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.

The first occupants of record to lease the home in 1928 were Richard & Minnie Davidson. Richard was listed a a Superintendent in Boston. The 1923 directory does not list the home and in 1926 it is vacant.

The property was purchased by Clifford M. & Arline A. North on Dec. 28, 1933, the house lot and an additional piece in Nov. 1937
Clifford Martin North was b. 1898, son of Harry C. & Ella (Martin) North. His parents lived at 72 Poor St before buying 3 William St. Clifford was in wool sales for the American Woolen Co. Clifford died Dec. 27, 1946 at age 48y 4m. 28d. His wife Arline (Armstrong) North then sold the property after the death of her husband.

John V. & Alice J. Mahony purchased the home on May 7, 1947. Sadly John died the following year on July 14, 1948. Alice J. Mahony remained in the home until her death in 1960. Salvatore J. Basile, Executor of her estate then sold to James G. & Elizabeth A. Prout on June 13, 1960. The Prout family owned the home for 35 years.