William Street was originally named Warwick Street when Shawsheen Village was laid out. The name was changed by a vote at a special Town Meeting on November 13, 1922 in memory of William M. Wood Jr., son of William M. & Ellen (Ayer) Wood, who died in an automobile accident on Aug. 15, 1922.

This home was built as part of the Shawsheen Village development 1918 – 1924 by William M. Wood, President of the American Woolen Company Wood hired about eight different architects to design the homes and structures for the village. Homes were sold or rented through the Homestead Association who had offices in the Post Office building on the corner of North Main & Poor Streets.

After the death of William M. Wood in Feb. 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, which had been deeded the property in December 1920. The AWCo Board of Directors authorized its President, Lionel J. Noah, to deliver all deeds, as deemed necessary to the Textile Realty 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 rent the properties. With the Great Depression sales were sluggish and many homes were rented until the economy rebounded.

The first occupants of record to lease the home were Charles H. & Harriet Littlefield in 1923. Littlefield was the treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce in Lawrence. Mrs. Harriet Littlefield is listed in 1928.

This house was sold to Harry C. & Ella M. North on Dec. 28, 1933. The Norths are listed at 72 Poor Street in 1926. Harry was a department chief clerk for the A. W. Co. Ella M. North died on Sept. 30, 1936. Harry C. North sadly died the just seven months later on April 14, 1937. Clifford M. North was the Administrator of the estate via probate on May 12, 1937. As the deed restrictions included a clause option for the Andover Shawsheen Realty Company of, first refusal to buy back the the property they took the option and Andover Shawsheen Realty Co. purchased on June 3, 1937. The company in turn then sold to Edward A. Anderson on June 3, 1937.

Edward A. Anderson b. 1885 was the assistant cashier of the Andover National Bank In 1943. Rhoda C. Anderson, Ruth A. Anderson, a clerk at Tyer Rubber CO., and J. Harry Anderson, retired all live with Edward.
Edward A. Anderson estate, Doris W. Clark, Extrx; Probate in 1967 and the property was sold to Dennis S. & Melita Riley on Dec. 9, 1967