North Andover Ledger Our Mission: Seek, Save and Share North Andover History!
TALES FROM THE ARCHIVE by Inga Larson, Curator of Research and Archival Materials
Stevens Mill Pond According to family biographer Horace N. Stevens (writing in 1946) a mill was set up on Cochichewick Brook in the 17th century by Simon Bradstreet. He was an early inhabitant of the town who later became the last Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He sold the mill to a brother-in-law of John Stevens. Originally a grist mill, by 1813 three partners, Jonathan Stevens, Joseph Kittredge and Josiah Munroe endeavored to convert it into a woolen mill. Renovation of the building was complete by 1814. By 1830 expansion occurred and a new dam was installed at “The Great Pond” to create ‘falls’ for several mills which now were set up along the Cochichewick Brook. The first fall was for the Stevens Mill, the second was the grist mill of Isaac Osgood (later the location of Davis and Furber), a third fall was at Hodges Mill (today Sutton Pond Condos), a fourth for Eben Sutton and finally a fifth for Daniel Saunders around the downtown area of today. The mill pond which served the Stevens Mill, until it closed in 1974, is today the location of “Millpond Townhomes.” The picture above shows ice houses which were on the edge of the pond, directly across from today’s town beach. The picture to the right taken in 1978 shows the terraced units which were constructed where the ice houses once stood. Driving down Stevens Street today the view remains much the same.
Summer 2020
SOCIETY HONORS MIKE SMOLAK WITH 2020 LIFETIME PRESERVATION AWARD We are pleased to announce that H. Michael Smolak, Jr., owner and operator of Smolak Farms is this year’s Lifetime Preservation Award recipient. Michael lives at the family farm acquired by his grandparents in 1927; after his father’s death in 1971, he ran the farm with his mother part time while in college. He has run it full time since then. Located on 130 acres in North Andover, the farm was transformed over many years to a very diversified and integrated operation which includes agriculture, education and entertainment. Smolak Farms, LLC is recognized as a leader in the farming community for innovation and creative business development. In 1983 it became part of the APR Program, preserving over 100 acres. Smolak Farms by Phila Slade
Est. 1913
CAROLINE S. ROGERS BUILDING NEWS Work on Phase 1 is coming to a close. Thanks to the rapid adoption of safety protocols, contractors were able to continue their activities and keep the renovation project going. Since our late spring newsletter the following work has either wrapped up or is just about to be complete: •
Over 40 energy efficient windows are installed, replacing the original units and making the building weathertight. •
Solar panels now cover the theater and the roofline above the dormers, providing electricity to keep us off the grid. (cont’d on page 2)
The Lifetime Preservation Award was established in 2014 to honor North Andover residents who have shown an exemplary commitment to the preservation of the town’s historic heritage and/or open spaces. Due to the pandemic we unfortunately will not be able to move forward with this year’s Lifetime Preservation Awards gala. We remain hopeful that 2021 will bring better fortune, and look forward to honoring Michael then.
Published quarterly for members and friends of the North Andover Historical Society
FROM THE DIRECTOR by Brian J. Howard, Executive Director
Despite the shutdown the society has been teeming with activity this summer! So much so that I am dedicating most of this page to more articles and content. The Rogers building project is going great, as is the newly-christened ‘1646 Bookstore’. Our members have been a bulwark during our closure; we’re back open now and appreciate your support!
NORTH ANDOVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY ~~~ 153 Academy Road North Andover, MA 01845 Phone: (978) 686-4035 northandoverhistoricalsociety.org
Staff Exec. Director: Brian Howard
ROGERS BUILDING UPDATE (cont’d from page 1)
• • Cor. of Education: Carol Majahad • • Collections Mgr.: Jan Williams Curator: Inga Larson
Educator: Kathy Hirbour
Board of Directors President: Chris McVey Vice President: Alexander Loth Treasurer: Susan Haltmaier Secretary: Nathan Weinreich Kelly Cormier
Dormers have been resided with composite trim that will not rot. Exterior walls are insulated with spray foam insulation. New drywall is installed in all first and second floor spaces. The Worden Theater is coming to life and is ready for paint.
Capital Campaign: We are looking to raise $1 million to take the Rogers Building from ‘blank canvas’ to ‘first rate museum and community center’. The Society has initiated a feasibility study as the first step of a capital campaign that will kick off in the coming months. We will keep you, our members, updated as we progress down this path! Thanks: We are overwhelmed by the support shown for this project. Our sincere appreciation to our donors who have underwritten specific efforts including the kitchen (Kittredge Family) and office furniture transportation (Frederick Glore), as well as to our naming sponsors including Helen Wood, Diane Huster, James & Anita Worden, and the Stevens Family. Many others not named here are helping out; this is a true community effort.
Marion Donahue Diane Huster Kara Kaufman
ARTIFACT HAPPENINGS by Janice Williams, Collections Manager
Joseph LaGrasse Kathy Stevens Mark Svendsen Ashley Vaillancourt Tracy Wakeman James Worden
~~~ Main Campus open Monday thru Friday, all year, 10AM-4PM ~~~ Parson Barnard House open 1st Sat. of each month, JuneOctober, 11AM-3PM ~~~ Established 1913
The Society’s collections committee is continuing to refine our artifact collections to ensure that the items we care for reflect North Andover’s history, heritage, and people. We have successfully transferred pieces to the historical societies in Methuen, Lawrence, and Andover while keeping the ‘core’ items for exhibits and research. We are also preparing our holdings for the eventual move from the Grange Hall over to the new storage space in the Caroline Stevens Rogers Building. We expect this move to take place later in 2020.
