Shawsheen Village

Shawsheen Village was built in the area of Andover that was Frye Village. William Wood envisoned an entire community for the "white collar" workers of the American Woolen Company. He purchased land starting in 1906 and began construction in 1918. Within 5 years the self contained village of Shawsheen was completed. The village included residential, commerical, recreational, and industrial areas.

Shawsheen Village was originally called Frye Village in the 18th century. It was renamed after the River that flowed through the area - The Shawsheen River.

The name Shawsheen is derived from the native American word Shawshin meaning serpentine. An alternate spelling is Shaw Shynne.

See

• “Mills, Mansions, and Mergers” by Edward G. Roddy, pages 83-105.

• “Shawsheen: the Model Community and the Home of the Officers and Staff of the American Woolen Company”

• Andover Townsman, August 28, 1975, page 20.

• "Shawsheen -- A Dream that Became an Actuality," Andover Townsman, March 19, 1981, p. 6, 68.

• "Villagers want history saved: Shawsheen neighborhood fights wrecking ball," Eagle Tribune, April 27, 1997, p. C1.

• "Historic Shawsheen Village?," Andover Townsman, February 5, 1998.

• "The more things change, the more Andover stays the same," Andover Townsman, January 14, 1999, p. 17.

• "Lights don't make right, says Shawsheen group," Andover Townsman, April 22, 1999, p. 7.

• "Shawsheen Historic District draws the line," Andover Townsman, April 22, 1999, p. 20.

• "Voters turn the lights out at Shawsheen fields," Andover Townsman, April 29, 1999, p. 17.

• "Behind Ballardvale," Townsman, November 6, 2003.

• "Selectmen nix $500,000 flooding article," Eagle Tribune, March 24, 2005, p. 13.

• "In the 1930s, Shawsheen was the place to dance, hear jazz," Andover Townsman, November 30, 2006, p. 36.

• "Shawsheen was a whole different world from 'Andover'," Andover Townsman, December 7, 2006, p. 38.

• "Dusting off history: Group plans renaissance for Shawsheen Village," Eagle Tribune, April 19, 2007, p. 1.

• "Shawsheen residents invite officials to talk about flooding problems," Eagle Tribune, June 1, 2007.

• "Boating on the Shawsheen? 'Renaissance' vision to be unveiled," Andover Townsman, June 21, 2007.

• "Preservation panel honors local photographer posthumously," Andover Townsman, July 5, 2007.

• "Birth of Shawsheen - and the growth of the Shawsheen Woman's Club," Andover Townsman, December 3, 2009, p. 11.

• Dancing in Shawsheen Begat a Ballroom for Andover by Francesca Balboni, Andover Historical Society, also Andover Townsman September 2, 2010, p.15.

• Shawsheen Village, an Unusual Company Town. by Donn Robb, Andover Historical Society, also in Andover Townsman 11/10/2011, p.7.

--Glenda 11:33, December 19, 2006 (EST)
--Eleanor 16:25, August 17, 2011
--Leslie 16:56, July 17, 2012
--Leslie 19:58, August 8, 2012

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