Dundee Park

Last updated
Dundee Park
Location Andover, Massachusetts
Opening date1894
DeveloperJohn Smith, Peter Smith, John Dove

Dundee Park is a suburban business park located in the town of Andover, Massachusetts, situated across from the old Andover train station.

Contents

History

Originally known as the Smith & Dove mills, the Dundee Park business strip took shape in the 18th century, helping bolster the Industrial Revolution in New England, prior to which the area and its economy was merely agriculturally-grounded. The Smith & Dove mills, founded by Scottish merchants John Smith, Peter Smith, and John Dove in 1835, attracted more individuals to the Andover, Massachusetts area seeking work, and made common goods more available. [1] Nearly a century later, a myriad of individual mills had been erected in the area, focused primarily on textile development. A notable cotton mill was commissioned in 1807 by Abraham Marland, an Episcopalian merchant from Lancashire, known for his founding of Christ Church in Andover. [2] The wool production operation headed by Paschal Abbott also shifted to the town around 1815, operating on Red Spring Road near Dundee Park, but was later sold to Smith & Dove, the United States' original manufacturer of linen and benefactor of Memorial Hall Library, in 1843, upon a decline in demand for wool. The acquisition of this mill, in addition to a series of other mills, led to the area's colloquial name, the Smith & Dove mills. Approximately two decades after the purchase of Abbott's wool mill, the Smith & Dove mills in Andover were successfully fabricating cloth and thread at a large volume.

The mills continued to expand, eventually becoming known collectively as Dundee Park. Soon, however, the company was purchased by Ludlow Manufacturing in 1927, after which the area was claimed by many companies and investors, most notably the Indian Ridge Company. Eventually, the Family Bank and Lawrence Savings assisted in repurposing Dundee Park, from a mill area to a business park. More than fifty years later, two new buildings were constructed in Dundee Park. At the turn of the century, property managing firm Ozzy Properties purchased a significant portion of the area, and helped allure start-ups and other businesses to it.

Businesses

Dundee Park is home to a diverse number of start-ups, small businesses, and other companies.

Future of Dundee Park

At a town meeting in May 2015, voters helped create the Historical Mill District, often abbreviated as the HMD, an area comprising Dundee Park and other local buildings and roads. Targeting Dundee Park as an area capable of smart growth, the Town of Andover, along with the HMD Task Force, discussed design guidelines in order to highlight Dundee Park's architectural and historic antiquity, as well as transform it into a productive, sprawling area. The guidelines, originally discussed on January 26, 2017, were officially adopted by the Andover Planning Board on February 13, 2018. [3]

Related Research Articles

Lawrence, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the east. Lawrence and Salem were the county seats of Essex County, until the Commonwealth abolished county government in 1999. Lawrence is part of the Merrimack Valley.

North Andover, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 30,915.

Andover, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Andover is a suburban town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646. As of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201. It is part of Greater Boston, and is a northern suburb of the city of Boston, which is located 20 miles to the south. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Andover. It is twinned with its namesake: Andover, Hampshire, England.

Andover, Hampshire Town in Hampshire, England

Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton, a major source of the Test, and is situated alongside the major A303 trunk road at the eastern end of Salisbury Plain, 18 miles (29 km) west of the town of Basingstoke, both major rail stops. It is 14 miles (23 km) NNW of the city of Winchester, 35 miles (56 km) north of the city of Southampton and 65 miles (105 km) WSW of London. Andover is twinned with the towns of Redon in France, Goch in Germany, and Andover, Massachusetts in the United States.

The Boston Associates Former financial services company

The Boston Associates were a loosely linked group of investors in 19th-century New England. They included Nathan Appleton, Patrick Tracy Jackson, Abbott Lawrence, and Amos Lawrence. Often related directly or through marriage, they were based in Boston, Massachusetts. The term "Boston Associates" was coined by historian Vera Shlakmen in 1935.

Shawsheen River

The Shawsheen River is a 26.7-mile-long (43.0 km) tributary of the Merrimack River in northeast Massachusetts. The name has had various spellings. According to Bailey's history of Andover, the spelling Shawshin was the most common in the old records, although Shawshine, Shashin, Shashine, Shashene, Shawshene, and later, Shawsheen, are found. The name, says Bailey, is said to mean "Great Spring".

Ballardvale, Massachusetts Village in Massachusetts, United States

Ballardvale is a village located within the boundaries of the town of Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Growing originally in the 19th century around mills located on the Shawsheen River, the village is a local historic district, boasting many varieties of historic architecture and a rich industrial heritage.

