Frye Village Stories: Smith & Dove linen manufacturers (part 1)
A Shawsheen Village 100 Story
Before Shawsheen Village Frye Village Stories: Introduction to Smith Dove manufacturing
If you're familiar with Andover, you likely have heard of Smith & Dove. Smith & Dove Manufacturing’s first location was in Frye Village, in what we call Shawsheen Village today.
ACHC #20178.043.9
You can see on this 1892 Sanborn map from the Library of Congress where the mill buildings were located along Haverhill Street. The linen manufacturer was later had factories in Frye Village and in Abbott Village (what we call Dundee Park today).
1892 Sanborn map, Library of Congress
The beginnings
Founder John Smith was born in Brechin, Scotland. Arriving in Medway, Mass., at age 20, he gained employment as a journeyman machinist. There he met Joseph Faulkner and Warren Richardson. Richardson was from Andover and the three partners established a business for themselves as manufactures of cotton machinery. In 1824 they moved to Andover, purchasing an unoccupied mill privilege in Frye Village, at what is now 16 Haverhill Street.
However, John’s partnership with Richardson and Faulkner didn’t last long. Warren Richardson died in November 1829, and Joseph Faulkner died in November 1829.
ACHC #1948.079.2, Smith & Dove mills in Frye Village
After the deaths of his partners, John recruited his brother Peter Smith and friend John Dove to join the company. Encouraged by John Dove, they switched the business from cotton to flax production and linen thread in 1833, under the name Smith, Dove & Company. It was the first such mill in America.
John Dove, having worked in flax mills in Scotland, convinced the John Smith that there existed in America a market for high quality flax products. Dove went back to Scotland to obtain drawings for flax machinery, and on his return, had these new designs built in the existing machine shop.
The three founders were, indeed, a "triple threat:" John Smith in finances, Peter Smith in management, and John Dove as the creative inventor.
ACHC #1911.0118.1, Left to right Peter Smith, John Smith, and John Dove
Early acceptance of American linen products was not easy. In one edition of the periodical "Massachusetts Industries," the comment about Smith & Dove was made that:
"when they sought to market their first consignment of shoe thread, (they) encountered the factor of rank prejudice in favor of the imported article at the hands of both merchant and consumer."
Eventually, and after almost a decade, "their tried and unimpeachable integrity, the quality of their products, and their optimism and courage" won over the market.
There's a lot more Smith & Dove story to come! Since this series is about Frye Village, I'll be focusing on that part of the story. You can jump ahead in the story and read more in Sarah Loring Bailey's 1880 book Historical Sketches of Andover.
Next Frye Village story: More about Smith & Dove