127 Summer Street (formerly numbered 93)

This land was once part of the Henry F. Pasho estate. George Pasho exectutor of the estate auctioned off parcels of land. Catherine Morse, wife of John C. Morse purchased a 2 aces 28.5 sq. ft. lot at auction on June 21, 1879. Catherine was the high bidder at $1075. Catherine later sold the lot to John F. Morse on April 23, 1889. John Morse later divided the parcel, transferred this lot through Robert Hume Jr. on July 14, 1894 back to himself.

John Morse once owned a fish market on Central St. opposite the Baptist Church in 1885. He lived on Summer St. with his parent John C. & Catherine Morse near the corner of Highland Rd. John became a carpenter by 1891 and built the house at 127 Summer St.. John and lived here with his family until May 1901.

John Morse sold to Laura T. Batchelder, widow of Albert L. Batchelder of North Reading. Laura was 35 years old and had two children, Sidney Symonds Batchelder age 9 and Esther May Batchelder age 2. Laura’s maiden name was Symonds and her family lived on Summer St. and off Highland Road in North Andover, where she was born. Laura remarried on July 2, 1901 to Gustav Max Lucke, a 26 year old German born emigrant farmer who arrived in the US in 1895. Max, as he was known by the family, became a painter and carpenter for the J. E. Pitman Lumber Co. on Park St. in Andover. In the 1910 Andover Valuation Schedule, Laura’s property included the house, stable, henhouse and ½ acre of land at a valuation of $1200.

Laura’s son Sidney S. graduated from Stowe school in 1908 and became a laborer at the Andover Theological Seminary as a grounds keeper. It is there that he met his future wife, Isabella Hamilton Gamble who was employed at the Andover Inn as a waitress. On Sidney’s 21st birthday Jan. 22, 1913 he inherited his portion of his father’s estate and built a house across the street from his mother at #134 Summer St. (#98 then). He married on February 11, 1913. Sister Esther May graduated from Stowe School in 1913 and Punchard High School in 1917. She attended Miss Peirce’s Secretarial School in Boston, became a stenographer working for the Merrimack Mutual Insurance Co.

Laura died on May 7, 1930 and her estate was divided into thirds between her children and husband Max. Son Sidney S. gave his share in the property to his sister Esther. In October 1930 Sidney and his family moved to the farm at 97 Argilla Rd. which he had managed for three years for his aunt Dr. Emma Batchelder. They essentially switched ownership of their properties at that time. Max Lucke retired and moved to the farm with his step son. Esther moved into an apartment in town and the house at #127 was rented to Leroy P. and Hazel A. Wilson. Leroy worked for the Andover News Co.
Laura & Max Lucke are interred in the Batchelder family lot at West Parish Garden Cemetery.

On August 8, 1939 the house was sold to Edward V. French who rented to his chauffeur Roland C. Denoncourt and his wife Clarina.

On Dec. 29, 1943 Edward French sold the property to Walter G. & Janet Swenson. Swensons must have had a dispute over the property boundaries and file notice with Land Court on June 6, 1944. The Courts ruled in their favor and the new title was issued. The Swensons occupied their home for 26 years before selling in 1969. Walter was a foreman and operative at the M.T. Stevens & Sons Marland Mill on Stevens Street. They had a son Walter Jr.
Janet Swenson died in June 1981 and Walter died in March 1982. Both are interred at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Fredrick J. & Jean M. Banzi Jr. purchased the house on July 30, 1969. Fred was a technician and engineer and his wife Jean a secretary. The couple has two children Fredrick and Linda. Both graduated from Andover High, Classes of 1988 and 1990 respectively. Fred & Jean Banzi sold on July 11, 1978 to the Morrissey family and moved to Applecrest Road just up the street off Summer St.

Richard & Jane Morrissey are the current owners in 2009. Richard is an Andover native and graduated from Andover High School in 1968. He is a manager for North Reading Lumber Co. Jane is a registered nurse and secretary. Their daughter Kelly graduated from Andover High in 2005 and Endicott College in 2009 with a degree in interior design.