Main Street-Locke

Main Street and Locke Street in Andover form a compact residential district of about 13 acres and 31 properties. Main Street was laid out in 1805 as part of the Essex Turnpike, and early buildings included farmhouses and a boarding house for Academy and Seminary students, which became Locke's Tavern in 1825. Greek Revival houses followed, some by builder Jacob Chickering, and the late 1880s brought Queen Anne and Colonial Revival buildings. Locke Street, laid out in 1869, was developed around 1890 to 1910 with Colonial Revival and Shingle Style designs, including the 1891 November Club, the first clubhouse in New England built for women. The district shows a range of styles from Federal through Shingle, reflecting the comfortable middle-class business and professional families who lived here. Uniform setbacks, spacing and suburban landscaping add to its character. Only one modern building, at 104 Main Street, is considered an intrusion.