Perreault Avenue

Perreault Avenue is a short street on the north side of Nuttings Lake in Nuttings Lake Park, running west from the Middlesex Turnpike to a dead end. Until 1988 it was Pine Avenue. It was laid out as Pine Avenue on the "Plan of Lots, Indian Knoll Terrace, Billerica, Mass., Owned by Frank Dolan," drawn by W. L. Whittemore, civil engineer, dated May 28, 1910 and recorded on July 18, 1910 (Plan Book 27, Plan 49). There Pine Avenue is a 30 foot way between rows of lots of 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, running from the land of Stewart to the land of Dolan and crossed by Cedar Road, with Walnut Avenue (now Yale Street) and Water Street to the south. The plan does not explain the name. A plan of a "Proposed extension of Pine Avenue," drawn by James B. Monahan, surveyor, on April 18, 1953 (Plan Book 84, Plan 74A), was later cited with the 1910 plan in the town's acceptance of the street's end next to the turnpike. The oldest house now on the street, 22 Perreault Avenue, was built about 1940 according to the assessors.

Pine Avenue was one of twelve streets in an article that the annual town meeting of 1974 voted down. At the session of April 22, 1975 the town meeting accepted "Pine Avenue 185 feet west of Middlesex Turnpike," as shown on the 1910 plan and the 1953 extension plan; the Street Acceptance Committee had advised against it unless $4,000 was raised for a culvert and bounds, and the meeting was told that "the Sewer Commission paved 600 ft. length and 14 ft. width from Middlesex Turnpike to Cedar Street." The rest of the street, "215ft W. of Middlesex Tpk. to Dead End," about 400 feet, was listed for acceptance at the fall town meeting of 2001, where the article was dismissed, and was accepted at the annual town meeting session of May 14, 2002.

In the selectmen's campaign of 1988 to 1991 against duplicate street names, the board voted on February 22, 1988, effective June 1, 1988, to rename "Pine Avenue ... From Middlesex Turnpike to dead, north of Nutting Lake" as Perreault Avenue; Pine Street at the lake became Swan Lane in the same series of votes. The reason for the new name was not printed, and no record has been found connecting it with a person or family.

References

1. Annual Report 1974: Art. 14 to accept Pine Avenue and eleven other streets lost, 49 to 113
2. Annual Report 1975: April 22, 1975, Pine Avenue accepted 185 feet west of Middlesex Turnpike (Indian Knoll Terrace plan, 1910)
3. Annual Report 2002: fall 2001 warrant Art. 25, Perreault Ave 215 ft W. of Middlesex Tpk. to dead end (article dismissed)
4. Annual Report 2002: May 14, 2002 Art. 19 carried, Perreault Ave 215 ft W. of Middlesex Tpk. to dead end, 400 ft
5. Annual Report 1988: street name changes voted Feb. 22, 1988, Pine Avenue to Perreault Avenue