Themes - Architectural and Community Development

This property was once owned by Tarbell W. & Catherine S. Robbins in 1871 and sold to Sylvester Smith of Worcester, MA on Sept. 1, 1871. The deed reference lists the parcel as "on the lower road to Lawrence from Frye Village" (now Union St.). Sylvester Smith died "seized" and his widow Louisa Smith, J. Walter Smith widower and Cleora L. Sumner, wife of Edwin A. Sumner, all of Worcester, were the heirs of the property through Probate in 1890.
George E. Murray purchased the lot on Sept. 10, 1890, which included the property at #435 North Main St. George Murray built the Queen Anne style home for himself and wife Cora. The Murrays are listed here in 1893 Andover Directory. George owned Murray Brothers Inc. 1892, wholesale grocers in Lawrence at 617 Common St. across from the B&M Passenger Station.

George Edwin Murry was born Nov. 24, 1854, in Lebanon, ME, son of Lewis & Arabella (Goodwin) Murray. George was a graduate of Colby College in 1879 and later a Trustee. George married on Nov. 27, 1884, in Portland, ME, to Cora Milly Tuttle b. Dec. 6, 1859, in Athens, ME, dau. of James H. & Amanda (Grant) Tuttle. The 1900 Census records include Arthur Pearl Tuttle age 21, b. Feb. 24, 1879, in Athens, ME, as a boarder and clerk at Murray's business. Arthur was the brother of Cora. George and Cora did not have children.
Arthur Tuttle attended Dartmouth College (1898-1900) class of 1902 but withdrew. Arthur married on Sept. 26, 1903, in Lawrence, to Myra H Warburton b.1879 in Lawrence, a schoolteacher, dau. of Joseph & Hannah (Riley) Warburton. They had one son Murray Tuttle. b. 1905. Arthur lived with the Murrays, became treasurer of Murry Bros. and later President of the company after George retired. An Aunt of Myra's, Harriet Ryley, born in England also made her home here. George Murry built the stucco bungalow south of this home about 1908 and he and Cora moved into the new home.

George then subdivided the property and sold #437 to his brother-in-law Arthur P. & Myra W. Tuttle on Jan. 23, 1909. Arthur is listed as a clerk in 1913 and in 1918 Treasurer of Murray Bros. Inc. Arthur Tuttle died July 12, 1936, in Wolfeboro, NH at their summer home of heart failure. He was age 57 years. Arthur was at Trustee of the Lawrence Saving Bank, past President of Merrimack Valley Wholesale Grocers Assoc. A director of the Lawrence Rotary Club and a member of the Andover Service Club. Only his widow Myra is list in the 1937 directory. Myra Tuttle then sells the property to Ella A. Cassidy on May 18, 1937. Myra H. Tuttle died in June 4, 1959, and is interred at West Parish Garden Cemetery. George Murray died on Sept. 21, 1932, in Andover at age 79 and widow Cora died on Nov. 6, 1964, in Hampstead, NH.

Ella Cassidy then sells to Angela Gens, wife of Harold F. on Dec. 1, 1937. Harold Gens had a real estate office on Prospect St. in Lawrence and later operated his business from their home. Harold F. Gens became the Trustee of the property on Dec. 31, 1948.

Gens sold the property to Roland & Dorothy A. Roy on Sept. 3, 1952, but continued to keep his office at this address. Gens moved to 187 Chestnut St.
Roland Roy was a roofer in Waltham, MA. They owned for just three years then sold to Frank & Mary E. Barker from Connecticut in 1956.

Frank & Mary E. Barker had purchased the home on July 6, 1956. Frank was a Taxi driver. Their property extended through to Union St to the east.

In 1961 Culbos Realty Associates approached the Barkers to purchase the rear portion of their property to create a new house lot. The business partners were Vincent E. Culbart, Andrew P. Sorbo and Maurice Schwartz. The Andover Board of Appeals approved plans for the lot on May 10, 1962. Culbos Realty Associates then purchased the lot on June 29, 1962 and the home now at 54 Union St. was moved to the site for construction of Route 495. In the 1963 street directory Fletcher St. no longer exists.

Sadly Frank Barker b. 1905 died the following year on Dec. 2, 1962. Mary b. 1912 continued to live in their home. The house was divided up into three apartments in the 1960s providing income for the Barkers. Upon Mary's death the property was sold by the family to Frank J. & Vivian C. Holt on Oct. 30, 1980. The Holts owned for 22 years but used the home as income property.
Holt sold to James J. & Sharon A. Dolan on Aug. 2, 2002.

The home and carriage house were not in great condition and a rehab, although considered, was not feasible and both structures were razed. The current five condominium building and garage called Andover Gateway Condominiums, were constructed on the same blueprint as the former home.