Original owner James Howarth from 1824-1847.

James Howarth Mill
James Howarth was born on Nov. 25, 1783 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. He married Dorotha “Dolly” Stott b. Feb. 17, 1783 in Rochdale daughter of Austin & Elizabeth (Holt) Stott. James and family immigrated to America in 1818 and settled in Andover, MA. They had five children all born in England; Ellen b. 1807, Mary H. b. 1808, John Jr. b. 1811, James b. 1814, and Thomas b. 1816. In England the Howarth family had long been associated with the textile industry. Both James and his brother Isaac were weavers and both came to Andover. Howarth established a woolen company in Abbott Village in 1824 under the name “John Howarth & Co.” The old stone mill was built by the Howarth family. James became a naturalized US citizen on Sept. 19, 1828. James died just four years later on Sept. 1, 1832 age 49. His sons and wife Dolly carried on the family business.

The partnership dissolved in 1837- The Salem Gazette, Oct. 27, 1837 – Ad. Section – “Partnership Dissolved – The partnership between the Subscribers, heretofore existing under the firm of John Howarth & Co. is this day dissolved by mutual consent. The affairs of the firm will be settled by James Howarth who alone is authorized to receive payment of the debts due, or to become due to the said concern. John Howarth, Dorothy Howarth, James Howarth – Andover, Sept. 8, 1837. 6w.”

The Howarth Homestead stood just south of the their mill on the top of the hill with a view of the river mill pond. It remained within the S & D Mill complex until about 1918 when it was moved to 18 Baker Lane.

There was a down turn in the market about this same period of time when they dissolved the partnership. The Abbott Brothers Mill, located near the Howarth Mill, on the west side of the river was also victim to the recession and their mill was sold by creditors in 1843 to Smith, Dove & Co. linen thread producers in Frye Village, Andover. Smith & Dove would later purchase the Howarth Mill in 1847.

The Smith & Dove Co. of Frye Village (Shawsheen Village) then gradually moved their flax to linen company to Abbott Village. Most of the remaining mill structures where then enlarged, razed and rebuilt by Smith & Dove. They remained one of the largest employers in Andover from 1843-1927.

The James Howarth "Stone Mill" building is now the oldest original mill building in the industrial complex of the former Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. The building is 40' x 92' long and may have been constructed by mason Jacob Frye with native stone. The mill was built for woolen cloth manufacturing and weaving mill. Howarth family tradition states that Dolly Howarth was also a weaver in the mill.

When Smith & Dove was in full operation in Abbott Village the 1896 Sanborn Map lists the Stone Mill use as Storage on the 1st, 2nd and 4th floors. The 3rd floor was used for Winding linen. There were three separate employee bridge passageways from the east wall of the third floor to the Brick Store houses No. 4 that held raw and manufactured stock. In 1889 it was used as a Carding Mill as the obituary notice in the Andover Townsman notes;

August 16, 1889 AT – Obituary – David Bruce – Mr. Bruce was a native of Brechin, Scotland and came to this country in 1853. He entered the employ of the Smith & Dove Mf’g Co., as watchman, which position he held for a number of years. He was promoted to overseer of the carding room in the old stone mill and for 21 years he served faithfully in this capacity retiring a few years ago. He will be remembered by many of the older boys in the village, when he used to give them an hour a day to alleviate their work in the mill. The deceased will be missed by a large number of his old friends and acquaintances, especially those, who were frequenters of the Red Springs, where they were always sure to meet him and enjoy a quiet gossip on times gone by. He was 66 years old and is survived by a widow, one son and three daughters, Alexander Bruce of the firm of Kent & Bruce and ex-Mayor of Lawrence, Mrs. Bruce, who formerly resided in North Andover, but now in Dakota, Mrs. George Poor of Haverhill, Mrs. Thomas Barraclough of St. Louis and Miss Susie Bruce, all of whom, with the exception of Mrs. Bruce of Dakota, were present at the funeral, which took place from the house Wednesday afternoon. …
[Bruce family lived at 53 Red Spring Road and are interred at Spring Grove Cemetery]

In 1927 the Smith & Dove Co. was sold to the Trustees of the Ludlow Manufacturing Associates of Ludlow, MA. The housing real estate was placed in the Smith & Dove Tenements, Inc. that year, changing the name to Andover Homes, Inc. that then sold off the housing stock to private hands. The company operations were moved to Ludlow, MA and the mill closed in 1928.

The Indian Ridge Co., Inc. acquired the mill properties and some of the housing stock. Through the company treasurer C. W. Holland the mill buildings were parceled off and sold to private investors. The Stone building was leased by the Walbuck Crayon Company.

Harry Axelrod purchased the building and property on June 18, 1941. Axelrod held the property for 25 years then selling to Alna Realty Trust, Siegfried Kellerman, trustee in Jan. 1966. Kellerman had also owned the large mill building. He then sold this parcel to Kebur Realty Trust, Paul Keating & Richard Burke on June 17, 1977.
Kebur Realty Trust – (created in June 4, 1969 – Edmund F. Burke, Paul M. Burke, Richard V. Burke Jr. Lawrence J. Burke & Christine H. Reed – Trustees)
Kebur Realty Trust, Paul Keating, trustee – May 14, 1970.
J. R. B. Realty Trust, Richard V. & Jean L. Burke, trustees – Aug. 21, 2008
The building in 2014 is occupied by the Parker Company, makers of hollow metal fire grade doors, frames and hardware.