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 A.W.Co. 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.

This house is unusual as it was built as a two family home, but designed to look like a single family residence.

The first occupants of record to lease the home in 1926 were Donald & Edith J. Douglas at #10. Donald was in wool sales in Boston. They are residents in 1929. Charles & Ida Cook reside in #12 from 1926-1931 Charles also works for the A. W. Co. as a clerk. They move to 14 Carisbrooke St. in 1932.
#10 - 1930 -31 - Mrs. Edward S. Riley - (Amy S. Riley widow)
#10 - 1932 - 1936 -Edward J. & Catherine A. McVey - Lawyer in Lawrence
#10 - 1937 Catherine Pickels - widow of Edmund, dau. Rita
#10 - 1941 - 1945 - Clifford & Margaret Bradley - General Mgr. Farwell Bleechery in Lawrence
#10 - 1941 - Helen H. Pickels
#12 - 1932 - Vacant
#12 - 1935 - 1936 - William F. & Marion R. Nevin - D.S.W. co.
#12 - 1937 - Nowell R. & Elise (Pickels) Kinney - -Insurance sales - Lawrence.

The home was sold to Elsie P. Kinney & Helen H. Pickels of Lawrence, MA on Jan. 4, 1937. Elise b. Aug. 13, 1900 and Helen b. 1894 were sisters, daughters of Charles H. & Lillian E. (Harding) Pickels of Lawrence. Their father Charles owned an appliance business in Lawrence. Elise Pickels married in 1925 to Nowell Reed Kinney b. May 32, 1897 in Methuen, son of Arthur R. & Bertha L (Nowell) Kinney. He lists his job as Policy Registrar, in Boston, an insurance salesman. They had been living at 603 Haverhill St. in Lawrence, prior to moving to Shawsheen Village. Nowell & Elise had one daughter Ruth Harding Kinney b. Jan. 25, 1931. Nowell died on Oct. 29, 1939.
Elise Kinney, daughter Ruth, her mother Lillian Pickels and sister Helen all live together at #12 William and they lease #10. After the Bradleys moved, Edward S. & Loretta Ellard rent unit #10. Ellard is a dentist in Lawrence. Sadly he died by 1949 and Loretta remained at #10.

Ruth H. Kinney attended Abbot Academy and married Richard Gould. Alfter the death of her mother Elsie Kinney in 1969 Ruth inherited the property. Ruth sold the property to Patricia McGovern on June 29, 1995. Ruth died on Nov. 1, 2007.