Architectural Description:
NRDIS
Historical Narrative:
Themes: Architectural, Commerce, Community development, Industry
Part of Shawsheen Village American Woolen Company development
April 7, 1922 - Andover Townsman - Shawsheen Villager -
"Another Garage" - Ground Broken for Building on Haverhill street to Have Capacity of 100 Cars.
Ground has been broken for a new garage in Shawsheen Village which will be situated adjacent to the restaurant building on Haverhill street. The garage will be three stories high, 228 feet long, 80 feet wide, with bays 25 feet square. nine bays to the floor.It will be of brick and concrete construction similar to the restaurant. Entrance to the first floor will be from Balmoral street and the entrance to the second floor will be from Haverhill street. An elevator from the Balmoral street side will be used to convey passengers and machines to the second and third floors
The first floor will be used for the storage of trucks and a service station for trucks exclusively and will be the best of its kind in the state. The ground floor will have a capacity of about 35 trucks.
The second floor will be for pleasure cars and will have liberal capacity for 75 cars.
The third floor will be devoted to storage purposes and truck building and also will be used as a paint shop
The office and accessory room will be situated in about the middle of the second story and a ladies' room will be to the right of the Haverhill street entrance.
It has been necessary to build this new garage as the present one has been overcrowded for the past several months. It is expected the new garage will amply take care of the Village for some time to come."
Nov. 17, 1922 - AT - Shawsheen Villager - "The new truck garage on Haverhill street is rapidly nearing completion. The first floor is already occupied and the equipment is being installed. It is expected the building will be fully completed within the next two weeks. Part of the second and third floors will be used for dead storage during the winter months."
"Henry E. Hart who has been employed by William M. Wood for several years in New York and is well known among residents of the Village has accepted the position of manager of the new truck garage on Haverhill street. Mr. & Mrs. Hart have recently moved to Riverina road, Shawsheen Village, and Mr. Hart's many friends wish him success in his new position.
William M. Wood considered individual garages by houses displeasing aesthetically, so he required all Shawsheen residents to park in common, company garages. It is interesting to note that in the property deed restrictions, of the homes, it did allow for one garage, but the design, style and color must match the house. Even driveway materials were spelled out.
Ellsworth H. Lewis purchased the Shawsheen Truck Garage on August 3, 1936. The name was changed to the Shawsheen Motor Mart. Ellsworth Lewis was a civil engineer. He was born in Saint Albans, VT on June 29, 1899, son of Ernest & Charlotte (Russell) Lewis. Ellsworth married Hilda Estelle Gravelle b. 1900 in VT on Jan. 1, 1924. They first live at 75 Central St, moved to Carisbrooke and eventually settled in at 1 Sherbourne St. They had two children, Janet and John D. Lewis. In August 1953 Ellsworth purchased the empty lot between the garage and York Street for additional parking for the garage. In 1957 the dirertory lists Ellsworth as president & treasurer of the Shawsheen Motor Mart. He is also a partner with Norman L. Scott in Lewis & Scott, building contractors listing 39 Haverhill as the company address. Ellsworth died on Aug. 31, 1973. His son John Derry Lewis then took over the business and ownership of the Shawsheen Motor Mart in May 14, 1974 which included a Ford dealership.
John D. was married to Marilyn M. and they had three children, Jeffrey D., Gary A.and Laurie B.
John Derry Lewis was also on the Andover Historical Commission, [Andover Preservation Commission 1996] from 1978 - 1988. Derry served as Chairman on the board.
Bibliography/References:
Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Maps, 1852, 1872, 1888, 1906, 1926
Andover Street Directories
Andover Townsman
Mills, Mergers and Mansions, by Edward Roddy 1982
See Map plan #704 - American Woolen Company - Sept. 1927
#878 - June 1932 - Textile Realty Company lot
The Town Crier, A Directory of Shawsheen Village, 1922 - 1923
1926 Richards Arlas
Molloy Peter; The Lower Merrimac River Valley: an Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites, sponsored by Merrimack Valley Textile Museum and Historic American Engineering Record/ Washington, National Park Service, Washington, 1976.
