13 Shepley Street

Architectural Description: 

Cape style home

Historical Narrative: 

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.

Bibliography/References: 

Essex County Registry Deeds, Salem, MA
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA
Andover Maps, 1852, 1872, 1888, 1906, 1926
Andover Street Directories
Andover Townsman
Mills, Mergers and Mansions, by Edward Roddy 1982
See Map plan #876 – June 1932 – Textile Realty Co -Lot #
Map #1050 – March 1937 – amended map #876 for narrowing street.

Owners;
Sylvester Smith estate, of Worcester, MA
J. Walter Smith of Worcester, MA
Cleora L. Sumner, Trustee -
Henry P. Binney, Trustee of AWCo. - July 30, 1909 - b. 277 p. 314
American Woolen Co. Dec. 30, 1920 - b. 435 p. 215 -(3rd tract of paragraph 4)
Textile Realty Co. - Dec. 30, 1931 - b. 563 p. 344
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - June 30, 1932 - b. 565 p. 87
Arthur & Marilyn R. Arsenault - Mar. 2, 1950 - b. 733 p. 166
Carl W. & Marjorie E. Miller - June 14, 1961 - b. 938 p. 33
Carl W. Miller, heir of Marjorie E. Miller estate - Oct. 21, 1969 - Probate
Marilyn J. DeGregorio - Mar. 21, 1972 - b. 1189 p. 769-770
John J. & Geraldine F. Cerullo - Sept. 13, 1983 - b. 1723 p. 300
Zsolt & Eva Golenko - Aug. 30, 1984 - b. 1859 p. 101
Kris & Patricia Scarborough - Mar. 31, 1986 - b. 2157 p. 336
Bau Nuyen, Loc Pham, Lan Pham, & Nghiep Pham - May 19, 1999 - b. 5444 p. 30
Thomas & Bernice T. Karagiorgos - Apr. 30, 2002 - b. 6807 p. 175

Parcel #2
Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. - June 30, 1932 - b. 565 p. 87
F.M. & T. E. Andrew Realty Trust - Dec. 31, 1962 - b. 976 p. 480
Carl W. & Marjorie E. Miller - May 1, 1966 - b. 1068 p. 445

Inventory Data:

StreetShepley St
PlaceShawsheen Village - Frye Village
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameArthur & Marilyn R. Arsenault House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Date1950
SourceECRDS, ENRDL
Architectural StyleOther
Foundationconcrete block
Wall/Trimclapboard/wood/vinyl siding
Roofasphalt - gable
Outbuildings / Secondary Structuresattached garage
Major Alterationsvinyl siding, replacement windows
Conditionexcellent
Acreage0.190 acre
Settingresidential
Map and parcel34-25
Recorded byJames S. Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date enteredOctober 9, 2015

Map: