Nestled on Locke Street, the former site of an historic women’s club blends seamlessly with neighborhood homes, giving little away about its storied past. Step inside and the building reveals its character—a shingle-style architecture with creaking floors and a woody aroma that speaks to decades of community use.
Soon this 6 Locke St. building — the home of the Unitarian Universalist congregation from 1985-2024 and of the November Club from 1893 to 1985 — will have a new occupant.
The Andover Center for History and Culture is finalizing the purchase of this historic building, with plans to transform it into a “multi-purpose cultural destination in the heart of downtown Andover.” “Our goals are to use history to build community,” said Elaine Clements, executive director of ACHC. “Fostering these connections is our mission.”
History
The story of 6 Locke St. begins in 1888 with the November Club, the town’s first all women’s club to construct its own building, which opened in 1893.
Historian Jane Cairns, who works for the center, said the club was founded by 15 women as “an intellectual outlet and education group for a bunch of very privileged women.” The club quickly gained attention, growing to 30 members within months and capping membership at 60, Cairns added.
Meetings were initially held at Abbott Academy, but the desire for a dedicated space led to the purchase of land from Joanna Goldsmith, a club member and the wife of local businessman William Goldsmith.
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“They started raising money to build their own clubhouse and that’s what set them apart,” said Cairns. “There were dozens of women’s clubs in Andover, but this clubhouse gave them a place to solidify their legacy.”
The club was known for its exclusivity—prospective members had to be nominated and approved by existing members—and for its rigorous intellectual programs.
“They were serious students there,” Cairns said. “They would bring in experts to give them history lessons and study current events at a very high level.”
Early generations of members focused on literature and self-improvement, but over time, their mission expanded to include philanthropy. By the 1910s, the club’s younger members played a vital role during World War I, knitting scarves, rolling bandages, and making surgical dresses for soldiers.
“It’s so hard for us to understand today, but they had a very precise process for creating these items, and it was an important contribution in the war,” Cairns said.
As the decades passed, the November Club also worked to uplift Andover’s cultural life. It offered art scholarships, sponsored etiquette and dance classes for youth and hosted art competitions. The November Club became known not only for educating its members but also for serving the broader community.
The club’s influence lessened in the latter half of the 20th century, with membership diminishing. By 1985, only a few dozen members remained, and the building was sold to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
“At the end, there were three women left,” Cairns said.
The Unitarian Universalist congregation had outgrown its previous site when it moved into 6 Locke St. in 1985, said congregation member Lisa Minnour.
For several years before purchasing the Locke Street site, the Unitarians had been renting the space for their meetings, appreciating its intimacy and historical significance.
“They had built a big, large, modern church further out in town, and it was too expensive to keep,” said Minnour. “We prioritized our own worship, and the November Club building was a perfect fit.”
Unlike traditional denominations, Unitarian Universalism promotes a blending of various religious traditions, offering an inclusive spiritual community for those who seek an alternative to mainstream churches.
“It’s not like a particular church,” Minnour explained. “It’s ecumenical, with a lot of traditions blending.”
The congregation’s activities in their new worship site emphasized inclusivity and dialogue. Poetry readings, meditation groups and community discussions took the place of conventional scripture-based services, said Minnour.
Minnour also said the building became a venue for social justice initiatives, such as fundraising for local charities, and programs focused on interfaith understanding. By maintaining 6 Locke Street’s purpose as a gathering place, the congregation extended its legacy as a community-oriented space.
“It wasn’t just a place of worship,” said Minnour. “It was where people came together to share ideas, celebrate milestones, and grieve losses.”
The ACHC plans to preserve the Locke Street site’s legacy while making it a hub for local engagement, said Clements.
Members of the Unitarian Universalist congregation had approached ACHC in 2023 with an offer to acquire the building, and Clements said the organization began six months of planning and research. By the end of the year, ACHC’s proposal had been accepted. It kicked off a $1.1 million fundraising campaign to cover the $300,000 acquisition and the renovation and operational costs.
Support includes a matching grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations according to Clements.
Clements said renovations will focus on accessibility and updates to the building’s infrastructure, including energy-efficient systems like solar and geothermal power.
“The building has great bones, but we’re prioritizing making it welcoming and functional for community use,” said Clements. “We’ll have the capacity for larger gatherings and more diverse programs.”
Plans include updating bathrooms, replacing windows, and improving technology and lighting to support events like musical performances, lectures, and celebrations.
This story was published as part of a collaboration between Andover News Service and the Department of Journalism in Boston University’s College of Communication. The student journalist is a member of Professor Meghan E. Irons’s Reporting in Depth class.