49 and 51 Poor Street are the approximate location of the old Frye homestead which faced south down to the intersection of Poor and Lowell Streets.
The homestead belonged to Enoch Frye, son of Theophilus & Lucy (Lovejoy) Frye. Enoch was born on Aug. 29, 1776 in Andover and married on Aug. 2, 1798 to Mary Shattuck b. Feb 16, 1776 dau. of Isaac & Mary Shattuck. They had nine children; Enoch 3rd b. Jan. 22, 1799, Mary b. May 16, 1801, Herman b. Apr. 4, 1803, Phebe Shattuck b. Nov. 4, 1804, Andrew b. Feb. 18, 1807- d. Oct. 15, 1809, Isaac b. Mar 31, 1809, Andrew Lovejoy b. Oct. 4, 1811, Theophilus b. Apr. 13, 1815 and Elizabeth b. Sept. 18, 1818.

Enoch was a farmer and clothier. He served as an Ensign in the 3rd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Mass. Division in 1807. On May 24 1830 Enoch sells this property to Thomas C. Foster for $550. His oldest son Enoch Frye 3rd then purchased the homestead from Foster on Oct. 26, 1831 for $550.

Enoch Frye 3rd was born Jan. 22, 1799, one of nine siblings including Herman and his sister Phebe S. Frye. Charlotte Helen Abbott states in her Frye Genealogy that “Enoch was a teacher in New Hampshire for a while, graduated of Harvard, and lived in Lawrence.” Enoch also graduated from Phillips Academy in 1810. Enoch married on Sept. 29, 1836 to Lydia Barnard b. Feb. 10, 1808 dau. of John & Lydia (Mooar) Barnard. Enoch & Lydia had five children: Enoch Osgood b. Nov. 7, 1837, Lydia b. Aug. 3, 1840, Calvin b. Feb. 14, 1843-d. Sept. 13, 1843, Calvin Augustine b. Aug. 24, 1845 and Oscar Alden b. Nov. 4, 1848.

Enoch Frye 3rd is listed as a Cordwainer when he purchased the house. He took a $300 mortgage loan on Nov. 29, 1833 from Benjamin Trask, a Machinist, on “the dwelling house that my father Enoch Frye now dwells” which included 12 acres of land. Enoch also took a loan from his brother Herman Frye for $500 on Sept. 18, 1849. The 1850 Valuation Schedule list Enoch 3rd House $350, Barn & other buildings $125, New House $530, 12 acre home farm $480, 9 acre pasture $225 = $1710 Farm Stock $52. Enoch served as a Town Selectman in 1854-55. The 1850 Census also lists his father Enoch and his sister Phebe S. Frye residing with Enoch 3rd and family. His mother Mary had died on Jan. 30, 1844.
The 1860 Census list Enoch Sr. age 84 Clothier, Phebe S. 54 producer of thread, Enoch 3rd Farmer, Lydia 19 Flax spreader, Calvin A. 14 Farm laborer, and Oscar A. 12.

Herman Frye died on Oct.5, 1856 and the loan was carried by the estate. Enoch & Lydia’s son Enoch Osgood enlisted during the Civil War in Co. K. 1st Mass. Heavy Artillery and was killed by a falling tree at Ft. Albany, VA on Oct. 29, 1861. His father Enoch died on Sept. 8, 1864 and Enoch III and his family moved to Lawrence, MA.

Enoch had defaulted on his loans and Benjamin Trask took possession of the property on May 28, 1862. The mortgage deed was assigned to W. Fisk Gile on June 10, 1862 for $784.22. Gile then sold to a portion of the deed to Gilbert E. Hood on Nov. 1862. The deeds where later sold to John Dove on Oct. 27, 1863. John Dove was the co-founder of the Smith & Dove Manuf. Co. and lived at 278 North Main St. now “Arden”. The Frye homestead was then used as income property. John Dove died on Nov. 20, 1876 and the estate went to Dove heirs.

Joseph W. Smith purchased the property on Mar. 31, 1887. Joseph W. Smith was the son of John Smith, founder of Smith & Dove. Joseph placed his properties in a Trust in Feb. 1889 with Richard P. Hallowell as assignee and Trustee. This parcel, which extended from the Hussey property on the south and east northward along the east side of Poor St. to the intersection of North Main St., was sold to William A. Donald on July 17, 1889. William deeded the property to his wife Cornelia P. Donald on Aug. 10, 1893. The property later went to the Donald heirs, Gordon, Malcolm Donald & Jessie D. Hallowell.

The Frye homestead was then sold to Henry P. Binney, agent for William M. Wood and the American Woolen Co. on April 28, 1919. Binney then transferred the property to William M. Wood on Feb. 6, 1920. This parcel and the Hussey estate were once of the first areas of development of the new Shawsheen Village. The Frye home was razed by 1919, one of a few original homes not moved and relocated during the construction of the village.

The parcel of land along the east side of Poor St to Windsor St was divided into house lots as was the land where the Aberdeen is located today. Poor St was also straightened and made wider from the intersection of Lowell St. William M. Wood sold this lot to Bror Blomquist, son of Karolina Blomquist in 1919. which contained a new home at that time. Bror then deeds it to his mother. The Blomquists were living at 35 Poor St. in a Cape home on what is now Wood Park. The road that continues along the west side of the Park was once the continuation of Poor St. south of Lowell St. and was often referred to as the "Back Row". Wood moved the Blomquist home to 7 Canterbury St.