9 – 11 & 13 – 15 Baker Lane - Alfred Putnam’s Old Bake House – Parcel #32 S&D Co. 1927 map
Baker’s Lane, now Baker Lane, takes its name from the former Bake House of Alfred Putnam circa 1827-1853 at the highlighted location in the period photo. The Putnam place was a double tenement house to #9, #11 #13 & #15 Baker Lane. Smith & Dove Manuf. Co. purchased the property on Dec. 6, 1918 and the tenements were later razed in 1919 as they are no longer enumerated in the January 1920 Census.

The property along Baker Lane and down to the river was once co-owned by Benjamin Ames and Daniel Cummings in 1814. Benjamin Ames, Esq. b. Oct. 30, 1778 son of Benj. & Phebe (Chandler) Ames, married on May 1, 1809 to Mary Boynton, who sadly died on Nov. 3, 1810. Benjamin remarried on May 11, 1812 to Sally Boynton, Mary’s sister. Daniel Cummings 2nd b. Sept. 2, 1778, a Carpenter, married on June 30, 1801 to Hannah Ames b. July 19, 1781 who was Benjamin’s sister. Ames & Cummings became business partners. Cummings died Dec. 26, 1827 in Maidstone, VT.

Deeds at the Salem registry trace ownership back to Benjamin Ames and Daniel Cummings who sold 5 acres 18 rods of land for $436.72 to Stephen Abbot & Stephen Russell on June 9, 1814. The parcel on Baker’s Lane included buildings and extended down to the river, but excluded a house "now owned and improved by David Holt during his natural life with the liberty to remove the same at his decease, unless sd. Abbot & Russell shall purchase at the appraisal..." Russell later sold his undivided half of the property to Abbot on November 18, 1818.

Stephen Abbot held for a total of ten years then selling on Dec. 17, 1824 to Jonathan Merrill, a Blacksmith, including six acres w/blds for $1500. (b. 236 leaf 193) Abbot held a $1000 mortgage deed. Merrill mortgaged the 6 acres for $1500 to Amos Choate of Salem, MA on Dec. 17, 1824 and an additional $500 on April 3, 1827. The deed includes a small adjoining parcel from Jos. L. Low and includes "...“with one new and two old dwelling houses with the Bake house and Stable about to be erected and all other buildings now standing on the premises.” Amos Choate held the mortgage deed until his death in 1845. Thomas C. Foster & Jonathan Merrill then released the mortgage deed to his widow Mehitable Choate on Sept. 27, 1846. The Choate mortgage was sold to Samuel Gray on June 16, 1847 for $1710 which only included two houses. The dwellings appear to be 63-65 Essex St. and 1-3 Baker Lane, a portion of the six acres. The Bake House property deed was assigned to Jesse Sargent.

The Bake House was the residence and bakery business of Alfred Putnam. Alfred was born Jan. 10, 1801 in Hopkinton, NH, son of Amos & Desire (Felton) Putnam. The family moved to Danvers, MA and Alfred, one of seven children, moved to Andover by 1822, as he is listed in the Polls tax. Alfred married on Nov. 17, 1825 in Andover to Mary “Polly” Merrill. Children: Alfred Henry b. 8/21/1826 – d. 5/5/1827, Mary Louise b. 2/16/1828, Charles E. b. 3/28/1830, Timothy Felton b. 6/17/1832, John W. b. 3/1839 - d. 7/2/1839 and a son b. 1840 - d. 2/1841. Wife Mary died on Oct. 23, 1840 at age 34. Alfred remarried on Dec. 14, 1843 to Mrs. Harriet S. (Shattuck) Bradley, widow of William, b. Dec. 10, 1805, dau. of Peter and Susannah (Clark) Shattuck. It appears Putnam’s bakery was in business here for over 25 years and Putnam rented the premises from Jonathan Merrill. The 1850 Valuation lists Jonathan Merrill; Dwelling house, barn, Bake house, blacksmith shop on 3 acres of land $1900. Farm stock $60.

The 1850 Census recorded nine people living at this address with Putnam. Deeds reveal that the house was a two family residence at this time and included the portion attached to the north. Enumerated were; Alfred Putnam, 48, Baker, wife Harriet 44, sons Charles E. 20, & Alfred 15, both bakers. Also bakers; Hugh Rafferty 22, Wm. Dulton 23, Jonnas Donohue 22, John Carland 35 and Margaret Williams age 16 born in Ireland. The 1850 Non-Population Manufacturing schedule for Alfred Putnam, Baker – Capital invested $2000. Wood fuel, labor costs $134/month, Raw materials 12.04 bags of flour, 115.40 lbs. sugar, 42.80 lbs, butter, 79,58 lbs. lard, 55 cords of wood, 200 gals molasses 57 various spices. All kinds of bread & fancy bread & crackers.

