George Foster on Aug. 17, 1869 from her husband Gamaliel. The property was then 4 acres 2 sq. rods and included the home on Summer St. Margaret held the property for about a year then selling to Charlotte C. Smith, wife of James H. Smith. The deed states to Charlotte Smith, "for her own use without interference from her husband and any of his debtors against it." Smith owned the property at #28 for 23 years.

Mary Jane (Allen) Howell, wife of John H. of Ballardvale purchased the property on April 22, 1893 for $6500. It would be the Howells who developed the property along Summer St. when they purchased this house and lot to the east of their house in 1897.

Apr. 17, 1897 p.1. Andover Townsman; p.5 – Building mover Wilson is moving two houses from Ballardvale to John Howell’s land on Summer Street.
Ballardvale – John Howell has moved his house, which was on the Plains, to Andover. He has also made arrangements to move his houses which are on Pole Hill to the same place.

April 23, 1897 AT - p 4. Editorial Cinders – If building mover Wilson has good luck, and one half the number of buildings called for by the largest tale, is moved from Ballardvale to Andover, there will be no further trouble about steamers, or railway, or a district share of town officials. They will all be up in the centre.

May 28, 1897 AT – William Driscoll has sold his house on Summer Street to John Howell, who will move it to his land on the new street. Mr. Driscoll intends to build a new house at the place of the old one. (Driscoll owned 34 Summer St.)

The 1900 Valuation schedule of Mrs. Mary J. Howell's property includes house and barn at 28 Summer St. total $3000, the Driscoll House off Summer St. $700., and the Ballard Vale house off Summer St. $1000. 4 acres of land $2500. Howell also owned three more properties on Marland St. in Ballardvale.

As #5 Howell Drive is the oldest of the three homes Mrs. Howell owned, we believe the Driscoll House to be the home moved to the rear of the lot at #5 to create Allen Court. Number 7 would be the home moved from Ballardvale. The deed line takes the property back to a Mary Sigourney in 1828 who sells the half acre lot to Merrill Petingill on Jan. 9, 1828 for $75. Pettingill is bankrupt in 1843 and his estate of five properties in Andover is sold by William Stevens of Andover, the court assignee, at public auction on Oct. 25, 1843. Sylvester Bowman, a Roxbury merchant, purchased all the properties for $100. The3rd parcel is "the Mary Sigourney place and house containing half an acre". Bowman then sells the property with building to William D. Stark, a butcher, on Sept. 1, 1845. Stark and wife Martha Ann paid $800. for the property.

It appears that Stark took a loan from the Trustees of the Ministerial Fund of South Parish and James H. Cochran, a blacksmith, as their names appear in the deeds. Stark sells to Oscar G. Ingalls, a carpenter, on Aug. 7, 1847. Ingalls paid $581. Ingalls may have improved the house as one year later he sells the home to Joshua Blanchard for $950. The 1850 Valuation Schedule list Blanchard's assessment as Dwelling house and adjoining 1 1/2 acre land at $800. The 1852 map of Andover shows J. Blanchard next to Henry F. Pasho on Summer St. In 1884 the map has W. D. Allen at the Summer St. location.

Walter B. & Eliza A. Allen purchased the property from Blanchard on June 25, 1870 and Allen owns for 17 years. Allen Court was named from this ownership. John D. Driscoll then purchased the home on April 9, 1887, held for ten years then selling the house to the Howells so he could build a new home at 34 Summer St. Mary J. Howell, wife of James H. had purchased the property at 28 Summer Street on Apr. 22, 1893. The "Driscoll" house was then moved back creating Allen Court which was a dead end until 1956.

The Howells leased the homes on Allen Court then numbered #1 and #2. In 1926 Harry & Constance Meadowcroft are listed. Harry was a machinist. In 1932 Percy D. & Grace S. Crosby are the residents here. Percy was a janitor and rented until 1940. In 1943 Vernon M. & Carol May. Vernon worked for
Arthur Hodgkins Co. 1945 lists Donald S. & Eloyce Anderson who remain here until the property was sold to Fred E. Cheever in 1956.

Robert V. & Corene Deyermond purchased the home on Feb. 3, 1958, listed then as #3 Howell Drive. Deyermond held for two years then sold to Leonard C. & Jill N. Gardner, Jr. on Oct. 6, 1960.

Elaine H. O'Connell purchased the property on Aug. 2, 1965 and lived here for 56 years until her death on Jan. 21, 2020. The property was held by her children James J. O'Connell and Heidi Hickey with a life tenancy for Elaine. The property was sold to Marshal & Julee Armitage on May 18, 2020. The house was in need of a complete restoration. A permit to demolish the home was applied for in 2020 with meetings with the Andover Preservation Commission, site visits and recommendations made to the new owners. All though Historically Significant and Preferably Preserved the house was later raze in January 2021 and a new home built on the site.