What it was… What it is now!
A new Andover playground story
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Today’s History Buzz continues our journey around town looking at playgrounds and at the history of their location. Just like the other playgrounds this location also has an interesting history.
Do you recognize the location of this fence?
Did you guess that it is the location of Deyermond Park on Blanchard Street? Many people know this area because of the baseball and soccer fields located here but it also has a terrific playground.
A nature walk created by the Andover Conservation Commission called Bellevue Reservation can be accessed from this location at the left edge of the ballfield. A bonus of this location is that there is plenty of parking available.
The baseball fields had previously been located on Chandler Road and were named for Warren Charles (Buster) Deyermond. “Buster” was a 1966 graduate of Andover High School and sadly died in the Vietnam War in 1969. A decision was made to move the baseball fields to Blanchard Street which allowed the facility to be enlarged to include soccer fields.
What was on this location before it became Deyermond Park?
The ballfields and the playground structures are all located on former farmland. The history of this property shows that there was a house located here in 1830 and was owned by Alexander Jennings. In 1864 the Jennings family sold the 14-acre property to Samuel Wardman for $650. After the Wardman family left, this property changed hands a several times until it was purchased by the Loosigian family in 1927.
Melkon and Almas Loosigian were from Armenia and settled in West Andover along with many other Armenian families who had come to America to escape the genocide in their country. Melkon and Alms had 2 sons and 1 daughter. In 1947, their son Suren married Eva Naskashian who was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide that claimed the life of her father. Eva and her mother came to America in 1921. Suren and Eva, who were married for 51 years, were known for their wonderful picnics on the farm. The Loosigian family owned this home for 84 years.
It is important to note that many of the older farms in Andover were sold after the turn of the century to the Armenian community who were new immigrants to the area. These hard-working farmers grew vegetables on land that has become known as Truck Farms. To sell their vegetables the farmers would truck their produce to Boston’s Haymarket.
The Town of Andover purchased the property in March 2011 as part of a larger parcel in the rear. The house was razed in 2013. The town then developed the site into fields for soccer and baseball and of course added a delightful play structure.
Make a plan to visit this wonderful playground site. I do not think you will be disappointed.
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~Barbara