109 Elm Street – Dearborn – Rea House

This property was once part of the Locke family farm at 70 Elm Street. This lot was sold by Abbie H. Locke, wife of Samuel B. Locke on Oct. 15, 1883 to Franklin E. Murch, wife Mary R., a painter. Murch owned the property four years then selling to Lauren L. Dearborn and his father in law Jasper Rea on Oct. 17, 1887. The house has remains in the Dearborn family in 2016.

Lauren LeForest Dearborn was born on Oct. 19, 1848 in Corinna, Penobscot, Maine, son of Samuel W. & Rebecca Ester (Banton) Dearborn. Lauren was a carpenter, and worked his trade under Andover carpenter Brainard Cummings. It has been stated that before coming to Andover Lauren plied his trade in the mines of California and Nevada.

Lauren married on June 23, 1887 to Alice Marion Rea, born Apr. 17, 1864 in Andover, daughter of Jasper & Lucy F. (Woodcock) Rea. Lauren and his father-in-law Jasper would purchase the property together each living in one half of the house. The property was later divided and deeded separately to Lauren & Jasper in March 1894.

Jasper Rea b. Oct. 30, 1814 was a farmer, married in April 1838 to Lucy F. Woodcock of Lowell, MA b. Apr. 3, 1817. Jasper & Lucy had two daughters, Hannah b. Mar. 24, 1853 – d. Oct. 24, 1854 and Alice Marion b. Apr. 17, 1864. Jasper died on Jan. 12, 1899. Widow Lucy died Sept. 12, 1906.

Lauren L. and Alice had four children; Ray L. b. Jan. 7, 1889, Marion LeForest b. Aug. 16, 1890, Roy Samuel b. July 3, 1892 and Madeline E. b. Mar. 19, 1908 – d. Sept. 12, 1914. Lauren would become the superintendent of Abbot Academy campus in 1903 and position he held until his death on July 9, 1920 of pneumonia.

Oldest son Ray was a member of the class of 1907 at Punchard High School and attended Salem Commercial School. He was employed as a stenographer for seven years by the Stimpson Concrete Co. of Boston. He then worked for several years for the State Department of Fisheries at Sandwich, MA. Ray returned to Andover and became caretaker of Memorial Hall Library. Ray contracted infantile paralysis (Polio) and died on Oct. 9, 1920 at age 31.

Daughter Marion member of Punchard High class 1910, married Franklin Timothy Ellis b. Oct. 10, 1887 in Plymouth, MA, son of Charles Manning Ellis and Annabell (Eames) Ellis. Franklin was a chauffeur for Mrs. A. M. Means in Andover. He later became a cloth Dresser for the American Woolen Co. Marion and Franklin lived at 109 Elm and would inherit half of the Dearborn house. Mother Alice would live with her daughter. Alice died on May 30, 1948. Marion & Frank had no children. Franklin died in July 1967 and Marion in July 1971.

Son Roy S. graduated from Punchard High in 1910, married Florence Melissa Curtis b. June 8, 1893 in Salem, MA, dau. of Clarence Warren and Anastasia (Morrison) Curtis. Roy became a Purchasing Agent for the Stevens Co. in North Andover. They moved to No. Andover then, after the death of his father and brother, returned to the family home. Roy and Florence had two sons; Everett C. b. 1918 and Lauren R. b. 1922. Florence died on April 29, 1939. Roy died in Sept. 1968.

The property was then inherited by Everett and Lauren Dearborn. Everett married Dorothy W. and built a home at 175 Summer St. Everett was an Engineer with Bolton-Emerson. They had three children Deborah, David and Peter. Everett died in Aug. 1999 and Dorothy in Sept. 2008.

Lauren married Dorothy A. and lived in the family homestead at 109 Elm St. They raised their family here; Patricia A., Paul E., Richard, Sandra and Denyse. Dorothy A. died March 2006 and Lauren in June 2015.