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 Canterbury Street takes its name from Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt from 1070 to 1077. Seat of the Church of England. Canterbury Street was one of the first roads to be laid out in Shawsheen Village.

This home and the one next door at #9 have bragging rights as the two oldest homes on the street. The houses were originally on Poor Street on the portion called "the Back Row" which is now the west side of Wood Park in Shawsheen Square. There were four identical cape cottages built in a row on Poor St. and three duplexes on North Main St. next to the old Faulkner homestead. It is believed to have been #35 Poor St. and was built by John Smith, president of the Smith & Dove Co. in Frye Village. John Smith acquired the land in Dec. 1841 and deeded it over to his company in July 1864. When the company moved operations to Abbott Village, completed in 1892, the housing stock was no longer necessary and sold off in one parcel to George H. Carlisle on May 3, 1907.

Carlisle then divided up all the properties and sold them off separately. Henry & Margaret Howard purchased the home on Sept. 25, 1908. They owned for two years then sold to Walter T. Rochefort in October 1910. He held for two months then selling to Gustav and Karolina Blomquist.

Both Gustav and Karolina were Swedish immigrants from Angelholm, Skane Sweden. They had three children; Bror b. 1890 , Lilly b. 1894 in Sweden and Ejner b. 1901 in Andover. They first settled in Marland Village, Andover, MA in 1897 were Gustav worked in the Marland Mill. Gustav had served as an officer in the Swedish Calvary. He acquired a job with William M. Wood on his estate "Arden", as his hosteler by 1901 and moved to 3 Lowell St. In 1904 they lived at 25 Lowell St. then purchased the home at 35 Poor. St. Gustav was Wood's coachman in 1913 but would leave employment with Wood to accept a job at the new riding academy on Salem St. in 1915. Sadly Gustav died on June 21, 1915. Two years later Mr. Wood purchased the Blomquist home in Nov. 1917. With the end of WWI William M. Wood began development of Shawsheen Village and most of his acquired homes were moved, renovated and incorporated into the new village. Frye Village became Shawsheen Village in October 1919. The Blomquist house was moved to Canterbury St. and Widow Karolina with son Bror moved to 49 Poor Street, into a new home constructed by Wood.

Shawsheen Village development from began in 1918 and continued into 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 leased through the Homestead Association with offices in the Post Office building in Shawsheen Square, later moved into the Administration Building. This home was saved and moved as part of the new Shawsheen Village. Andover Townsman - Oct. 31, 1919 – The cottages which stood on Poor Street are being moved up Lowell Street, near the sand pit.

Each home incorporated a different look, style and design modifications, most noticeable with the front door entrances. Decorative details on the corner boards and a variety of ornamental trellises, window boxes all added the “icing on the cake, of the original designs. Most of the homes now sport a variety of different colors, no longer all white with green shutters as dictated in the original deeds. Many of the original screen porches have been enclosed for an additional room. Wood also incorporated two family duplexes in every section of the new Village.

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 A.W.Co. 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 properties held in the Arden Trust were deeded to the Phillips Corporation of Portland Maine for liquidation.

The first occupants to lease the home in 1920 were Peter & Betty Frederickson. It appears from the Andover directories that the Fredericksons were the first family on Canterbury St. Peter was a gardener working for a private family. He may have been working on the Wood estate. They purchased the property on May. 25, 1926. Peter married Betty Johnson in Lowell, MA on Sept. 24, 1904. Sadly Betty died on Oct. 7, 1927. In 1930 Peter, age 51 gardener, Eric,age 23 operative. Peter Frederickson died in 1934 and his estate was inherited by Arthur & Bror Frederickson. July 27, 1934. Arthur Frederickson, Ruth V. Bitler guardian of estate of Bror infant on Feb. 26, 1937.

Mildred A. Robertson purchased the property on Mar. 20, 1937.

Date line from directories;
1920 Frederickson, Peter, h. Canterbury n. Lowell
1923 Frederickson, Peter
1926 Frederickson, Peter
1928 - 1929 Frederickson, Peter
1930 Frederickson, Eric, age 23 operative
Frederickson, Peter, age 51 gardener