Shawsheen Village was named after the Native American name for the river Shawshin, which means Great Spring. Prior to Shawsheen Village this area was known as Frye Village. Most of the streets in the new Village were named for Castles & Cathedrals in Great Britain. Shepley Street however is named for a person but, as yet, has not been substantiated. This land was once owned by Sylvester P. Smith (49 Union St) who had plans for a housing development. A 1901 map of Frye Village clearly shows the locations of Shepley & Binney Streets, but named Agawam and Merrick Streets respectively, both connected at the east end by Madison St. which was never built. Old deeds reference both earlier names.

This home was not built as part of the Shawsheen Village development from 1918-1924 by William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Company. This listing is only for historical background and is not yet considered historic.

The property and Shepley Street were however developed by Wood as housing for workers in the Shawsheen Mill. Only the homes on the south side of this street; #5, #7, #9, & #11 were built. It is not known why the north side of the street was not included during construction of the village but all are post WW II construction.

After the death of William M. Wood on Feb. 2, 1926 most of the residential and commercial buildings were then sold. Some were held by the Wood family in the "Arden Trust" and others with the American Woolen Company. The AWCo. Board of Directors authorized its President, Lionel J. Noah, to deliver all deeds, as deemed necessary to the Textile Realty Co. for sale on Dec. 29, 1931.

The Textile Realty then transferred ownership to the Andover Shawsheen Realty Company on June 30, 1932, holding the mortgage on the properties. T. Edwin Andrew, treasurer, was authorized to sell or lease the properties. With the Great Depression sales were sluggish and many homes were rented until the economy rebounded.

This property listed on map #876 of the Textile Realty Co. in 1932 is parcel A, which at that time was 3.18 acres. The parcel extended from the north side of Shepley St. across the end of Shepley and southward beyond Binney St. to the former Fletcher St. removed for construction of the Route 495 highway in 1962. This house lot was divided off by the Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. and sold to Arthur & Marilyn R. Arsenault on Mar. 2, 1950.

Arthur Asenault b. 1925 was a carpenter and cabinet maker and built the cape style home in 1950. Asenault lived here for 11 years then sold this property to Carl W. & Marjorie E. Miller on June 14, 1961. The Miller family purchased the 20,473 sq. foot second parcel on May 1, 1966 from F.M. & T. E. Andrew Realty Trust, the former Andover Shawsheen Realty Co.