Owners;
John Smith & Peter Smith – Dec. 29, 1841 –b. 335 leaf 99
Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. – July 1, 1864 - b. 677 leaf 259 Salem deed
Robert Braisford, General Degreasing Co. – July 21, 1902 – b. 197 p. 32
Beacon Trust Company. – Dec. 23, 1904 – b. 217 p. 80
Daniel C. Smith –Mar. 28, 1909 – b. 258 p. 446
Arlington National Bank – June 11, 1909 – b. 274 p. 565
James E. McGovern – July 17, 1909 – b. 275 p. 400 – mgt sale
Henry P. Binney, Trustee of A. W. Co. – Aug. 14, 1909 - b. 277 p. 310
American Woolen Company, Wm. M. Wood Pres. - Dec. 30, 1920 -435 p. 215 parcel 1
Lease to Shawsheen Garages, Inc. - Dec. 31, 1929
Textile Realty Co., Lionel J. Noah, Pres. A.W.Co. - Dec. 30, 1931 - b. 563 p. 334
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - Oct. 30, 1937 - b. 611 p. 177 - 19th parcel
Ellsworth H. Lewis, wife Hilda G - Aug. 3, 1936 - b. 599 p. 460 - Garage parcel
Ellsworth H. Lewis, wife Hilda G - Aug. 24, 1953 - b. 775 p. 119 - 2nd parcel adjoining
Ellsworth H. Lewis estate, W. Clifford McDonald, Extr. - May 3, 1974 - Probate
John D. Lewis, Shawsheen Motor Mart - May 14, 1974 - b. 1244 p. 333
Shawsheen Motor Mart, Inc. - Jan. 2, 1980 - b. 4084 p. 230
Windham Realty Limited Liability Co. - Oct. 17, 1994 - b. 4146 p. 327
Property included in the former Town Farm;
Samuel Abbot - 1804 - 90 acre farm
Inhabitants of Town of Andover - 1807 – 1921 – Town Farm
Varter & Havenes Dagdegian - July 11, 1921 - b. 443 p. 503
Town of Andover, Geo. C. H. Dufton - July 12, 1921 - b. 443 p. 505 - 13.66 A
Town of Andover, July 12, 1921 - Town Meeting Nov. 1, 1921 sell
American Woolen Co., Wm. M. Wood - July 11, 1921 - b. 443 p. 296 - 12.56 acres - lot 1
American Woolen Co.- Nov. 15, 1921 - b. 450 p. 342 - 10 acres- lot 2
The town of Andover purchased land from York Street to the Boston and Maine Railroad for the use of a Town Farm or Alms House in 1807.
York St. and Burnham Rd. were an old Frye Village way to the Alms house, a brick factory and a connecting route to the center of town prior to the construction of the Essex Turnpike, now Route 28 or Main St.
Inventory Data:
| Street | Haverhill St |
| Place | Shawsheen Village - Frye Village |
| Historic District | Shawsheen Village NRH District |
| Historic Name | Shawsheen Truck Garage - Shawsheen Motor Mart |
| Present Use | Car dealership - "Shawsheen Motor Mart" |
| Original Use | Garage for residents of Shawsheen Village |
| Construction Date | 1922 |
| Source | ERDS, ENRDL, AHS file, njs, style |
| Architectural Style | Other |
| Architect/Builder | Adden & Parker or Albright |
| Foundation | concrete |
| Wall/Trim | brick and re-enforced concrete |
| Roof | asphalt/gravel- flat |
| Major Alterations | All the windows have been replaced, formerly frosted multi-paned, front entrance added in the 1960s. |
| Condition | excellent |
| Acreage | 0.98469 acre; lot size: 42,893 sq. ft. |
| Setting | commercial/business |
| Map and parcel | 36-89 |
| Recorded by | Stack/Mofford, James Batchelder |
| Organization | Andover Preservation Commission |
| Date entered | 1975-1977, 7/31/2015 |
