Themes: Architectural, Community development, Industry

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. The entrance to Riverina Rd from Haverhill St. was once the site of the Smith & Dove Mill, the first mill in the country built for the production of linen threads from flax.

The Shawsheen Laundry building 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. Adden & Parker of Boston were most likely the designers of the laundry building, as the Post Office, Balmoral Spa and Shawsheen Garage were all done by their firm. Homes and commercial buildings were leased 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 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, which had been deeded the properties in December 1920. 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 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.

The Shawsheen Laundry was built on a site previously used as a laundry by the Hussey family in the days of Frye Village. When Shawsheen Village was planed the laundry was built to service the residents of the village and businessmen traveling to the American Woolen Co. It was hoped it would take the place of clothes hung out to dry on lines. William Wood disliked the appearance and preferred them to be screened from view. The property deeds of the new homes in the village did not, however, prohibit the use.

The building was leased to the Shawsheen Laundry Company which expired on June 30, 1936. It appears that the first manager of the Shawsheen Laundrey was Henry Adams Utley. Henry was born in Southbridge, MA on June 6, 1859. Henry married on Apri. 10, 1881 to Lillian Francis Albee, b. June 25, 1862 in Rockingham, VT. They had two sons, Lewis B. b. Dec. 20, 1882 and Henry Lester b. Nov. 10, 1885 in Ware, MA

In 1885 Henry A. is the manager of the Ware Steam Laundry. In 1895 the Utley family have moved to Amherst, MA and Henry is managing the College Co-operative Laundry on East Pleasant St. In 1910 the family lives at the Amherst House and is operating the Amherst Steam Laundry. In 1912 both Henry and his son Henry Lester are both proprietors of the Amherst Co-operative Laundry. Son Henry, called Lester, married in Barttleboro, VT on Oct. 15, 1912 to Katherine Gray Martin b. June 8, 1892 daughter of Jessie L. Martin. They had one daughter Jessie L. Utley b. 1917.

Sadly Henry A.'s wife Lillian died on Apr. 16, 1916 in Amherst, MA. H. Lester and wife Katherine separated and later divorced. Henry A. Utley came to Andover to manage the new Shawsheen Laundry as the Proprietor. In 1923 Henry is living at the Shawsheen Manor, the place he will call home until his death on Dec. 6, 1934. The property and business was then purchased his son Henry Lester Utley on Dec. 26, 1935.

Lester had remarried Anna Gunton Utley and had been manageer of the laundry with his father. Lester and Anna live at 45 Union St. befor they purchased the home at 11 Carisbrooke Street in Aug. 1935. In March 1940 a portion of the property at 2 Riverina Road was sold to Martha Robinson, daughter of Victor & Cora Stelandre, owners of the Shawsheen Market in the Post Office Building. They built a new market building there opening in July 1940.

Henry Lester Utley sold his business and home to Ralph C. & Cecelia Price in April 1947. It remained under the name of Shawsheen Laundry Company, Inc. The laundry slowly went out of business as more homes installed washing machines and dryers after the WWII. The company declared bankruptcy in April 1953.

Woodworth Motors, Inc. then purchased the building on July 21, 1953. The building was then converted into office space. Woodworth Motors continues as owners of record, under the Deluca name.