The American Woolen Company is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of men’s and women’s worsted and woolen fabrics. Based in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, the company operates from the 160-year-old Warren Mills, which it acquired from Loro Piana SpA in June 2014.

Ward Reservation

The Charles W. Ward Reservation is a 704-acre (285 ha) open space reserve located in Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts, 20 miles (32 km) north of Boston. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is notable for its open drumlin hilltops and vistas encompassing Boston and Salem. The Ward Reservation offers 13 miles (21 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing; it is also a link in the 200-mile (320 km) Bay Circuit Trail system.

Andover Village Industrial District United States historic place

The Andover Village Industrial District encompasses one of the 19th century industrial mill villages of Andover, Massachusetts known locally as "The Village". The growth of this village contributed to the decision in the 19th century to separate the more rural area of North Andover from the town. It is centered on a stretch of the Shawsheen River between North Main Street on the east and Moraine Street on the west. Most of the district's properties lie on Stevens Street, Red Spring Road, Shawsheen Road, and Essex Street, with a few properties also located on adjacent roads.

Ballardvale District United States historic place

The Ballardvale District in Andover, Massachusetts, encompasses the historic mill village of Ballardvale in the northwestern part of the town. It is centered on the crossing the Shawsheen River by Andover Street, and includes buildings on High Street, Center Street, and other adjacent roads on both sides of the river. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

The Lincolnshire United States historic place

The Lincolnshire is a grand mansion at 22 Hidden Road and 28 Hidden Way in Andover, Massachusetts.

Gleasondale, Massachusetts Village in Massachusetts, United States

Gleasondale is a village straddling the border between the towns of Hudson and Stow in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located along the Assabet River. For many decades it was home to various mills, though it is now primarily residential. According to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Gleasondale is a "populated place" named after Benjamin W. Gleason and Samuel J. Dale.

Merrimack Valley Region in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts

The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in New England and has helped to define the livelihood and culture of those living along it for millennia.

John N. Cole American politician

John N. Cole was an American politician who served as the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1906 to 1908.

Stony Brook (Charles River tributary, Weston)

Stony Brook is a stream largely running through Lincoln and Weston, Massachusetts, then forming the Weston/Waltham boundary, and emptying into the Charles River across from the Waltham/Newton boundary. It has two tributaries, Cherry Brook and Hobbs Brook, and its watershed includes about half of Lincoln and Weston as well as parts of Lexington and Waltham. Since 1887, it has been the water supply for Cambridge, along with the Hobbs Brook Reservoir.

The Andover Inn

The Andover Inn is a historic inn located on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. It was built upon the site of a stone building that had once been lived in by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was first built in 1930 and was known as the Phillips Inn until 1940. It is located on Chapel Avenue next to the Addison Gallery of American Art.

Assabet Woolen Mill

The Assabet Woolen Mill was originally a textile factory complex founded by Amory Maynard in 1847 near the Assabet River in the northern part of what was then Sudbury, Massachusetts. The area became the Town of Maynard in 1871. The business went bankrupt in 1898, but reopened in 1899 as part of the American Woolen Company, which expanded it. The mill ceased operation as a woolen mill in 1950. The buildings were later repurposed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as its corporate headquarters. As of 2015, the facility is host to various small business as "Mill & Main". See Maynard, Massachusetts for further details regarding the use of the dozen or so mill buildings.

Pranker Mills, also known as the Iroquois Mills, is a former American textile mill located in Saugus, Massachusetts that was in operation from 1822 to 1915.

South Church, Andover, Massachusetts Church in Massachusetts, United States

The South Church is a Protestant Christian place of worship located in Andover, Massachusetts. It was organized as the Second Church of Andover in 1711 with Rev. Samuel Phillips as its first pastor. It is currently part of the United Church of Christ.

References

  1. Adams, Tom (Apr 30, 2015). "Andover Stories: Dundee Park: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow". Andover Townsman Online. AndoverTownsman.com. Andover Historical Society. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. "Andover Biography - Abraham Marland". Andover Answers. Memorial Hall Library. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  3. "Historic Mill District". Town of Andover, Massachusetts. Town of Andover. Retrieved 4 March 2018.

Coordinates: 42°39′19″N71°08′47″W / 42.655277°N 71.146487°W / 42.655277; -71.146487