Alfred advertised his business in the new Andover Advertiser; Feb. 19, 1853; A. P. Putnam & Son Bakery – We are the only bakers in town. (Abbott Village a few rods from RR depot). Alfred with son Charles E. provided fresh baked goods to the residents.
In September 1853 the business became insolvent. AA Sept. 3, 1853 Putnam & Son – Bakers Alfred Putnam & Charles E. Putnam former co-partners – Insolvency. Alfred’s paid advertisement in the paper however continued. AA-Saturday Nov. 5, 1853 – Bakery -Alfred Putnam – Is the only Baker in town, and may be found at his old established place of business, manufacturing as largely as ever, White bread, Brown bread, Cakes, Frosted and Plain, Crackers, Pies &c, &c &c. – Families supplied at their residences, at the lowest rates.
Putnam’s property associated with his business was auctioned off on September 23, 1853. Alfred continued to list his occupation as baker in the 1860 Census. AA Dec. 25, 1869 – “The silver wedding anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Putnam, was celebrated at their residence on School Street on the evening of the 14th inst. About 100 persons were present, including quite a number of the young ladies connected with the female Academy. Mrs. Susanna Shattuck, the mother of Mrs. Putnam, who was the oldest person in town, was present on the occasion and exhibiting the spriteness and vivacity of youth…” The 1870 Census lists Putnam as running a boarding house and has two teachers and three students at Abbot Academy, a servant girl, a dressmaker and his mother-in-law Susanna now 94 years of age.
AA Nov. 19, 1853 Bake House for Sale – Abbott Village – within a few rods of the B & M Railroad depot. Bake house, stable & about ½ acre of land. Used for many years as a bakery.
Jesse Sargent to Jonathan Merrill – Dec. 1, 1858 rec. 1/11/1859 – b. 581 leaf 224 - $950, exclusive of about 21 rods of land with the old Bake House, conveys by request of said Merrill to Patrick Donovan & Jeremiah McCarthy by agreement to sell on Jan. 2, 1854. Patrick Donovan, wife Bridget –

The Bake house property was sold on Jan. 2, 1854 by Jonathan Merrill to Patrick Donovan and Jeremiah McCarthy. In December 1855 Patrick Donovan & Jeremiah McCarthy divided the house in half with Patrick getting 35’ 7” of the front of the house on north end and Jeremiah’s half 26’ 10” front facade on the south end. (blue façade) McCarthy then took a mortgage on his half which he later defaulted on which Donovan bought at public auction on Dec. 4, 1860 for $130. [Combined frontage 61.8’, lot size 71’x 42’ x 71’ x 39’]

Patrick Donovan was born in Ireland in Mar. 1816, son of Dennis Donovan. He married Bridget Dempsey b. 1818 in Ireland, dau. of Jeremiah Dempsey. Patrick was a laborer, stone mason. Patrick & Bridget had six children; Mary b. 1845, Bridget b. 9/10/1848, Dennis b. 2/1/1851, Ann b. 4/1/1853, Catherine b. 12/28/1856 and John b. 9/28/1858. Patrick was assessed in 1870 for 2 houses $1000, the McCarthy house $700, Barn $50, 2½ acres $400 and farm stock $35.
Patrick sold both Tenement houses on lot #32 to Eliza O’Hara, wife of Charles on Sept. 1876 for $1600. The Eliza took a mortgage loan of $1000 from the Trustees of Punchard Free School. In 1881 O’Hara defaulted on the loan and the Trustees took possession of the property. Charles & Eliza O’Hara lived at 18 Lincoln St. The Trustees held the property for thirteen years then sold to John Kimball of Lawrence, MA on Dec. 13, 1894. This was income property an rented.

The 1899 Directory lists Frank McCusker, wife Bridget at #9 and James McGlynn [McGinley] and Mary at #11 and John Dannehy, Section hand B&MRR and Mrs. John at #13 Baker Lane.

James McGinley later purchased the property on Nov. 4, 1903. James was a Carder and Smith & Dove Co., born in Ireland in June 1854, Immigrated with his family in 1889 with wife Mary b. June 1864, two daughters Mary A. b. 1882 and Hannah B. b. 1884. They had two more children born here, Sarah J. b. Apr. 1892 and son Henry b. May 1895. James sells the house to Sarah J. Carroll on March 17, 1906 but holds a life tenancy on his residence at #11 and includes his sister. Carroll deeds the property buck to James on Jan. 12, 1910. McGinley sells the property to Smith & Dove Manuf. Co. on Dec. 6, 1918 which includes a second parcel of 1.4 acres and his homestead.

It appears that Smith & Dove Co. razed the old Bake House tenement building in 1919 as it is no longer listed in the January 1920 Federal Census. The vacant lot was later divided and sold off to abutters on either side.