MEMBER CORNER Our sincere thanks to everyone who has renewed their memberships during the last quarter. Welcome also to our new members: PATRON Ellen Caille & Michael Souza, N. Andover Michael & Suzanne Gramly, North Andover Ellen Mosier, North Andover FAMILY Cameron McVey, Steamboat Springs, CO Belinda Sapienza, North Andover Sharon & Ralph Zahn, North Andover
SINGLE Christine Herrmann, North Andover Barbara Leatherman, Keene, NH Steve Ouellette, North Andover Maragadha Rajan, North Andover Tod Wakeman, North Andover SENIOR Richard Crane, North Andover Anne Tiffany, Williamstown
FROM THE EDUCATION CORNER by Carol Majahad, Coordinator of Museum Education
What resources would be most helpful to fulfill the third grade local history standard? That was the question we asked the teachers scheduled to visit us this spring. Their answer: visual resources for use in their classroom meets. To meet that challenge, a short video was created (you can view it on North Andover Historical Society YouTube channel), followed by a detailed presentation, a driving tour for families and an 1830 map activity sheet. By far, the highlight was joining the Kittredge third graders at their weekly class meeting! interacting with the students is why educators love our jobs. Our thanks to the Rogers Family Foundation for their grant to support these programs. In anticipation of a fall without field trips or in-classroom visits, our existing educational resources are undergoing conversion, including a planned virtual tour of Johnson Cottage in some format and a new way to conduct our artifact workshop. We currently have seven different workshops scheduled for late August. Each will be reviewed for safety protocols, but all will go forward in a modified format following the current Massachusetts Phase 3 safety standards. All will require advance registration and limited to 6 participants. 17th Century Saturdays will resume on August 1st in a revised and more limited format. Trails and Sails will be largely virtual or DIY this year, and plans are in the works to offer at least two programs during September 18-27th. Our October a joint presentation with author Richard Hite and Carolyn LaPierre’s 8th grade students recapping their work to have Elizabeth Johnson, Jr. finally absolved of her 1692 charge of witchcraft will require further thought, but we are hopeful that it will take place at least as a virtual event.
Welcome to the new world of museum education!
Turning Back The Clock Andover Advertiser Dec 1853
NEW DONATIONS The North Andover Historical Society is grateful to the following donors whose gifts have enhanced our collections in several areas:
Boxford Historic Document Center Marbleridge Farm Booklet (transfer) Mark Svendsen (North Andover) Postcards, NA Fish & Game Club patch, Merrimack School graduation pin Jennifer Dunmire (Catonsville, MD) Edgewood Farms Milk Bottle Inga Larson (North Andover) North Parish Church tricentennial cup plate, 1996 David Donovan (North Andover) Tool box & tools used by donor’s grandfather at Davis & Furber , c. 1940 Papers of Jeremiah Murphy, c. 1920s-30s (anonymous contribution)
Tea Time Story by Martha Larson
A quaint tea set given to the Society in 1928 by Lucy Stevens tells more than one interesting story. The service for 12 (now missing a saucer and two cups) dates from around 1830. At this time, tea was served in handleless cups to be poured into a deep-dish saucer then sipped (taking a ‘dish of tea’). There was often a separate cup plate of ceramic or glass to hold the empty cup. By this time British pottery firms had learned to use paper printing techniques to decorate china, making thousands of designs possible, and historical views were very popular. Ironically this cobalt blue set features ‘MacDonough’s Victory’, with scenes from a famous British naval defeat in the War of 1812 at the hands of the Americans. Theodore Roosevelt wrote of MacDonough in 1882: “Macdonough in this battle won a higher fame than any other commander of the war, British or American. He had a decidedly superior force to contend against, the officers and men of the two sides being about on a par in every respect; and it was solely owing to his foresight and resource that we won the victory. He forced the British to engage at a disadvantage by his excellent choice of position; and he prepared beforehand for every possible contingency. His personal prowess had already been shown at the cost of the rovers of Tripoli, and in this action he helped fight the guns as ably as the best sailor. His skill, seamanship, quick eye, readiness of resource, and indomitable pluck, are beyond all praise. Down to the time of the Civil War he is the greatest figure in our naval history.”
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From Our Collections
COMING PROGRAMS Sat. Aug. 1, 12PM-3PM: 17th Century Saturday at the Parson Barnard House Sat. Aug. 8, 10AM-2PM: Community Day at the John-
son Cottage Adventures in Time-limited and by reservation only Two sessions a day: 10-11:30 AM or 12-1:30 PM Thu. Aug 13, Create a Character from History Tue. Aug. 18, Native Beadwork Wed. Aug 19, Intro to Knitting I Thu. Aug . 20: Potholder Weaving Tue. Aug. 25: Make a Drop Spindle Wed. Aug. 26: Intro to Knitting II Thu. Aug 27: Dyeing Wool
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